Eric Ebron NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report for Detroit Lions TE

Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina (HT: 6'4⅜", WT: 250 lbs)

Detroit Lions

First Round: 10th Pick

NFL Comparison: Julius Thomas, TE, Denver Broncos

Height	Weight	Arms	Hands
6'4 3/8"	250	33 1/4"	10"

40-Yard Dash	Bench Press	Vertical	Broad Jump	3-Cone Drill	Shuttle
4.60	24	32"	10'0"	DNP	DNP

Positives

• Incredible athleticism that far exceeds that of a typical tight end prospect.
• Elite speed for a tight end, making him a viable downfield threat in certain matchups. 
• Speed and agility are rare and make him more dangerous than the average tight end in the open field.
• More than just a possession receiver, like most elite pass-catching tight ends. 
• Acceleration is elite, making him a difficult matchup for most linebackers without attention from safeties to keep him from getting over the top of the defense.
• Route running is smooth, and he has the quickness in his cuts to gain a step on more athletic coverage linebackers and safeties.
• Has the size to be dominant when battling for contested catches once he refines his technique. 
• Hands are fairly consistent. 
• Has the athleticism to make difficult catches in traffic and along the sideline. 
• Shows impressive body control when adjusting to poorly thrown passes. 
• Experienced lining up in the slot and on the line. 
• Showed consistent development throughout his career.
• Gives a strong effort as a blocker.
• Fights hard as a blocker even when he's overmatched.

Negatives

• Height is only average for today's new breed of pass-catching tight ends. 
• Plays smaller than his measurements. 
• Needs to learn how to use his size to his advantage when matched up against smaller linebackers and safeties. 
• Plays too much like a finesse receiver, which may not make him a great fit for what every offensive scheme wants from its tight end.
• Too passive in his approach to contested targets. 
• Tends to let the ball come to him rather than being more assertive and going up to get the ball when in tight coverage.
• He'll struggle competing for 50/50 balls in the pros with his current approach.
• Majority of his drops are uncontested passes and simply due to a lack of focus. 
• Lacks the strength to dominate as a blocker. 
• Particularly struggles when he's forced to engage with more physical edge-rushers and often gets walked back into the backfield.

Year	School	Rec	Yards	Yds/Rec	TD
2011	UNC	10	207	20.7	1
2012	UNC	40	625	15.6	4
2013	UNC	62	973	15.7	3

Personal Notes

• Missed 2011 bowl game for academic reasons. 
• Relatively young for a draft prospect; he turned 21 in April.
• First-team All-ACC selection in 2013. 
• 2013 finalist for the John Mackey Award.

Ratings Chart

Chart created at nces.ed.gov

Overall

Ebron has the tools to be an elite pass-catching tight end, but he's still fairly raw. He lacks the elite size to excel immediately in the NFL with his inconsistent technique. He will make plays as a rookie based on athleticism alone, but it will take a year or two for him to reach his full potential. At this point in time, he plays like a wide receiver without any concept of how to use his size to his advantage. Once he becomes more aggressive and masters the technique of being more effective as a possession receiver, he could become one of the most well-rounded pass-catching tight ends in the game. 

Draft Projection: 1st Round