Rams, UDFA. UCLA: Above-average size. Average hand size. Son of Mike Harkey, former MLB pitcher.
Positives: Strong run blocker and pass blocker.
Negatives: Slow. Almost never used as a receiver. Below-average change-of-direction skills. Has trouble running routes. Poor upper-body strength. Very unathletic.
Projection: Not likely to ever make it in the NFL as a TE, and doesn’t seem like he could bulk up enough to switch to an offensive line position. Nothing to see here.
Cowboys, 6th round. Okla.: Adequate size. Good hand size.
Positives: Above-average upper-body strength. Good vertical leap. Good speed. Drives defenders in run blocking. Runs tough. Regains balance well after contact.
Negatives: Inconsistent hands. Questionable ball security.
Projection: Is a solid TE prospect who can do a little of everything fairly well. Will probably compete with John Phillips for the backup position, and could develop into a reliable target. For now, though, he’s behind Jason Witten for a few years. Draft for future TE2 ability.
Chargers, 4th round. La.-Lafayette: Often split out wide. H-back size with Jared Cook-like build. Very good hand size. Long wingspan. Buccaneers, Saints, Falcons and Jaguars have shown interest.
Positives: Above-average vertical leap. Good hands and concentration in traffic and can extend. Good straight-line speed.
Negatives: Suspect run blocking ability — lacks effort. Doesn’t look very agile. Long strider who has trouble changing direction or running crisp routes. Below-average upper-body strength.
Projection: Will only ever be an H-back, not an inline TE. Will probably be on the bench and special teams in 2012, with Gates and Rosario ahead of him, but I envision a Jared Cook-like career with a long developmental period. Don’t draft him, but watch him for early signs of being used.
Colts, 2nd round. Stanford: Good height for the position, but H-back bulk. Very good hand size.
Positives: Good upper-body strength. Very good hands. Above-average pass blocker. Athletic. Has good downfield speed and great track speed. Nice routes. Adjusts well to errant passes. Good body control.
Negatives: Hurt ankle in 2011 bowl game and it lingered through Combine and Pro Day.
Projection: He couldn’t have entered a better situation for him — going to the same team as his college QB (Luck), with nobody really ahead of him on the depth chart. Likely to be the best TE in the 2012 class, and should be a solid top-10 TE for a while.
Dolphins, 3rd round. Mo.: Often splits out wide, and is almost never inline. Adequate size. Above-average hand size.
Positives: Average upper-body strength. Very athletic. OK routes. Hands catcher and good concentration in traffic. Tough after catch. Very good body control and sideline awareness. Keeps at it when blocking. Willing blocker and strong when he gets squared.
Negatives: Though he has very good track speed, that doesn’t translate to game speed. Below-average quickness and routes. As a blocker, can be beaten by quick rushers.
Projection: Has Anthony Fasano ahead of him on depth chart, but could become a nice receiving option for a team with few solid pass-catchers on the roster. Seems willing to work on becoming an all-around TE. Keep an eye on him in the preseason, and draft for his high TE2 potential in 2013 and beyond.
Buccaneers, 7th round. Northwestern: H-back/FB size. Above-average hand size.
Positives: Average upper-body strength. Above-average vertical leap. Average change-of-direction skills and adequate routes. Tracks ball well over shoulder.
Negatives: Below-average body control and hands, though they looked pretty smooth in Combine drills. Poor pass protection.
Projection: Will probably compete with Chase Coffman for bench TE spot. Has enough receiving skill to be able to contribute a little on offense, but no need to draft him in fantasy.
Bengals, 4th round. Ga.: Junior who has declared for 2012 draft. Adequate size and hand size.
Positives: Fair hands. Adequate speed. Above-average quickness. Great upper-body strength.
Negatives: Below-average run blocker. Shows serious immaturity and off-field decision making — arrested for DUI in March 2012.
Projection: Enters a very crowded offense as far as targets, and has Jermaine Gresham ahead of him at TE. Has the talent to be a top-15 fantasy TE, but you’re probably safe letting someone else draft and stash him. If he started due to injury, he’d probably put up TE2 numbers.
Junior who declared for 2012 draft. Adequate size. Above-average hand size.
Positives: Above-average upper-body strength. Above-average hands. Gets squared as pass protector. Adequate speed and acceleration, though less impressive at Combine. Can fight his way off line.
Negatives: Not a strong run blocker. Below-average vertical leap.
Projection: Round 3. Not likely to be much of a fantasy factor.
Lions, UDFA. Boise St.: Lefty QB. Short for the position and lacks bulk. Above-average hand size, but short arms.
Positives: Good play fakes. Excellent on timing routes. Average arm strength. Very accurate, even rolling left. Spreads ball around. Accurate on intermediate routes. Moves well in pocket to find passing windows, and he has to because of his shorter size. Average speed. Fairly elusive and moves well in pocket.
Negatives: Sometimes throws with 3/4 motion, a bad sign for a short QB. Isn’t a running threat — poor change-of-direction skills and burst. Makes poor decisions under even minor pressure. Locks onto receiver. Didn’t face too much pressure in college due to line quality. Though he worked from under center about 1/4 of the time in college, needs a lot of work under center — looks very uncomfortable taking snaps there.
Projection: Like Russell Wilson, truly lacks the height to be consistently successful in the pocket, but also lacks Wilson’s arm to potentially overcome the height. Will be the Lions’ 3rd QB behind Stafford and Hill, but won’t ever be a fantasy performer. No need to draft.
Broncos, 2nd round. Ariz. St.: Junior who has declared for 2012 draft. Very tall and solidly built.
Positives: Accurate short. Moves well for his size.
Negatives: Below-average velocity and arm strength. Long windup. Lacks touch. 3/4 release but gets away with it due to height. Throws into coverage often. Inaccurate deep. Poor decisions once outside of pocket.
Projection: Will probably be the top backup to Peyton Manning over Caleb Hanie. With Manning’s iffy injury situation and his draft position, he has a good chance of contributing fairly soon. And with Manning as a mentor, he should learn a lot. I just don’t think he’s all that good, and will likely never be more than a fantasy QB3 at best. Draft as a handcuff, but don’t overpay.
Dynasty Draftnik 