Since drafting the future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski in 2010, the New England Patriots offense has been built from the inside out rather than the outside in. Head Coach and General Manager, Bill Belichick, has historically prioritized offensive talent at positions such as tight end along with slot receiver. However, after failing to find a Gronkowski replacement last off-season, coupled with an almost 34 year old Julian Edelman, the Patriots offense struggled mightily closing out this season. While the team’s receiving core could use help, New England invested last year’s first round pick along with this year’s second round pick on N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu. Despite both players having consistently mediocre performances this past season, the Patriots need to prioritize finding their next tight end in this year’s draft.
New England Patriots Draft 2020: Tight End Prospects
Early, Middle, and Late Round Tight End Options
Fortunately, the 2020 draft will feature early round depth at the tight end position and New England needs to take advantage. Much like the 2010 draft in which the Patriots selected Gronkowski in the second round as well as Aaron Hernandez in the fourth, Belichick should aim to add multiple tight ends this April.
Cole Kmet, Notre Dame: Kmet is widely considered to be the top tight end in this year’s draft and given the depth among other positions, Kmet will still be on the board for New England’s 23rd overall pick. With a height of 6-foot-5 and weighing 250 pounds, the Illinois native not only has the size of an NFL tight end, but also the attitude of one. Despite lacking the freak athleticism like that of O.J. Howard, Kmet knows how to utilize his size in order to get open when running routes along with boxing out defenders when catching passes. Furthermore, Kmet plays with admirable toughness when carrying and catching the football. Kmet is tough to bring down in the open field as well as being more than happy to absorb big hits when running seam routes though the middle of opposing defenses.
Hunter Bryant, Washington: While the tight end position has played a crucial role within the success of New England’s offense, they have not heavily featured a “move” tight end since Hernandez. However, if Belichick and Josh McDaniels wish to bring a “move” tight end back to their offense, Bryant is a perfect fit. Listed at 6-foot-2 and weighing 240 pounds, Bryant is a versatile pass catcher who is capable of lining up in numerous spots within an offense. Paired with McDaniels’ creativity, Bryant would create matchup nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators. Although Bryant’s lack of traditional size limits his blocking ability, he still demonstrates competitiveness against bigger defenders. The Patriots would likely need to jump up the board slightly as the Washington prospect is expected to be a late second to early third round pick, but New England has the capital to do so.
Colby Parkinson, Stanford: Parkinson is a perfect Patriots pick and one the team desperately needs to make. At a height of 6-foot-7 and weight of 250 pounds, the Stanford prospect has tremendous football IQ and is considered by many to be the draft’s best blocking tight end. While Parkinson’s lack of top end athleticism will drop him into the fourth or fifth round, he has demonstrated strong hands and capable route running for a player of his stature. Parkinson will need time to develop the finer details of his route running in order to make up for his lack of pure speed, but his blocking ability and smarts would provide a much needed upgrade within the Patriots offense.
Having a solid NFL caliber tight end has driven New England’s offensive success for the better part of the last decade. After doing almost nothing to address the position last off-season, New England must do so this spring as 2019 demonstrated just how much the Patriots offense relies on tight ends.
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