The team needs to decide if he can come back at 100% next season. His backup, Jerame Tuman, has shown the ability to possibly
start, having improved as a blocking tight end while remaining an option in the passing game. Tuman is a free agent and
should be resigned. The third and
fourth stringers, Matt Cushing and John Allred, are a blocking tight end and a
receiving tight end respectively, and both are free agents. Both could be upgraded and likely will be.
The Steelers need to decide whom they want
to bring back next season, as Bruener is the only tight end under
contract. They also must take a good
long look at the tight ends coming out in this years’ draft and decide who and
when to draft.
#1
Jason Witten
6’ 5”
265 lbs
Tennessee –
Junior
A former lineman
for the Vols, Witten is an excellent blocker who is still refining the
receiving part of his game. He has
really taken to the position and continues to get better with time. Has been dominant at times this past year.
Likely to be
drafted: Late part of Round 1
#2
Aaron Walker
6’ 6”
260 lbs
Florida – Senior
A bit of a raw
talent, Walker has gotten more and more playing time in the Gators offense the
last couple of years. Walker has a nice
combination of size and speed to beat most linebackers in coverage, shows good
hands in the passing game, and uses his body well to shield off defenders. With the Gators' wide-open air attack, he
seldom has been asked to block, and it shows. Will come in as a receiving threat to begin with and will need to work
on his blocking.
Likely to be
drafted: Second Round.
#3
Robert Johnson
6’ 6”
270 lbs
Auburn – Junior
Johnson has all
the skills to be a first round selection except for foot speed. His forty time will either move him into the
first frame or knock him back into the second. A solid prospect no matter how you look at it, both in the receiving
game and as a blocker. Might work best
with a team that already has speed to burn at receiver.
Likely to be
drafted: Second Round
#4
Bennie Joppru
6’ 3”
246 lbs
Michigan -
Senior
Joppru has
exceptional speed, running in the 4.5 range. Primarily a receiving tight end, Joppru shows good route running skills
and decent hands. His size will limit
his ability to be used in blocking situations and as such will most likely make
him an H-Back in the pros.
Likely to be
drafted: Third Round
#5
Trent Smith
6’ 5”
232 lbs
Oklahoma –
Senior
Smith has been
one of the best receiving tight ends in the country the last three
seasons. He fits the mold of a Shannon
Sharpe and, like Sharpe, is much more at home receiving than blocking. Has adequate speed.
Also has the frame to add some bulk, which
should help him to at least become an average blocker at some point.
Likely to be
drafted: Third Round
#6
Teyo Johnson
(WR/TE)
6’ 7”
240 lbs
Standford –
Sophomore
Johnson
declaring for the draft was a big shock to say the least, being that he still
has two years of eligibility left and wasn’t one of the premier players in the
country. Johnson had put together two
solid back- to-back seasons and has proven himself as a match-up problem for
defenses, due to his excellent combination of speed, size, and overall
athleticism. He could find himself as
either a receiver or H-Back type tight end.
Likely to be
drafted: Third Round
#7
George Wrighster
6’ 4”
250 lbs
Oregon – Junior
Wrighster was
the second biggest receiving threat on the team after wideout Samie
Parker. Solid receiving skills highlight
this prospect, who has enough speed to stretch the defense. A solid blocker who has improved every
season, Wrighster has a lot of upside.
Likely to be
drafted: Third Round
#8
Donald Lee
6’ 3”
238 lbs
Mississippi
State – Senior
Although
undersized, Lee does show good blocking techniques and is perhaps at his best
when blocking downfield. His size
limits his effectiveness blocking on the line. Possessing good speed and route running ability, Lee will most likely
find himself used as an H-Back or in passing situations. A very solid East-West Shrine Game
performance should help move him up a few spots come draft day.
Likely to be
drafted: Third Round
#9
Ben Watson
6’ 3”
253 lbs
Georgia – Junior
The strongest
player on the Bulldogs rosters, Watson has the potential to become one of the
elite blocking tight ends in the NFL. Has also showed some promise in the passing game, displaying good hands
and route running skills.
