2017 NFL Draft: Scouting report and analysis for former Ashland and 2017 NFL Draft tight end prospect Adam Shaheen, a rising player…
It’s not everyday that scouts are raving about a prospect from Ashland. That unusual circumstance exists here, as Adam Shaheen is stealing headlines. He went from virtually unknown in football circles to one of the 2017 NFL Draft’s best tight end prospects.
While O.J. Howard is clearly the best tight end to enter the NFL Draft in recent history, Shaheen boasts similar measurables and traits. If he didn’t play in division two football and was able to perform against division one competition, he may have rivaled Howard in the first round.
Measurables
Height: 6’6″
Arm Length: 33 1/2″
Weight: 278 lbs
Hands: 9 5/8″
Strengths
There’s no other way to put this: Shaheen is absolutely enormous for a tight end. His measurables look more like those of a lineman but his blistering 4.79 40-time is certainly not that of a lineman. He lasted for 24 reps on the bench at the Combine, tied for first amongst tight ends with Oregon’s Pharaoh Brown. He’s unsurprisingly mighty yet freakishly athletic.
He’s a dangerous receiver. While most tight ends who are as large as Shaheen resort to just blocking duties, Shaheen is about as dynamic of a receiver as one can hope for at tight end. He is a good route runner due in large part to his time playing basketball, as his footwork and leaping ability came from the gym.
The former Ashland tight end can also adjust midair to grab the ball, something extremely rare amongst tight ends.
Shaheen can line up anywhere on the line. He’s certainly spent time lining up across from edge rushers in the trenches but unlike most tight ends, he lines up as a receiver out wide all of the time. Plays were designed in the red zone to isolate Shaheen for fades in the end zone. He’s also a dangerous weapon over the middle of the field.
Weaknesses
Shaheen isn’t a blue-chip blocker despite his massive frame. Pass blocking isn’t much of an issue but run blocking is not his forte. He’s a good blocker but pales in comparison to other tight ends in this draft class.
He ducks his head into initial contact. Shaheen is strong but his body is pretty thin for a tight end. Maybe bulking up should be in the cards for the Ashland product so that he doesn’t have to throw his head into his blocks.
Shaheen’s hands need some work to free himself from jostling defenders. While he can catch the ball masterfully, he has to get himself open first. He’ll have to be much more physical when he reaches the next level.
Final Thoughts
Shaheen shows all the traits that every NFL team yearns for in a tight end prospect. He can catch the ball as well as every tight end in the draft, he’s athletic and he’s gigantic.
He may not be the most prolific blocker and because he played at Ashland, he hasn’t gotten to go up against division one talent, let alone that of the NFL. He’s still good enough to go in the second or third round because his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.