2016 NFL Draft: The former Penn tight end can join Brandon Copeland as the only former Quakers in the NFL. Will he do it and is he fit for an NFL roster?
The University of Pennsylvania currently has one player in the NFL. While the school is more concerned with issues pertaining to the classroom, they may be adding a second player to the professional ranks. O’Malley is a versatile tight end who dominated the competition. The back to back All-Ivy League second team member saw his numbers increase as he matured. In 2015, he hauled in 20 catches for 202 yards and three touchdowns. The tight end finished his collegiate career with 43 receptions and nine touchdowns. After playing significant amounts of time all four years in college, the former Quaker will wait for his football future to unfold.
Measurables
6-6
265 pounds
4.77 second 40-yard dash
32 inch vertical jump
19 bench press reps
Strengths
O’Malley combines good hands with the ability to block at the line of scrimmage and downfield. All of those are requirements for modern-day tight ends in the NFL.
He is also a big-time red zone threat. Considering over 20 percent of his catches were touchdowns, it’s safe to say that O’Malley knows how to put points on the board for his team.
Check out the video above. It shows a few things: his ability to make cuts, snag athletic catches and block well.
O’Malley also has great size for his position. At 6-6, he creates match up problems for opponents.
Weaknesses
Playing in the Ivy League, Ryan O’Malley did not face NFL-caliber opponents. He was able to capitalize on playing against lesser teams, but can that translate to performing against pros? Only time will tell.
He has decent speed but does struggle to gain separation from defenders. This contributes to his slight light of production in terms of volume.
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Outlook
There are always question marks surrounding Ivy League athletes. O’Malley doesn’t escape those. He does, however, have the size, skill and potential to find himself on an NFL roster. It’s certainly a stretch, but he shows flashes reminiscent of Rob Gronkowski.
Expect him to be signed as a UDFA.