There isn't a Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski among tight ends in the 2015 NFL Draft. That may be asking for a lot, but it's clearly the sort of tight end who should get taken highly in the draft.
2015 NFL Draft tight end rankings: Maxx Williams tops an average group
The Minnesota prospect stands alone without competition as the draft’s best tight end this year. Miami’s Clive Walford – a solid to good player – comes in second.
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The only player close to those two is Maxx Williams of Minnesota. The Gophers may have used a run-heavy offense, but Williams still managed to stand out. Williams has the size and enough athleticism to be a threat working the seam. He's also accustomed to working on the outside as well. After the catch is what Williams over the rest of this year's tight ends. He's hard to take down and has good on-field speed.
If a team is looking for a solid-to-good tight end who can do everything from catching to blocking, look no further than Clive Walford of Miami. Walford might not grade out No. 1 in any tight end trait, but he's near the top in every one. In draft parlance, he checks the boxes. Walford and Williams might be the only tight ends draft in the top 100.
Under the radar: It’s hard to grasp how good Ohio State’s Jeff Heuerman can be. The Buckeyes’ offense didn’t feature a tight end much and Heuerman battled injuries last season. Coming into the year, he was regarded as the top tight end prospect in the draft and could get there as a pro.
Position grade: C-
| 1. Maxx Williams, 6'4, 250 pounds, TE, Minnesota |
| 2. Clive Walford, 6’4 1/8, 254 pounds, TE, Miami |
| 3. Jesse James, 6’7, 254 pounds, TE, Penn State |
| 4. Jeff Heuerman, 6’5, 254 pounds, TE, Ohio State |
| 5. Jean Sifrin, 6’5 1/4, 245 pounds, TE, Massachusetts |
| 6. Wes Saxton, 6'3 7/8, 243 pounds, TE, South Alabama |
| 7. E.J. Bibbs, 6’2, 258 pounds, TE, Iowa State |
| 8. Nick O’Leary, 6’3 1/4, 252 pounds, TE, Florida State |
| 9. Rory Anderson, 6’5, 244 pounds, TE, South Carolina |
| 10. Tyler Kroft, 6’6, 246 pounds, TE, Rutgers |
| 11. MyCole Pruitt, 6'2 1/2, 254 pounds, TE, Southern Illinois |
| 12. Nick Boyle, 6'4 1/2, 267 pounds, TE, Delaware |
| 13. Ben Koyack, 6’4 3/4, 249 pounds, TE, Notre Dame |
| 14. C.J. Uzomah, 6'5 1/8, 263 pounds, TE, Auburn |
| 15. Casey Pierce, 6'3 1/2, 244 pounds, TE, Kent State |
| 16. A.J. Derby, 6’4, 255 pounds, TE, Arkansas |
| 17. Blake Bell, 6'6 3/8, 263 pounds, TE, Oklahoma |
| 18. Randall Telfer, 6’5 5/8, 250 pounds, TE, Southern California |
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