{"id":63963,"date":"2019-04-21T07:58:54","date_gmt":"2019-04-21T11:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=63963"},"modified":"2019-04-21T20:27:21","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T00:27:21","slug":"new-england-patriots-tight-end-2019-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/04\/21\/new-england-patriots-tight-end-2019-nfl-draft\/","title":{"rendered":"Why New England Patriots Don\u2019t Need to Draft a Tight End Early"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/patriots\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New England Patriots<\/a> will look a lot different than their 2018 counterparts. After nine fantastic seasons, superstar tight end <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GronRo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rob Gronkowski<\/a><\/strong> is<a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/24\/rob-gronkowski-announces-retirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> going out on top<\/a>. While conventional wisdom suggests the Patriots will try to grab Gronkowski\u2019s heir in the 2019 NFL Draft, New England shouldn\u2019t feel forced to reach for the position. The Patriots could certainly grab a tight end if the value is there, but they shouldn&#8217;t reach to fill a perceived need.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>New England Patriots Don\u2019t Have to Draft A Tight End Early<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>No Replacing Gronkowski<\/h3>\n<p>Trying to replace Rob Gronkowski is a futile effort simply because Gronkowski is the most talented tight end of all time. While some would debate he\u2019s not the greatest tight end due to a relatively short career, nobody can deny his impact on the field when fully healthy. Gronkowski was an unstoppable force in the passing game, finishing his career with 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in just 115 games. Gronkowski\u2019s 79 touchdowns since 2010 leads the league despite the fact that he missed 29 games to injury over that timeframe.<\/p>\n<p>On top of his receiving prowess, Gronkowski was also one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. Gronkowski blocked better than some offensive linemen and could clear holes in the run game while also holding off edge rushers in the passing game. While players like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/K\/KelcTr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Travis Kelce<\/a><\/strong> can come close to matching Gronkowski\u2019s production in the passing game, nobody is capable of matching Gronkowski\u2019s all-around impact on the field.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A Gronk-block on Terrell Suggs. That is all. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gpie8pa7Lo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/gpie8pa7Lo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Hayden Bird (@haydenhbird) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/haydenhbird\/status\/1110226203607265280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 25, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>New England has had other good tight ends throughout the years, but none have been able to replicate Gronkowski\u2019s success when the big tight end was off the field. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HernAa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aaron Hernandez<\/a><\/strong> obviously put up good numbers, but he was a dramatically different player than Gronkowski. When Gronkowski missed time with injury, the Patriots tried to use good-but-not-great players like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/ChanSc00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scott Chandler<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BennMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Martellus Bennett<\/a><\/strong> to fill the void. Both players served as nice role players, but neither player served as the offensive focal point in Gronkowski&#8217;s absence.<\/p>\n<h3>The 2019 Tight End Class<\/h3>\n<p>Nobody can fully replace Gronkowski, but an elite tight end could probably play a similar role. When looking at the 2019 tight ends, the only elite all-around tight end appears to be Iowa\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/04\/12\/t-j-hockenson-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>T.J. Hockenson<\/strong><\/a>. Hockenson is a fantastic well-rounded player capable of making a difference in the receiving and running game. Unfortunately, Hockenson is projected to be a top-10 selection and should be off the board long before New England is on the clock.<\/p>\n<p>This leaves New England with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/02\/18\/noah-fant-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Noah Fant<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/02\/15\/irv-smith-jr-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Irv Smith Jr.<\/a>,<\/strong> and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/27\/jace-sternberger-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jace Sternber<\/strong><strong>ger<\/strong><\/a> as the top tight ends likely to be on the board. While each player would make New England a better team, all three have clear holes in their games. Fant\u2019s a fantastic route runner and pass catcher, but he struggles with drops and is average (at best) as a blocker. Smith is similar to Martellus Bennett in that he\u2019s good at a lot of things but isn\u2019t great at one particular thing. Sternberger, meanwhile, is basically a poor mans\u2019 Noah Fant. He\u2019ll make plays in the passing game, but he\u2019ll get overpowered as a blocker and doesn\u2019t have Fant\u2019s explosiveness with the ball in his hands.<\/p>\n<p>Asking any of these players to try and fill Gronkowski\u2019s void is asking for failure. Each guy is more than capable of contributing to an NFL roster, but they don\u2019t have Hall of Fame potential. If they\u2019re the best player on the board, New England shouldn\u2019t hesitate to draft any of them. However, passing on a better prospect to fill a need at tight end would be a reckless decision.<\/p>\n<h3>Learning From History<\/h3>\n<p>Interestingly enough, the Patriots have already been down a similar road. After tearing up the league from 2007 to 2009, superstar wide receiver <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MossRa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Randy Moss<\/a><\/strong> wore out his welcome early in the 2010 season. Moss was one of the best wide receivers in the history of football, and the Patriots faced a difficult task in trying to replace a generational talent.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing that they could never find a player as good as Moss, they opted to change the offense rather than try to do the same thing with a lesser player. The Patriots rebuilt their offense around a short passing game headlined by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WelkWe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wes Welker<\/a><\/strong>, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez. This didn\u2019t stop New England from adding outside receivers (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JohnCh01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chad Ochocinco<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LloyBr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon Lloyd<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LaFeBr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon LaFell<\/a><\/strong>), but they were never brought in to be the focus of the offense.<\/p>\n<p>New England is in a position to do the same thing again. The Patriots have one of the best run-blocking lines in the league and recently invested a first-round pick in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MichSo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sony Michel<\/a><\/strong>. With <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/E\/EdelJu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julian Edelman<\/a><\/strong> manning the underneath routes, New England has everything it needs to evolve into an elite ball-control offense. The current tight end duo of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SefeAu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Austin Seferian-Jenkins<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LaCoMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt LaCosse<\/a><\/strong> cannot replace Gronkowski, but they\u2019re good enough to serve as role players in this type of scheme.<\/p>\n<p>None of this is to say that the Patriots shouldn\u2019t try to upgrade the position. Fant, Smith Jr., and Sternberger can all play roles on New England\u2019s offense and turn the Patriots into a more competitive team. However, the Patriots shouldn\u2019t pass on more-talented players in order to fill a perceived need. New England\u2019s current tight end room is good enough for what they\u2019ll want to do on offense in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"AnmNfPluRXhfWblAqQQ5wQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1038172472\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'AnmNfPluRXhfWblAqQQ5wQ',sig:'aDWc_p8P27nOyqUqvqCDaYZNZxgzGpPVuvPyaWGivis=',w:'594px',h:'384px',items:'1038172472',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The New England Patriots tight end need is overblown, and selecting one early in the draft isn&#8217;t necessarily the best course of action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":63965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,5],"tags":[4070,61,4874,4980,38,40,4534,4622],"class_list":["post-63963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-patriots","tag-2019-nfl-draft","tag-football","tag-irv-smith-jr","tag-jace-sternberger","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nfl","tag-noah-fant","tag-t-j-hockenson"],"modified_by":"John Bava","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}