4 Tight ends to watch

The tight end position, few positions have become so crucial to todays NFL.

I have been watching the NFL networks coverage of the combine and I have watched the videos and I am going to list my thoughts on a few standouts that I noticed.

1. The term complete player can be thrown around a bit too much for my taste but the term was used on Jared Cook from the University of South Carolina . The stats are impressive on him, 6′ 5″ 246 lbs. and he can catch and block. Cook recorded a 41″ vertical and a 4.5 40 yard time! He is explosive and something tells me I am going to really like this guy.

2. Richard Quinn North Carolina: Block first TE who I understand impressed a lot of scouts with his ball catching abilities but isn’t as fast as you might wish for but let’s face it this is a TE and not a wideout. Quinn could be a dark horse type player who could surprise some people (Alge Crumpler another Tarheel comes to mind). I am not sure who this guy is quite yet but I will do some more searching.

3. Brandon Pettigrew OSU: The top choice for most people looks good. He has good hands and he is a smart player who separates well and from what I see looks like a smart player to me. I see him going really early for a tight end and he should be a solid player.

4. Shawn Nelson Southern Miss: Fast and blocks well looks really fast to me and a nose for the end zone makes for someone else to be happy about  in black and red. I get a strong feeling that this guy could really be a Falcon from where he is expected to be drafted in the 2nd round. I get a feeling that the birds might just go for big talent at this position pretty early to open up that short passing game. 

When looking for that next piece of the puzzle for the Falcons offense and that new weapon for Matt Ryan to unleash on the NFL next year maybe one of these guys is the next big thing in Atlanta, maybe there is someone else? Who knows……