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Martellus Bennett: Top
Tight End in the NFL Draft
by
Michael Abromowitz
NFL Draft Director
3/12/08 |
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Of
all the football positions the one I scrutinize and study the most is
the tight end. It is my favorite position, and the one I
have
the strongest knowledge of. I have stated that a tight end is the
key
to opening your offense and is the best weapon/safety net for any
quarterback. Terrell Owens does not have the success last season
that
he did without Jason Witten. Randy Moss and Wes Welker may have
made
it easy for Tom Brady last season, but the presence of Ben Watson made
it far more difficult for defenses. A team that utilizes the
tight end
in its offense is far more likely to be successful than a team that
instead chooses to use wide receivers as the primary wide receiver
targets, and a tight end just as an extra blocker.
As
I look through this class of tight ends, the two big names that have
stood out have been Fred Davis and combine stud Dustin Keller.
Both
have the receiver body that happen to play tight end. Keller,
with his
4.55 speed has shot up the draft boards, but at 6-2 is
undersized. He
looks to be more of an H-Back. Davis, is also undersized at 6-3,
but
has been considered the consensus top tight end the draft for his
receiving threat ability. However, being only 6-3, he still lacks
the
ideal speed (4.75) that is going to create mismatches against
linebackers. I really believe Davis is benefiting from being a
wide
receiver that transitioned to tight end because of the WR depth at
USC. With Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett at USC, Davis was never
going
to get much playing time. By gaining some weight, he made the
successful transition to tight end. But, in reality all I see is
a
slower receiver moved to play tight end. He lacks the ideal
blocking I
want out of the tight end. Even though, I emphasize the receiving
threat a tight end can make, it still is vital for a tight end to be
able to block, not only to help the running game, but to protect the
quarterback.
When I look at
the tight end prospects in this draft, the one player that continues to
stand out to me is Martellus Bennett. Of course his 6’6
basketball
frame is what immediately that grabs my attention. But it is his
ability to be a top blocker, as well as a great receiver, that I really
appreciate. At Texas A&M, Bennett was in a more run oriented
offense, where he was forced to be a blocker more than a
receiver. He
recorded 67 knockdowns. Even with the Aggies’ offense, he still
managed to pull in 49 receptions for 585 yards. He has great
hands and
in a more pass happy offense Bennett would easily have had 75
receptions.
The Antonio
Gates/Tony Gonzalez comparisons are legit. Bennett actually
played 30
games for the Aggies’ basketball team. He actually declared for
the
NBA Draft out of high school, but withdrew his name. Bennett has
the
rare type of size and athleticism that you see in very tight
ends. He
will create mismatches on the field that a good offensive system will
take advantage of. In Dallas, Jason Garrett better utilized 6-5
Jason
Witten this past season, which was a major reason for the success of
Tony Romo and Dallas’ offense. Utilizing that tall/athletic tight
end
can open the field for your wide receivers and also create a nice
safety blanket for your quarterback. Actually, Bennett creates
that
safety blanket twice because of his blocking, something that Fred Davis
and Dustin Keller lack.
Martellus
Bennett is my top tight end in this draft. He has been since he
declared for the draft. He most likely won’t be the first tight
end,
or maybe the second tight end drafted because NFL teams seem to be
enthralled with the infamous 40 time and college stats.
Receptions may
look good, but I find far more important is the ability to protect your
quarterback as a blocker AND creating those mismatches for your
quarterback to find. Not every tight end in this draft can do
both,
but Martellus Bennett can do both exceptionally well. If I am a
NFL
quarterback who do I want as my tight end; the 6’2 speedster that can’t
block too well or the 6’6 guy that will not only protect you, but also
create the size mismatch that a 6’2 tight end can’t give you?
Seems to
be an easy decision for me. If I wanted a 6’2 speedster, I would
draft
Devin Thomas, the wide receiver from Michigan St.
Michael
Abromowitz's 2008 NFL Mock
Draft
Gregory Cox's 2008
NFL Mock Draft
Paul Eide's 2008 NFL
Mock Draft
Jared
Donnelly's 2008 NFL Mock
Draft
Joey Bures' 2008 NFL Mock Draft
Mock
Draft Database
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