Likely to be
drafted: Third Round
#10
Spencer Nead
6’ 4”
270 lbs
BYU – Senior
As with most BYU
players, Nead will be 25 as a rookie in the NFL due to having gone on a
religious mission while in school. Nead
is very raw but has shown many of the skills one looks for in an all-around
tight end. Over the last year, he's
really come on in the passing game, showing good hands. Both his route running and blocking
techniques need work.
Likely to be
drafted: Third Round
#11
L.J. Smith
6’ 4”
253 lbs
Rutgers - Senior
By far the best
weapon for Rutgers this past year, Smith has shown good ability to find the
soft spot in zone coverages. And while
Smith is a very solid athlete, he may be a bit undersized to play tight end and
a bit slow to be an H-Back, Smith will have to find a role on whatever team
drafts him.
Likely to be
drafted: Fourth Round
#12
Mike Pinkard
6’ 5”
251 lbs
Arizona State –
Senior
Possessing an ideal
height to weight ratio, Pinkard could find himself selected on the first day of
the draft, but he needs to show more consistency than he has up till now. A very raw player who has all the tools but
hasn’t put them together yet. May take
a year or two to see results.
Likely to be
drafted: Fourth Round
#13
Dallas Clark
6’ 4”
244 lbs
Iowa – Junior
An offensive
weapon for the Hawkeyes, Clark was responsible for over 700 yards and four
touchdowns. Perhaps anticipating a
dropoff in production next year with the departure of Brad Banks, Clark makes
the jump to the NFL. Showing good
hands, route running skills, and speed, Clark should make an impact in the
passing game. Is not the best blocker,
but has skills to work with. Might
sneak into the first day of the draft with good pre-draft workouts.
Likely to be
drafted: Fourth Round
#14
Zach Hilton
6’ 7”
255 lbs
North Carolina –
Senior
A massive
prospect, Hilton has proved himself to be very reliable in the passing
game. A late bloomer and lacking a lot
of playing experience, Hilton is still feeling his way a bit. Hilton has the frame to add some bulk, but
may be best used as a true receiving tight end.
Likely to be
drafted: Late Fourth Round
#15
Chad Bartoszek
6’ 8”
255 lbs
Buffalo - Senior
A true sleeper
in this draft, Bartoszek is a huge target. He has shown good speed, reliable hands, and a good understanding of the
passing game. Will go up and win the
jump ball. Was primarily a wall-off
type blocker in college, but has the frame to add bulk in order to become a
better straight-line blocker. His level
of competition will be of some concern, but he could be a steal on the middle
of day two.
Likely to be
drafted: Fifth Round
#16
Kevin Ware
6’ 2”
253 lbs
Washington –
Senior
Ware is one of
the better blocking tight ends coming out this season, but off-field problems
and a real lack of receiving ability will knock him down a frame or two from
where he could have gone. Would be
solid as a number two tight end.
Likely to be
drafted: Fifth Round
#17
Mike Seidman
6’ 4”
255 lbs
UCLA – Senior
Seidman is a
solid blocker, but isn’t going to destroy anyone with his blocks. He's a much better blocker than receiver and
doesn’t show a lot of speed in the open field. Has trouble separating from coverage.
Likely to be
drafted: Fifth Round
#18
Doug Zeigler
6’ 3”
252 lbs
Mississippi –
Senior
A very solid
receiving prospect who reads coverages very well and shows a good feel for the
game. Injuries have been a big issue,
as Zeigler has had hamstring, ankle,
forearm, and leg injuries at some point the last three seasons. Also is not much of a blocker.
Likely to be
drafted: Fifth Round
#19
Mobolaji
Afariagan
6’ 4”
240 lbs
Western Michigan
– Senior
A solid
receiving prospect, Afariagan lacks a solid base when blocking. Takes good angles with blocking but isn’t
consistent getting a good jump on his blocks. Will get blown up with the speed of the NFL in blocking situations, but
might fit into an H-Back type role.
Likely to be
drafted: Late Sixth Round
#20
Lorenzo Diamond
6’ 3”
250 lbs
Auburn – Senior
An over-achiever
on and off the field, Diamond is a tenacious blocker who shows good technique
and a physical playing style. Not much
of a threat in the passing game, Diamond is not the most athletic player on the
field but will give 100% on every play.
