Draft Preview 2021: Tight Ends

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March 4, 2021

by Steve Thomas

We are rounding into the heart of our annual draft coverage, and next up this week is the tight end group.  We’ve already covered the following position groups:

Washington’s current tight end group consists of starter Logan Thomas, plus little used 2020 holdovers Marcus Baugh and Temarrick Hemingway, practice squad-level players Dylan Cantrell and Tyrone Swoopes, and 2020 undrafted free agent Thaddeus Moss, who missed all of last season thanks to a foot injury suffered in college.  Thomas is engrained in #1 slot, but he’s only signed through 2021, and judging from the rest of this list, at a minimum, the team needs a competent backup and an inline blocking tight end.  Given that Thomas will be a free agent next year, it’s not impossible to think that the team invests a pick in this position, perhaps even a high pick if someone falls to them.  Unlike prior years, the NFL Combine did not go forward in its traditional format as a result of China Virus restrictions, so we don’t have the reliable physical and performance measurements that are usually available.  Here’s an incomplete list of prospects who may make solid choices for Washington:

Kyle Pitts, 6’6: / 240, Florida: Pitts is the nearly-unanimous choice among draft analysts as the top tight end in this class.  He spent 3 years at Florida and was a starter for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, playing in a total of 24 games, and had 100 receptions, 1,492 yards, 14.9 yards per reception, and 18 touchdowns.  In 2020, Pitts played 8 games and made 43 receptions, 770 yards, 17.9 yards per reception, and 12 touchdowns.  He was the most productive tight end in Gator history.  Pitts is a physical mismatch who reportedly runs the 40 yard dash in the 4.5 second range, and can also line up at all of the wide receiver positions.  He is a quality route-runner who is projected to be a versatile, elite-level playmaker in the NFL.  Some analysts view him as a better wide receiver in the pros.  He will most likely be drafted in the top half of round 1, so the odds are against him being available to Washington at 19.

Pat Freiermuth, 6’5” / 260, Penn St.:  Freiermuth played 29 games in three seasons for the Penn St., with 92 tackles, 1,185 yards, 12.9 yards per reception, and 16 touchdowns.  He only played 4 games this past season, but posted 23 receptions, 310 yards, and 1 touchdown.  Freiermuth is the consensus #2 tight end in the draft.  He is versatile and lined up both as an inline tight end and in the slot in college.  He is a quality pass catcher but isn’t known as a plus-level blocker.  His 40 yard dash time is project at about 4.7 seconds.  Freiermuth is viewed by most as a second round talent.

Brevin Jordan, 6’3” / 244, Miami (Fl.):  Jordan is another collegiate junior and three year starter, playing 26 games in three seasons, with 105 receptions for 1,358 yards, 12.9 yards per receptions, and 13 touchdowns.  In 2020, Brevin had 38 receptions, 576 yards, 15.2 yards per reception, and 7 touchdowns in 8 games.  His 40 time is supposedly around 4.65 seconds.  Jordan is yet another versatile pass-catcher who can line up in a variety of positions, and has good athleticism.  Jordan’s size will prevent him from being an in-line tight end in the NFL, but he can be a quality “F” tight end in the NFL, meaning that he can fill the H-back role and line up in the slot and at the “Z” position.  Many analysts believe that he will need some time to develop his route-running technique.  Jordan is projected to go in round 3.

Hunter Long, 6’5” / 254, Boston College:  Long spent 3 seasons at Boston College, playing in a total of 26 games, and had 89 receptions, 1,297 yards, 14.6 yards per reception, and 9 touchdowns.  In 2020, he played 11 games, earning 57 receptions, 685 yards, 12.0 yards per reception, and 5 touchdowns.  He’s known to have good hands, has experience with a variety of different routes, and is a good blocker.  Long’s downside is that he’s not a great athlete by NFL standards and needs help with the quality of his route-running.  His lack of speed will probably keep him from being an top-end playmaker in the NFL.  He’s rumored to run the 40 yard dash in the 4.8 second range.  The majority of draft analysts believe he will be drafted in the third or fourth round.

Tommy Tremble, 6’4” / 252, Notre Dame:  Tremble is a true junior who didn’t get any playing time in 2018, but started in 2019 and 2020.  In total, Tremble played 19 games and had 35 receptions, 401 yards, 11.5 yards per reception, and 4 touchdowns.  In 2020, Tremble had 19 receptions, 218 yards, and 11.5 yards per reception in 10 games.  He was timed at 4.63 seconds in the 40 yard dash in high school.  He missed his senior season in high school, so Tremble is inexperienced and will need developmental time.  Tremble is viewed as having good athleticism and as a quality blocker, so if he’s given time to develop his route-running skills and technique, he has a chance to be a decent “F” tight end in the NFL.  Many analysts believe he was underutilized at Notre Dame because of the presence of other talent on the roster; as a result, he’s viewed as someone who will eventually make a better professional than he projected based on his collegiate production.  Expect him to be drafted somewhere rounds 4 or 5.

