Tight End class in draft

[PhillyRam]

I do think we need to be prepared for the Rams to take one of those QBs potentially. It's not likely but I'd imagine there's a way the first round could fall to where they take one of them at 26. It would be a reach, but late first can happen for QBs who slot into that round 2 to even 3 range if it's a weak class and you want that extra year of team control.

Ideally an OT is there and maybe they can trade back with KC and still get the QB they want IF they are thinking QB in rd 1. At least that way you get an extra pick to address other needs.

 

[Merlin]

Ideally an OT is there and maybe they can trade back with KC and still get the QB they want IF they are thinking QB in rd 1. At least that way you get an extra pick to address other needs.

Yeah I just wonder if the OTs are going to have anyone good on the board by the time we're up. Teams see this defensive front class and they know the league is going to get harder on OL. The WR group is iffy up top. QBs are iffy up top. So idk. But the OTs always seem to have a run on the best guys by the 20s.

I'd love to see an OT. Our boys scare me once we get into the depth chart and Hav is showing signs of age.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Whomever they bring in or draft I'm just hopeful that they remember PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS AND BLOCKING in their evaluations. The kid has got to have that Dawg in him.

 

[jrry32]

This is my top 5 at the position and comparisons:
1. Tyler Warren (Travis Kelce)
2. Colston Loveland (Zach Ertz)
3. Harold Fannin (Aaron Hernandez)
4. Elijah Arroyo (Isaiah Likely)
5. Mason Taylor (Dalton Schultz)

I hate making the Hernandez comparison, but he's the guy who came to mind. Fannin, like Hernandez, runs like a power HB with the ball in his hands. Violent play style. Mason Taylor has a very high floor. I could see a world where he ends up being Mark Andrews because of his football IQ and hands, but his movement skills aren't on par with the top 4. Loveland has absurd movement skills. He could become the best route runner at TE in the NFL as he polishes his game. This is a great group of TEs. Best class in years.

If I'm the Rams, I'm targeting Harold Fannin. I don't think we'll need to spend a first on him. Could trade down into the second or potentially trade up in the third. He'd be perfect as a move TE in our offense. Violent lead blocker on the move. Runs like a bull with the ball in his hands. Rarely drops passes. Explosive acceleration allows him to create early separation. Only things he lacks are elite top-end speed and size (6'3" 240).

 

[Merlin]

Fannin does look like the buy low option right now. Would be a nice project for McVay and fit.

The depth of this group is nice too. For example Ferguson grew on me a lot while watching Gabriel. Smooth in the pattern, good instincts for finding space, good at selling contact early. Real nice looking player.

 

[muggmeister]

I'm not a big fan of drafting TEs very high unless they are obviously unworldly good. TE is one if not the hardest to translate from college to the pros. Think it would be a mistake to trade up just to get one. I would moreso understand if one fell to them though. Still think we could better fill the roster without going TE in the 1st round.

Personally I see Travis Kelce 2.0 in Tyler Warren. How many picks would Kelce have been worth?

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Personally I see Travis Kelce 2.0 in Tyler Warren. How many picks would Kelce have been worth?

That's a big ass leap of faith there on the pro comparison. Not saying he won't be good but TE is extremely hard to play in the NFL. Only TE I personally saw that I knew was going to ball out was Bowers as he way more than passed the eyeball test. I think it would be beyond dumb of the Rams to trade multiple assets for a TE when you take into account the depth of the class. There's a reason the Rams are visiting other TEs that are more likely to be in their range. The Rams still have holes to fill and trading up and expecting a TE to trump that is crazy to me. I'll pose a more realistic question to you since you seem way more inclined with supporting a trade up. What would you be ok with the Rams giving up to trade up for Warren?

 

[Allen2McVay]

Brock Bowers aside, First Round TEs are a little scary.

Many of the NFL’s top-TEs in recent years were mid-round picks.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Personally I see Travis Kelce 2.0 in Tyler Warren. How many picks would Kelce have been worth?

Kelce in his prime would often force teams to play their best coverage guy on him via his speed and ability to separate. That's not Warren's game. He's more like Tucker Kraft 2.0 to me. A very good player, but just because he's not featured in Green Bay some see it as a slight.

 

[WestCoastRam]

This is my top 5 at the position and comparisons:
1. Tyler Warren (Travis Kelce)
2. Colston Loveland (Zach Ertz)
3. Harold Fannin (Aaron Hernandez)
4. Elijah Arroyo (Isaiah Likely)
5. Mason Taylor (Dalton Schultz)

I hate making the Hernandez comparison, but he's the guy who came to mind. Fannin, like Hernandez, runs like a power HB with the ball in his hands. Violent play style. Mason Taylor has a very high floor. I could see a world where he ends up being Mark Andrews because of his football IQ and hands, but his movement skills aren't on par with the top 4. Loveland has absurd movement skills. He could become the best route runner at TE in the NFL as he polishes his game. This is a great group of TEs. Best class in years.

