A.C. Leonard NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report and More
April 9, 2014
A.C. Leonard, TE, Tennessee State (HT: 6'2" WT: 252 lbs)
Combine Weigh In | |||
Height | Weight | Arms | Hands |
6023 | 252 | 33" | 9 1/4" |
NFL.com |
Combine Workout | |||||
40-Yard Dash | Bench Press | Vertical | Broad Jump | 3-Cone Drill | Shuttle |
4.50 | 20 | 34" | 128" | DNP | DNP |
NFL.com |
Positives
- A good all-around athlete with the tools to be an effective pass-catching weapon.
- Has all the physical tools necessary to be successful as a move tight end in the NFL.
- Reliable hands—extends his arms to catch away from his body and is able to quickly and smoothly secure the ball.
- A dangerous weapon after the catch for the tight end position.
- Shows impressive balance and body control when adjusting to the ball.
- Gives a strong effort battling for contested catches and has the leaping ability to help make up for his modest height.
- Has the pure speed to pick up chunks of yardage and is capable of making some defensive backs miss in the open field.
- Strong enough to break tackles and is willing to lower his shoulder into the defender.
Negatives
- Limited experience against top competition and won a lot of battles at the lower level simply due to a significant athleticism advantage.
- Lacks ideal height for a possession tight end and may be limited to receiving the majority of his targets on short and intermediate routes.
- Routes are sloppy and inconsistent.
- Has the ability to explode out of his breaks but he's often lazy and rounds off his cuts, giving defensive backs plenty of time to react to his movement.
- Focus on the field is extremely poor at times.
- He often fails to run straight lines in his routes and gets distracted by movement around him, throwing off the timing of his routes.
- Fails to locate open space when working against the zone.
- Does a poor job adjusting when the play breaks down and often fails to work back toward the quarterback to provide a target.
- Often holds the ball away from his body and had issues with fumbles—another sign of poor focus and attention to detail on the field.
- Missed time due to injuries in each of the past three seasons.
- Suffered a groin injury in 2013, an undisclosed injury in 2012 and a right knee injury in 2011.
- Arrested and pleaded no contest to a battery charge in 2012 for dragging his girlfriend out of their apartment by her hair, which led to a suspension while at Florida.
Collegiate Statistics | |||||
Year | School | Rec | Yards | Yds/Rec | TD |
2011 | Florida | 8 | 99 | 12.4 | 0 |
2012 | Tennessee State | 51 | 733 | 14.4 | 6 |
2013 | Tennessee State | 34 | 441 | 13.0 | 5 |
tsutigers.com |
Personal Notes
- Originally attended Florida and played in nine games in 2011.
- Was not kicked out of Florida, but left the program after he and coach Will Muschamp decided it would be beneficial for him to start over with a new school following his arrest in 2012.
- Has two children, a son and a daughter.
- Second-team FCS All-American in 2012 and 2013.

Overall
Leonard is an impressive athlete, but his lack of elite size somewhat limits his upside. He's capable of filling a specific role in an offense but he definitely isn't a three-down player. If a team is comfortable with his off-field issues, he's well worth a Day 3 selection and could be effective immediately if he lands in the right system.
Draft Projection: 6th round
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