Likely to be
drafted: Seventh Round
Undrafted Free Agents
Sean Berton
6’ 2”
255 lbs
North Carolina
State – Senior
Berton is a
solid blocker who has some potential in the receiving game. Only played half the season due to injuries.
Phil Condon
6’ 4”
244 lbs
Grand Valley
State
One of the
benefactors of Curt Anes’ solid 2002 season, Condon proved to be a solid
athlete, with good hand-eye coordination and excellent hands. Condon is a decent open-field blocker, but
is not overpowering. He does not have
the speed to spread defenses.
Dan
Curley
6’ 4”
245 lbs
Eastern
Washington – Senior
Curley had a
much more productive season after dealing with injury issues much of last
season. A decent receiver and blocker,
Curley may not have the size or speed to become an every-down tight end in the
pros.
Steve
Farmer
6’ 6”
262 lbs
Tennessee State
Farmer is a raw
prospect that has shown flashes of talent. After transferring from Joliet Junior College, where he played wide
receiver, Farmer landed at tight end. He is not a great blocker at this point but continues to improve as he
adds bulk. Not overly fast, but once he
gets moving he’s hard to bring down. Shows good athletic ability in the open field.
Aaron Golliday
6’ 4”
287 lbs
Nebraska
Golliday falls
in that group of blocking tight ends, and that is about it. As a marginal receiver but a massive blocker
who does well at both run blocking and pass protection, Golliday might have a
better chance at making a squad by moving to tackle.
Ronnie Ghent
6’ 3”
253 lbs
Louisville –
Senior
A solid
receiving threat, Ghent took a step backwards this year. Some of his backward slide can be related to
Dave Ragone's struggles this season. A
marginal blocker who would be better suited to H-Back in the pros.
Chase Harp
6’ 3”
247 lbs
Kentucky
Harp has had
problems staying healthy in recent years, with two different leg injuries. A good receiver with good hands and
route-running ability. He’s more quick
than fast and does not have the size to be an effective in-line blocker, but
does a decent job blocking downfield.
James Hugo
6’ 5”
270 lbs
Arizona – Senior
Hugo is a
massive blocker that engulfs both linebackers and defensive ends. Durability has been an issue his entire
career and he's a non-factor in the passing game.
Gabe Reid
6’ 4”
256 lbs
BYU – Senior
A decent
receiver, Reed has shown soft hands and a good feel for route running. Splits time with Spencer Nead.
Needs work on blocking techniques.
Vishante Shiancoe
6’ 5”
250 lbs
Morgan State -
Senior
Shiancoe has
good hands and exceptional speed. More
of a receiver than blocker, but does have the frame to add some bulk. Competition level will hurt him come draft
day.
Erick Steelman
6’ 5”
250 lbs
Nevada - Senior
A heady player,
Steelman earned academic honors in 2001. A decent overall tight end who is equally at home blocking or receiving.
Ray Thomas
6’ 4”
245 lbs
Wake Forest –
Senior
A second team
ACC tight end who is solid if not spectacular receiving and blocking. Might see playing time as a third tight end.
Ben Unutoa
6’ 5”
281 lbs
Kentucky State
Unutoa has
bounced around from school to school for several years. A solid blocking tight end, Unutoa has very
little value as a receiving tight end. Blocking tight end or a move back to tackle, where he played while at
Foothill College, seem to be his best options.
More Player Links:
Jason Witten
Aaron Walker
Mike Pinkard
Robert Johnson
Bennie Joppru
Trent Smith
Teyo Johnson
George Wrighster
Donald Lee
Ben Watson
Spencer Nead
L.J. Smith
Dallas Clark
Zach Hilton
Chad Bartoszek
Kevin Ware
Mike Seidman
Doug Zeigler
Mobolaji
Afariagan
Lorenzo Diamond
Sean Berton
Phil Condon
Dan Curley
Steve Farmer
Ronnie Ghent
Aaron Golliday
Chase Harp
James Hugo
Gabe Reid
Vichante
Shiancoe
Erick Steelman
Ray Thomas
Ben Unutoa