Maybe, but again I do believe Blanton is ready to step up, but the 2022 draft is bountiful with TE's as
@PARAM has communicated with the likes of John Fitzgerald from Georgia & FSU's Jordan Wilson for example, so if the Rams are a bit unsure, they could add one of these, especially Fitzgerald, who might be there as an UDRFA, just like Blanton was from Missouri.
I didn't know him from Adam when he was an NFL prospect. So I looked back to see what I could find.....***Not doubting your evaluation of him Den....
Here's a couple of evaluations:
Dan Parlegreco, DTP:
"Blanton has the definition of an ideal build, with a long and athletic frame, possessing outstanding muscularity and power throughout his frame. Blanton is used on special teams’ in college due to his physicality. Reliable and sticky hands to snatch and catch the ball away from his frame. Outstanding length, possessing the wingspan to outstretch smaller DBs. Shows nice body control and flexibility in his ability to adjust to badly thrown balls.
Shows good initial quickness out of his stance, quickly getting to the 2nd level to block. Blanton is very physical, showing tremendous upper body power and strength. You can tell he takes blocking very seriously. A really good move blocker who shows an ability to get out in space and block downfield at all levels."
He added:
"– I really think a smart team is going to take a chance on Blanton due to his size and frame. He’s an athletically-built guy who absolutely has potential. I don’t think he’s strictly a “blocking TE” because there are some movement skills to work with. But at the very least you’ll have a really solid blocking TE. 6th round player."
Was he calling the Rams "smart"? Astute of him.
Here was his NFL.com draft profile:
" Overview
Could be viewed by some teams as a height/weight/speed prospect worthy of stashing and developing, thanks to his untapped potential. Blanton is big and fast, but he doesn't get as much as he should from either physical trait. However, his athleticism avails itself in his ability to stick to blocks as well as run after the catch. There is plenty of room for improvement, and the potential is there to compete for a roster spot as a late-rounder or undrafted free agent."
Strengths
- Good combination of size and speed
- Played in-line, as H-back and from slot/bunch sets
- Expected to run somewhere in the 4.6s
- Tall with high-point ability
- Athletic ability suddenly clicks after the catch
- Bursts to accelerate away from trailing tacklers with ability to elude oncoming traffic
- Showed willingness to try and leap up and over Georgia defender after the catch
- Plus body control allows for stickier blocking through contact
- Athletic feet to adjust and mirror to second-level movement
- Ability to recover and reconnect when beaten early as in-line blocker
And from Blanton himself in a pre-draft interview:
"KB: We got a lot of good tight ends that come through here. I’m more of a traditional Y tight end. I feel like I can do both, block and catch, but we had a lot of good tight ends coming in. I think it was the best tight end group in the last six years or so at any college program, Albert Okwuegbunam was basically our receiving tight end, as we would spread him out and do things with that.
It was just what the team needed from me though, a guy who could block and wasn’t afraid to stick his nose in with the big guys we were facing in the SEC and go toe-to-toe with them. I’d do that everyday, and I was fortunate enough to play in the SEC, as a lot of those guys you are going to see on Sundays, so I got to block them. That’s just what they wanted me to do, though, and I’m not going to argue with the coaches."
