Ja’Tavion Sanders NFL Draft Profile
Position: Tight End
Height: 6′-3″
Weight: 252 pounds
School: Texas
2024 NFL Draft: Ja’Tavion Sanders Scouting Report
Sanders was highly regarded coming out of high school, and NFL teams have had their eyes set on him since then. He was a five-star athlete and committed to Texas over offers from all the recruiting giants.
After spending his freshman year on special teams, Ja’Tavion Sanders had a breakthrough season in 2022. His excellent performance didn’t go unnoticed, as both the Big 12 Conference head coaches and the Associated Press selected him as a first-team All-Big 12. Sanders was a key player in all 13 games. He set a tight end record for the program with 54 catches. In addition, his 613 yards in receptions were the second-highest by a tight end in the program’s history.
Sanders’ last season in Austin would be his junior year in 2023, and he excelled. He finished the season as part of the All-Big 12 First Team and was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award. CBS Sports also recognized him as a second-team All-American selection. Sanders played and started in all 14 games, posting 45 receptions for 682 yards and two touchdowns. He had three games with over 100 yards receiving and is the only tight end in Texas program history to achieve multiple career 100-yard receiving games.
Additionally, he set a new single-season record for a UT tight end with 682 receiving yards. His 45 receptions tied for the third-most in a single season in program history. Sanders also recorded 12 receptions of 20-plus yards.
Strengths
- Ja’Tavion Sanders is an excellent ball tracker and has great hands. He is also skilled at catching passes while being defended, and he can make acrobatic catches away from his body;
- He is a reliable receiver across the middle and on the boundary. He sustains catches through contact and shields the catch point with his frame, creating easy targets;
- Sanders is skilled at separating from defenders both through his route running and speed, allowing him to gain yards quickly;
- Great foot speed, ability to threaten the seams, excellent spatial awareness, and impressive long speed;
- Ja’Tavion Sanders has an expansive route tree. It doesn’t get much better;
- There is excellent fluidity in his movements. His hips are flexible, and he quickly tucks the ball and transitions into a runner. He can also slow down rapidly when needed;
- Vs. 2024. Draft Tight Ends: Career Yards per Reception: 13.1 (T-8th), Yards Per Team Pass Attempt: 1.44 (8th), Yards per Route Run: 1.85 (9th), Yards After the Catch: 7.7 (3rd).
Weaknesses
- Ja’Tavion Sanders’ lateral agility isn’t elite. He’s at his best when vertical and breaking off routes;
- Sanders is not going to force a lot of missed tackles with his lateral agility;
- He needs route nuance in his game. If developed as a route runner, he has the potential to be one of the best in the league;
- Ja’Tavion Sanders needs to be coached up and play with more consistency;
- Sanders needs to be consistent at the catch point. He is capable of making effort catches but is content flipping his hips to catch or bread-basketing the catch.
NFL Comparison: Sam LaPorta
Teams With Need At Position: Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals
Projection: Round 2
Statistics gathered from Pro Football Focus
NFL Comparison, Round Projections, and Team Fits are my own.
Bottom Line on Ja’Tavion Sanders
Ja’Tavion Sanders has one of the higher ceilings out of the 2024 tight end class. He’s a very fluid athlete for a tight end. Not only that, but Sanders is a legitimate downfield threat. He’s a natural separator who can pull away with his smooth routes and speed. While not an elite sprinter, Sanders does have a long, fast stride to stack defenders quickly and threaten the seam. He has excellent fluidity in his hips and can sink rapidly in & out of his routes.
Sanders is an acrobat at the catch point, capable of being a weapon down the sideline or in the end zone. He does a great job climbing the catch point and boxing out the defender. He is acceptable as a blocker and could add some weight in an NFL environment. Sanders doesn’t have the polish other tight ends have had when they’ve gone in the first round.
Everything else is in the toolbox to be an elite tight end in the league. Ja’Tavion Sanders’ athletic profile enables him to be a full-time player at the next level—with a very high ceiling.
Main Image: Sara Diggins/American-Statesman-USA TODAY Sports
