2020 NFL Draft: Todd McShay touts Jared Pinkney as “first-round sleeper”

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay is touting Vanderbilt tight end Jared Pinkney as a potential first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

There is going to be a lot of offensive talent in the 2020 NFL draft class. The quarterback class is great, as is the class of running backs. On top of that, the group of wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft is expected to be elite. That being said, this class lacks obvious talent at the tight end position.

Now, that could change at any time. There are certainly some talented tight ends in college football who could rise up the ranks in the near future. However, right now, there are a bunch of guys who are just grouped together at the top. Nobody has separated themselves.

Between Grant Calcaterra, Hunter Bryant, Colby Parkinson, Brycen Hopkins, Albert Okwuegbunam and Jared Pinkney, there is a group of tight ends at the top who are all considered interesting, but flawed. In my opinion, none of them are legitimate first-round prospects, but ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay thinks differently.

In his recent joint production with Mel Kiper, McShay listed Vanderbilt tight end Jared Pinkney as a first-round sleeper. Here is what he had to say about Pinkney as a potential first-round prospect:

"“OK, I know. This is cheating a little bit,” McShay wrote. “I have Pinkney at No. 22 overall on my latest draft board, and he’s my top-ranked tight end. But even so, he is getting overlooked nationally. For one, he’s suiting up for the 1-3 Commodores. For two, he hasn’t had a lot of big-play production so far this season, nor has he found the end zone. His longest play of the season was a 30-yard catch against LSU, and he managed just 1 yard this past weekend against Northern Illinois.”“But keep an eye on the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder,” he continued. “He averaged 15.5 yards per catch last season, showing the ability to threaten down the seam with speed, make defenders miss and then adjust his body to haul in passes. For a guy his size, he can get good separation and catch anything in the neighborhood.”"

McShay is right about Pinkney. He is undoubtedly an interesting prospect who can get open and catches pretty must everything. However, he is ignoring some obvious issues in his game.

Primarily, I think Pinkney’s overall athleticism is overrated. He can create space in the middle of the field, but he is far from explosive and lacks short-area quickness and lateral agility. On top of that, he is an extremely underdeveloped blocker who is going to have issues in that area at the next level.

Pinkney can hold his own because of his size and obvious power, but his blocking technique is consistently lacking. If he can clean up his footwork and hand usage, he does have some upside as a blocker, but he is far from a finished product in that area.

This guy is undoubtedly an interesting prospect who could rise up 2020 NFL draft boards as the season moves along. However, he is far too much of an unfinished product for me to ever give him first-round potential.

It is interesting to see McShay touting Pinkney this way and it will cause me to give him another look. However, in my eyes, he is more of a Day 2 prospect with some upside.