While the past few drafts have brought out some very solid tight ends i.e. Greg Olsen and Jason Witten to name a few, the 2009 NFL Draft doesn’t have that strong of a tight end class. There are really two or three players that are outstanding at the position and should go in the first two rounds. After that, there is a drop off in talent. Next year’s crop may be better and if you want a good tight end in 2009, you had better take one early. The following is a look at the five top tight ends in the 2009 NFL Draft.
1. Brandon Pettigrew-Oklahoma State-Pettigrew comes in as the number one rated tight end in the 2009 NFL Draft and for good reason, he has been very productive in the passing game and isn’t too bad of a blocker either. The first thing that you will notice about Pettigrew is his size. He is nearly the perfect size for a tight end and has a rare combination of size and speed but doesn’t have the overall great speed that some tight ends have. He is a good route runner and has great hands. Pettigrew will catch almost anything that is thrown his way. He isn’t as big of a playmaker as some would like to see and he has had some issues off the field as well. This will really get the attention of NFL scouts and they will look very hard into that during the time leading up to the draft.
Pettigrew has a ton of talent and the sky is the limit with him but character questions may knock him down a little bit in the draft. He looks to be a mid to late first round type pick and could go to the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that could use a good tight end.
2. Jared Cook-TE-South Carolina-For a tight end, Cook seems to have it all, size, speed and most everything that you would want in a player at his position. The biggest upside to Cook is that he is big (6’5”) and thus tall enough to snag balls out of the air and keep pace with some of the taller defensive backs and linebackers. Cook is also a great athlete who has the speed necessary to outrun some of the slower linebackers and defensive backs in the NFL. What he lacks is consistency as it appears as if he can disappear sometimes during a game. He will not have that option in the NFL.
Cook is really kind of a surprise to some and will need to perform well in the combine in order for him to get the attention of scouts and earn a high draft selection. Right now, he could go as high as the bottom of the first round but is more likely to go in the bottom to middle of the second round depending on how big of a need there is going to be for tight ends.
3. Shawn Nelson-TE-Southern Mississippi-Nelson is another tight end in the mold that most teams want to see tight ends in and that is big with a lot of power and some speed. Nelson is big (6’5” 238 lbs) and is athletic for the position. He has great hands and rarely drops a pass. While he is big right now, he does have a little room grow which will be good. The downside to Nelson is that he needs to get some weight on his frame soon so he can withstand the rigors of being a tight end in the NFL. He also needs to get stronger so that he can handle the blocking duties he will most surely see.
Nelson is an interesting prospect with a lot of potential and nowhere to go but up. If he can fill out his frame a little bit and block well enough (or prove that he can rather) he could get a good second or early third round grade in the 2009 NFL Draft.
4. Chase Coffman-Missouri-Once thought to be the number one tight end in the country, thanks to injuries and eventual ineffective play by the Missouri Tigers but he still has a great shot at being drafted towards the top of the draft (before the start of the 4th round) thanks to the skill and potential that he possesses. Coffman’s biggest attribute is his size. He is 6’6”, 245lbs which makes him a huge target for any NFL quarterback. He is able to make tough catches and out jump defenders for the ball when it is in the air. He also could be a fine blocker if he can develop that skill in the NFL. The downside to Coffman, aside from his current blocking issues is that he has injury issues that may cause teams to shy away from taking him right away. He also needs to add some weight to his frame and his speed isn’t that great either.
If Coffman had come out last year, he may have been the first or second tight end taken. Now, thanks to a less than stellar senior season, he will most likely be a late second to early (to mid) third round pick. Coffman can develop into a fine tight end he just needs a little work and also needs to stay healthy.
5. Travis Beckum-Wisconsin-Beckum pulled some what of a disappearing act thanks to injury but should be able to grade out highly with good workouts and a good showing in front of NFL scouts this offseason. The upside to Beckum is that he is exactly what the doctor would order for a good tight end, athletic. He has the size (standing at 6’4”) to reach over top of smaller defenders and grab the ball or out of the air above them. His pass catching skills are very good and he could be one of the best pass catching tight ends in the draft. What he lacks is solid blocking skills and he isn’t built to block nor does he have the demeanor that a blocker needs to get in there and get nasty.
Beckum is going to be a player that is heavily tested and looked at over the next few weeks leading up to the 2009 NFL Draft because he is so athletic and because he isn’t going to be a good blocker at the position for some time to come. Perhaps he could be slotted as a wide receiver but his best bet would be to stick with being a tight end, get some weight added on and show teams that he can be an effective pass catcher as well as an effective blocker.
By Bryan Dietzler
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