Prospect Profile: Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee
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Measurables
6’4 and 7/8 255 pounds.
Stats
2010: 39 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns.
Big Games:
vs Oregon 1 catch, 2 yards
@LSU 2 catches, 16 yards
vs Alabama 3 catches 26 yards
vs South Carolina 2 catches, 16 yards
Music City Bowl: 5 catches for 58 yards.
Even though Stocker is widely considered the 2nd or 3rd best TE in this class his statistics are not going to jump off the screen.
Video
Scouting Reports
Sidelinescouting.com
"Positives: Good size… Heady… Good short area quickness… Good body control and balance… Runs reasonably good routes… Good receiver… High points the pass… Smart and savvy… Good awareness… Security blanket… Red zone target… Finds holes in zone coverage… Adjusts to the ball well… Soft hands… Not afraid to go over the middle of the field… Good run after catch ability… Physical… Runs hard… Tough to bring down… Will break some tackles… Solid in-line blocker… Can pull and seal inside on the edge… Reacts quickly to stunts and blitzes… Very solid down field blocker… Does a solid job getting in the way of defenders at the second level and in space and sealing them from the ball… Leader… Played through multiple injuries in college… Blue collar… Does the dirty work… Could also be considered as an H-Back… From the same school and quite similar to Jason Witten.Negatives: Not real fast… Struggles to create separation… Doesn’t hit top speed quickly… Rounds off his routes… Lacks elusiveness in open field… Doesn’t get thrown to enough… Not especially strong at POA… Marginal hand placement, hands tend to get too high… Allows his base to get too narrow… Will occasionally reach or lean on the edge versus good speed… Doesn’t fire out, allows defenders to make first contact"
National Football Post
"A really impressive pass blocker who does a nice job reaching defenders off the edge, extending his long arms and mirroring in space. Looks very comfortable when asked to pick up blitzers and consistently is able to keep his side of the pocket clean. As a run blocker, he possesses the length and power to handle linebackers who line up over his face and has the lower body strength to drive them off the ball. However, although he is athletic enough to get his feet around defensive ends off the snap and seal, he lacks the base to consistently set the edge on the outside and is too often defeated on contact. Nevertheless, he does look natural getting out to the second level and sealing down the field.Impression: He lacks great power/pop as a run blocker vs. defensive linemen, but is a coordinated individual who could mature into a l starter at the next level. But, I think I would like him a lot more as my number two tight end because he really isn’t dynamic in any area of the game."
"Positives: Soft, reliable hands and a large catch radius with long arms and surprising body control. Flexible athlete, can contort in space to adjust to poorly thrown passes. Likes to turn and catch rather than track the ball over his shoulder. Presents a big target over the middle and has shown the ability to take a hit. Is a load for defensive backs to bring down. Lowers his shoulder and gives good effort to try and break through tackles. Has good leaping ability to hurdle would-be tacklers. Long-strider who can pick up yardage in chunks if able to get into the open field.Negatives: Despite his size, long arms and experience in a pro-style offense, remains a bit of a project as a blocker. Provides a good initial punch as a run blocker, but lacks the upper-body strength to sustain and is too often discarded. Works to meet and wall off the defender from the ballcarrier, but struggles to set and hold the edge. Has to do a better job of sinking his hips, planting his foot in the ground and creating some explosion out of his cuts. Can be lazy in his route-running. Isn’t particularly elusive after the catch and doesn’t have the explosiveness to consistently beat defenders down the seam"
Big Board Rankings
CBS Draft Scout 51st overall
Draftek.com 57th overall
NationalFootballpost 83rd overall
NFLMocks 74th overall
MTD 59th overall
Where the Mocks Have Him Falling
Walterfootball.com round 3 pick 65 Carolina Panthers
Drafttek.com Round 3 pick 89 New York Giants
draftsite.com Round 5 pick 130 Buffalo Bills
Bartolis Final Thoughts
Luke Stocker is a very solid, versatile Tight end who can both block and catch the football out of the backfield. Stocker does not have the elite athletic ability that other tight ends have (like D.J. Williams or Portland State’s Julius Thomas) but he has enough athletic ability to end up as a starting tight end in the league. Stocker is a hard worker and can find seams in the zone.
Stocker has good size, good hands, and decent speed. A lot of comparisions at the senior bowl compared Stocker to Jason Witten coming out of college, but that’s not a comparison I buy. I like Stocker as a solid 2nd or third round prospect who can start in year one because he doesn’t have to come off the field in running situations.
Player Comparison:
Stocker reminds me more of a Heath Miller than a Jason Witten (maybe a little more athletic than Heath Miller) as a Tight end who will never be appreciated as much as he should be outside of his own fan base, but a player that will make a team very happy for the next 10 years as a reliable pass catcher who can make the big catch in clutch situations and be one of the better blocking tight ends in the league. A guy who’s not going to cause problems and just get his work done.
Other scouting reports/profiles found here from the new regime at Mocks, and here from the older regime.