Welcome to the thick of the pre-draft process. With a little over a week until practices kick off in Mobile, Alabama, I’ll be providing a layered look into each positional group set to compete at the 2024 Senior Bowl.
The draft cycle’s premier showcase presents prospects with the opportunity to don their respective college helmets just one final time. Let’s get rolling with a peek into the varying skill sets at tight end.
Senior Bowl 2024 TE Primer
Jaheim Bell, Florida State
Mismatches win football games and Bell will provide a heck of a chess piece for any offense he lands in. His short-area quickness is fantastic and he’s a hoss to bring down in space at 240 pounds.
Theo Johnson, Penn State
Johnson has the chance to be the third flex weapon off the board in April. He’s got the size, speed, and separation ability to overpower less experienced linebackers and safeties in space.
Ben Sinnott, Kansas State
Able to line up at fullback, H-back, Y, or F, Sinnott can do your taxes and wash your car for you too if you need it. A move piece for an offense, he’s a tough runner with smooth hands and the toughness to plow through arm tackles. Sinnott does a nice job as a pure hands-catcher, as well.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
Arguably the top in-line blocker in the class, my attention will turn to Spann-Ford’s ability to separate in space. He’s a big boy at 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, and showcasing the twitch and route-running necessary to create throwing lanes will remain paramount in Mobile.
Tanner McLachlan, Arizona
I’m intrigued with McLachlan’s game. Labeling him as a top-100 pick would be extremely rich, but he understands the nuances of the position and showcased what he could do in the desert this fall with just a little bit of talent under center.
AJ Barner, Michigan
A refined prospect at both the Y (in-line) and F (flexed out), Barner is an advanced blocker and highly experienced in finding the spots in zone as a pass-catcher. His addition will boost the run and passing game for whatever team turns in his draft card.
Jared Wiley, TCU
If you’re in Mobile, it won’t be hard finding Wiley amongst the crowd. Built in the mold of a small townhome, Wiley uses his 6-foot-7 frame to overpower smaller defenders in both the run and pass. He has experience with his hand in the dirt, flexed out in space, and has a sneaky amount of athleticism at his size that I expect to surprise defenders tasked with covering him next week. In a tight end class searching for impact playmakers outside of Brock Bowers (Georgia) and Ja’Tavion Sanders (Texas), Wiley’s stock could soar with a good showing.
*Johnny Wilson, Florida State
Wilson is expected to work at both wideout and tight end down in Mobile. We’ll dive deeper into his skill set when previewing the 2024 Senior Bowl wide receivers.
