Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers NFL Draft Scouting Report
The 2015 NFL Draft class of players is not chock full of talent at the tight end position, but there are some diamonds in the rough and Rutgers product Tyler Kroft could be one of those guys.
Kroft doesn’t show anything on tape that screams he’s a first or second round talent, but this is a guy that has some really intriguing skills as a move tight end that can play a variety of positions and provide a really versatile target for a quarterback.
Here are his measurables, courtesy of MockDraftable.
Kroft entered the draft after his redshirt junior season at Rutgers, and in 13 games this past year, he had a really down year overall. He didn’t score any touchdowns, and he suffered an injury in the team’s bowl game.
What I see from Kroft on tape from his sophomore season when he had four touchdowns on 40 plus catches was a guy who is quick off the snap, who gets into his blocking though he could take better angles, and a player with a really wide catch radius that has surprising athleticism and play speed.
You’ll notice that Kroft plays both in-line and spread out wide as a wide receiver. He has the athleticism and quickness to do so, and I think you could see him used similarly in the NFL, especially in the red zone where he could be a phenomenal weapon moving forward. He might need to add a bit of weight to his frame to hold up as a starting, in-line tight end, but with 33-inch arms and a near- 6-foot-6 frame, he’s going to be a load for linebackers or safeties to handle.
This is a guy that presents a mismatch opportunity for an NFL offense. He clearly plays hard every snap, does a great job of catching the ball away from his body, and one reason why you see a pretty well-rounded game from this guy is because he’s had some of the best coaching a young tight end could ask for.
Two of Kroft’s TE coaches at Rutgers have moved on to the NFL in the same capacity.
Overall, I love Kroft’s ability to be aggressive in the running game as well as his ability after the catch and catch radius as a whole. He is an intriguing mid-round TE prospect that can be a steal for some team in a relatively ‘weak’ class of players at that position.