2021 NFL Draft tight end rankings: Kyle Pitts leads the way

4. Hunter Long, Boston College

6-foot-5, 253 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Third round

The most productive tight end in college football last season was Hunter Long out of Boston College. Long was the leader among tight ends with 57 receptions and also scored five touchdowns on the year. This was quite a jump in production for him as he only recorded 28 receptions in 2019 and only caught 32 passes over the 2019 and 2018 seasons.

When evaluating Long as a prospect, his top trait is his soft hands. He does a great job of catching the ball with his hands and rarely drops a ball. Despite being a limited athlete, he does show nice body control which allows him to make a tough catch from time to time. He also has the size NFL teams like coming in 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds.

While Long has put up big numbers in college, his potential might be limited in the NFL. His upside is limited at the next level as he lacks great physical skills. He is not going to be a deep threat in the NFL and is somewhat of a stiff athlete. I would also like him to be a more physical player, as he lacks the physicality you want to see out of a player his size.

The NFL player Long reminds me of is former Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten. He reminds me of him as both players were never outstanding athletes, have similar body types and did an outstanding job of finding open space in the passing game. While it will be extremely hard for Long to have anything close to Witten’s career, he is someone who could earn a starting role in the NFL.