Except for possibly Clive Walford of Miami, there might not be a tight end taken in the first two days of the 2015 NFL Draft. For a position that’s had 13 players picked in the top 50 since 2010, its safe to say the tight end class isn’t a good one.
2015 NFL Draft tight end rankings: Miami’s Clive Walford leads shaky group
Compared to previous years, the tight end class for the 2015 draft isn’t a good one. That could change slightly if a few underclassmen go pro.
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Walford is the lone exception because he’s a solid player across the board. He’s a classic tight end who can block and catch. What has elevated him as the college football season has progressed is his ability to make difficult catches. Walford can adjust to bad passes and gives the quarterback a big target. He could really elevate his draft stock with a good Senior Bowl week.
Another player who should benefit from being in Mobile is E.J. Bibbs of Iowa State. Like Walford, he’s able to make athletic catches in the air. His stats are just ordinary, but that’s more a product of the Cyclones not looking his direction often.
As with any position, the strength of the tight end class could be defined by which underclassmen go pro. If Jesse James of Penn State, Jean Sifrin of Massachusetts and Pharaoh Brown all go pro, they not only bolster the class but give it a nice infusion of plus-size tight ends.
Without using redshirt sophomores in these rankings, Maxx Williams of Minnesota is not listed. If he enters the draft he will vault to the No. 1 spot and possibly be a top 50 pick. Also not included are some small school tight ends like Wes Saxton of South Alabama and MyCole Pruitt of Southern Illinois because, well, haven’t watched them yet.
| 1. Clive Walford | 6’4, 258 pounds | TE | Miami |
| 2. Jesse James | 6’7, 254 pounds | TE | Penn State * |
| 3. Jeff Heuerman | 6’5, 255 pounds | TE | Ohio State |
| 4. Nick O’Leary | 6’3, 247 pounds | TE | Florida State |
| 5. E.J. Bibbs | 6’3, 264 pounds | TE | Iowa State |
| 6. Ben Koyack | 6’5, 254 pounds | TE | Notre Dame |
| 7. Jean Sifrin | 6’7, 250 pounds | TE | Massachusetts * |
| 8. Pharaoh Brown | 6’6, 250 pounds | TE | Oregon * |
| 9. A.J. Derby | 6’5, 255 pounds | TE | Arkansas |
| 10. Tyler Kroft | 6’6, 240 pounds | TE | Rutgers * |
| 11. Kivon Cartwright | 6’4, 245 pounds | TE | Colorado State |
| 12. Rory Anderson | 6’5, 227 pounds | TE | South Carolina |
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