Tre’ McKitty, 6’4” / 247, Georgia:  McKitty played three seasons at Florida St. from 2017 through 2019 before transferring to Georgia for the 2020 season.  In total, he played 24 games, and had 56 receptions, 628 yards, 11.2 yards per reception, and 3 touchdowns.  In 2020, McKitty played 4 games and had 6 receptions in just 10 targets for 108 yards, 18.0 yards per reception, and 1 touchdown.  He is projected to run the 40 yard dash in the mid-4.7 second range.  McKitty was clearly underutilized at Georgia this past season.  He is known to have good hands and strength.  His principal negatives are his route running skills and blocking ability, which will need to improve in the NFL.  Despite that, McKitty is a good mid-round receiving tight end prospect.

Kenny Yeboah, 6’4” / 247, Mississippi: Yeboah played 5 collegiate seasons, including 4 years at Temple from 2016 to 2019 and this past season at Ole Miss.  In total, he played 34 games and made 74 receptions, 1,062 yards, 14.4 yards per reception, and 12 touchdowns.  In 2020, Yeboah played 7 games and had 27 receptions, 524 yards, 19.4 yards per receptions, and 6 touchdowns.  Yeboah is another “F” tight end, with solid receiving skills.  He has good hands and has demonstrated that he can run most of the route tree.  He can line up at both fullback and H-back, but is most likely not a plus blocker in the NFL.  Yeboah runs the 40 yard dash in the high 4.6 – low 4.7 range.  He is projected to be a mid-round pick.

Tony Poljan, 6’7” / 258, Virginia: Poljan played 4 college seasons, including three at Central Michigan University from 2017 to 2019 before transferring to Virginia for the 2020 season. Poljan began his collegiate career as a quarterback but also split time at both receiver and tight end during his first two seasons.  He switched to tight end on a full-time basis in 2019.  Poljan graduated from Central Michigan after the 2019 season and transferred to Virginia as a graduate student for the 2020 season.  In total, he played 44 games in college.  As a quarterback, in two seasons at Central Michigan, Poljan had 89 completions in 168 attempts, 703 yards, 4.2 yards per attempt, 2 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions in 22 games.  As a tight end, in four seasons, he made 83 receptions for 1,129 yards, 13.6 yards per reception, and 12 touchdowns.  In 2020, Poljan played 11 games and had 38 receptions for 411 yards, 10.8 yards per reception, and 6 touchdowns.  He has the size to be a classic in-line tight end in the NFL.  He isn’t overly athletic by pro tight end standards and is obviously very raw as a route-runner but is seen as having natural pass-catching skills.  Poljan will probably be an early day 3 draft pick.

Cary Angeline, 6’7” / 250, North Carolina St.:  Angeline played 26 games in three seasons, making 61 receptions for 960 yards, 15.7 yards per reception, and 12 touchdowns.  In 2020, he played 11 games, making 27 receptions for 412 yards, 15.3 yards per reception, and 6 touchdowns.  He has classic NFL in-line blocking tight end size.  Angeline is known to have good hands and strength, but lacks speed and agility.  Also, despite his size, draft analysts don’t see him as an outstanding blocker from a technical standpoint.  He is a developmental, depth draft pick who can have an NFL future as an inline tight end.  He is a day 3 pick.

Quintin Morris, 6’4” / 248, Bowling Green:  Morris played 37 games in 4 years at Bowling Green, making 125 receptions for 1,529 yards, 12.2 yards per reception, and 13 touchdowns.  His 40 yard dash time is projected to be in the mid-4.7 seconds range.  Morris is a mid-major developmental pass-catching tight end prospect.  In college, he had playing time in-line, on the wing, and as an outside receiver, but projects as an “F” tight end in the NFL.  His upside is that he’s had success in traditional tight end routes such as underneath crossing routes.  Analysts view Morris as a high effort player who is a decent blocker, but lacking quickness, athleticism, and in need of improvement in his route running skills.  Morris projects as a day 3 prospect.

Washington most likely won’t be in the running for Kyle Pitts, but certainly will be able to find a playmaking tight end in the mid-rounds who can be groomed for a larger role in the coming seasons.