Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Mike Gesicki, a 2014 four-star recruit, started 36 of 52 career games at Penn State. He primarily lined up as an in-line tight end in the Nittany Lions offense.

As a senior, he led his team in receptions (57) and tied for the team lead with nine touchdowns. He was named second-team all-Big Ten by the coaches and first-team by Big Ten media in 2017.

Gesicki played for one head coach and three offensive coordinators during his college career, and participated in this year’s Senior Bowl and earned an invitation to the Scouting Combine. He possesses good size on a lean frame with very good athletic ability.

Age: 22 (October 3, 1995)

Measurables from Senior Bowl

Height: 6’5″ 3/8

Weight: 242 lbs.

Arm Length: 34 inches

Hand Size: 10-1/8 inches

Games Watched

2017: Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Washington

2016: Pittsburgh

Strengths

Mike Gesicki displays very good athletic ability as he explodes off the line of scrimmage at the snap when given a free release. He accelerates through the stem of his route and shows good awareness finding the hole in the defense against zone coverage. He looks for the ball quickly on blitzes and adjusts his route when the quarterback scrambles as a result of solid mental processing skills.

Once the ball is in the air, Gesicki tracks well and demonstrates elite leaping ability on jump balls. On the following play from the Michigan game, quarterback Trace McSorley heaves a desperation throw downfield towards Gesicki. The tight end uses his length and leaping ability to high point the football and fend off two Wolverine defenders.

Gesicki possesses good body control as he adjusts well to passes around his frame and showcases very good hands to haul in everything thrown his way. He displays solid awareness as he understands where he is on the field and makes sure to stay inbounds.

This play against Michigan State is a perfect example of Gesicki’s body control and awareness. He finds the hole in the zone underneath the safety and runs a corner route to the open space. He high points the football and is able to get a foot down inbounds.

When taking a closer look, you can see Gesicki look down at the ground after making the catch to ensure he gets his foot down in the field of play.

Gesicki demonstrates solid competitive toughness as he holds on through contact and in traffic. After the catch, he displays good elusiveness in the open field to maximize yards after the catch.

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As a pass blocker, Gesicki possesses a good understanding of where his quarterback is and displays solid patience. In the running game, he comes off the ball smoothly and quickly. He does a good job of picking up defenders on the move as Penn State often put Gesicki in motion and used him to seal the backside of the play.

Weaknesses

Mike Gesicki struggles to beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage, giving up his chest and allowing the defender to jam him and throw off the timing of his route. On this play against Northwestern, an average jam from a defender sends Gesicki off his line and into another defender. Unable to maintain his balance, Gesicki stumbles, forcing the quarterback to look elsewhere. With his primary option taken away, the quarterback takes off and ends up being sacked on the play.

At the top of his route, Gesicki struggles to create instant space as a result of adequate separation quickness and change of direction skills. After the catch, Gesicki lacks the play strength necessary to overpower defenders and break tackles to maximize yards after contact. He shies away from contact, instead trying to elude defenders with jukes and leaps.

Blocking is the biggest weakness in Gesicki’s game. In pass protection, he’s slow to setup after the snap. He fails to utilize his length, instead initiating contact with his head and body rather than his hands. He remains flat footed, giving up the edge to skilled pass rushers and leaving him susceptible to double moves.

In the running game, Gesicki’s hand usage is all over the place as he struggles to initiate contact between the defender’s shoulder pads. Marginal posture allows defenders to get underneath his pads and gain immediate leverage while preventing Gesicki from fueling blocks with his lower body.

In this example from the Ohio State game, Gesicki is lined up to the left of the formation against defensive end Jalyn Holmes. Despite being first off the snap, Gesicki is late to initiate contact and his hands end up on the waist of the defender. Holmes easily gains inside leverage and works his way down the line of scrimmage to close the running lane. Gesicki helps Holmes accomplish this by pushing him right into the running back’s intended path. With nowhere to go, the ball carrier attempts to backtrack and ends up losing five yards and nearly conceding a safety.

Overall

Overall, Mike Gesicki is a future starting tight end at the next level who wins with athletic ability and very good hands as a receiver. He’s not someone who possesses the play strength or technique to be relied on as a blocker.

He won’t create large passing windows, but Gesicki will help boost the completion percentage of his future quarterback with his hands and ability to adjust to passes around his frame. He’ll need to add upper body strength to combat press coverage, however there’s more than enough room on his frame to do so.

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The concern with Gesicki is when he’s asked to block. Picking up a defender on the backside of the play isn’t an issue, but his future NFL team won’t be able to run away from him on every play. While adding strength will help, he’ll also need to improve his technique. He’s going to have to learn to stay on his toes and use his length to prevent defenders from getting into his chest and gaining leverage.

Gesicki’s athletic ability will be on full display at the Scouting Combine, and will cement his status as a day two pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’ll begin his career primarily as a flex tight end before moving in-line once he spends enough time in an NFL weight room.

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