If I'm the Rams, I'm targeting Harold Fannin. I don't think we'll need to spend a first on him. Could trade down into the second or potentially trade up in the third. He'd be perfect as a move TE in our offense. Violent lead blocker on the move. Runs like a bull with the ball in his hands. Rarely drops passes. Explosive acceleration allows him to create early separation. Only things he lacks are elite top-end speed and size (6'3" 240).

Nate Tice and McDonald talk about the Hernandez comp, it's a great listen.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Personally I see Travis Kelce 2.0 in Tyler Warren. How many picks would Kelce have been worth?

I agree. Warren was the main pass catching weapon for PSU and opponents still couldn’t stop him. He is very good at getting open and finding the spaces in a defense just like Kelce does.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Kelce in his prime would often force teams to play their best coverage guy on him via his speed and ability to separate. That's not Warren's game. He's more like Tucker Kraft 2.0 to me. A very good player, but just because he's not featured in Green Bay some see it as a slight.

I agree when it comes to physical build and measurables but Warren gets open better. He's a more physical runner than Kelce but they both share that ability find open space despite being the focus on the DBs

 

[jrry32]

Kelce in his prime would often force teams to play their best coverage guy on him via his speed and ability to separate. That's not Warren's game. He's more like Tucker Kraft 2.0 to me. A very good player, but just because he's not featured in Green Bay some see it as a slight.

Warren has speed. It's build-up speed, though. He also is explosive with his start and stop. The one area where he's not great is cutting at speed. But you can mitigate that with route tree creativity. What stood out to me the most with Warren is that he's a ball winner. Plays through contact and wins consistently. That's rare. It's what made me a big fan of Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, and Alshon Jeffery as prospects. Warren is 6'6" 260 and a great athlete, so I see that skill translating to the NFL.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Warren has speed. It's build-up speed, though. He also is explosive with his start and stop. The one area where he's not great is cutting at speed. But you can mitigate that with route tree creativity. What stood out to me the most with Warren is that he's a ball winner. Plays through contact and wins consistently. That's rare. It's what made me a big fan of Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, and Alshon Jeffery as prospects. Warren is 6'6" 260 and a great athlete, so I see that skill translating to the NFL.

Sounds an awful lot like Tucker Kraft to me.

 

[WestCoastRam]

I agree when it comes to physical build and measurables but Warren gets open better. He's a more physical runner than Kelce but they both share that ability find open space despite being the focus on the DBs

He's Dallas Clark

 

[jrry32]

Sounds an awful lot like Tucker Kraft to me.

Warren is a better athlete.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

He's Dallas Clark

It’s been a while. I’ll have to watch some of Dallas Clark now.

 

[TheTackle]

Just to change the discussion slightly, could Will Lampkin be a great H-Back? I have read evaluations that talk about a position switch. Can you imagine our RBs running behind him; or how he could help an OT vs a dominant edge; or stay home to give Stafford more time?

I love the idea of drafting a TE for the pass game especially if they can become functional at blocking - which seems a requirement for our O - but no TE offers anywhere near as much as Lampkin as a blocker. That’s if he can make the move…

Thoughts?

I think the team that drafts him will be thinking just that

 

[Memento]

I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I’d be fine with Fannin in the first round if Loveland and Warren are gone (which I expect at this point). He’s is a seriously talented receiver (and yes, I also see Aaron Hernandez without the character issues) whose blocking is actually quite underrated (advanced stats show that he’s actually very good at blocking), and we won’t get him in round three.

Credit to @OldSchool for the Fannin love; I’m fully on the Fannin to LA train, even if we have to use a first.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Just to change the discussion slightly, could Will Lampkin be a great H-Back? I have read evaluations that talk about a position switch. Can you imagine our RBs running behind him; or how he could help an OT vs a dominant edge; or stay home to give Stafford more time?

I love the idea of drafting a TE for the pass game especially if they can become functional at blocking - which seems a requirement for our O - but no TE offers anywhere near as much as Lampkin as a blocker. That’s if he can make the move…

Thoughts?

I think the team that drafts him will be thinking just that

There's a ton of guys who can offer a ton at H-back in this draft that offer more than Lampkin. Taylor and Helm are first to mind. Even Fannin if he can get his blocking in order.