2010 NFL Combine Snub: The Case for Clemson's Michael Palmer

Six Clemson Tigers made the trip to the 2010 NFL Combine. All six have NFL talent and all six should be drafted. There should have been a seventh invitee.

Tight end Michael Palmer isn’t exactly a burner. He’s about average size for a tight end at 6'5'' and 260 pounds. Physically, he probably didn’t turn the heads of too many NFL scouts.

What Palmer does possess is an acute sense of field awareness. He’s also extremely coachable. Most importantly, his experience in two distinctly different offenses at Clemson shows his adaptability.

Imagine a world without Aaron Kelly or Tyler Grisham. Had Clemson not had exceptional skill at wide receiver during Palmer’s first few years as a Tiger, he would have been introduced as an offensive weapon much more quickly.

In reality, where Clemson’s tight ends weren’t thrown at until 2009, Palmer’s role was that of an auxiliary tackle. Because of that, along with former offensive coordinator Rob Spence’s bizarre obsession with the bubble screen, Palmer became a student of blocking schemes.

It might well be that experience with Spence’s offense scheme that puts Palmer into a role on Sundays.

Couple his learned ability to pick up a linebacker with the hands he displayed in 2009 and we just may be onto something.

Despite early flashes of brilliance (reference his SportsCenter -highlight catch against Georgia Tech), Palmer became a complete player starting with the Wake Forest game.  The offense was simplified at that point because it had to be. Palmer became a favorite target of Kyle Parker simply because he is able to get open, five yards past the line of scrimmage at a time. 

When defenses are forced to respect tight ends, the running game flourishes. Watch some Clemson film. Keep a count of how many plays on which Palmer was motioned pre-snap. Then count how many times that Spiller ran opposite the motion. See a correlation here?

At any level of football, consistently moving the chains wins games. Tight ends must be able to convert on third-and-manageable situations. You need them on the goal line, too. Even if you’re not throwing their way, you need them in the running game. Check, check, and checkmate.

On draft weekend, Michael Palmer will likely be holding his breath. He shouldn’t have to.  Sleeper is an overused term this time of year. That being said, it fits very nicely here.  Selecting Palmer with a late-round pick would not be a waste.