2011 NFL Draft: Power Ranking the Top 14 Tight Ends In the Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft will be ruled by the defense, but the offensive talent isn't lacking this year.
One of the most overlooked positions when it comes to the draft is the tight end. An NFL team is not going to win a championship with a tight end, but a good tight end will be the difference between that crucial fourth down conversion and having to turn the ball over on downs.
Here's a look at the best tight ends in the 2011 NFL Draft.
14. Zack Pianalto
1 of 14
Pianalto looks to be a good receiving tight end. Injuries have hampered his development and dropped his draft potential.
Pianalto will be a depth pick up in the late rounds.
13. Julius Thomas
2 of 14
Julius Thomas has the speed to be a great receiving tight end and the size to be a great blocking one as well.
Thomas is a great prospect and will be a steal in the later rounds for one team.
12. Greg Smith
3 of 14
Greg Smith has shown great skills in all aspects of the position and is a good bet to go in the middle rounds.
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11. Charlie Gantt
4 of 14
Charlie Gantt is going to be another great depth pick, no later than the fifth round.
Gantt has shown flashes of great ability but is tracking as an average prospect. He will have an opportunity to prove all the scouts wrong soon enough.
10. Preston Dial
5 of 14
At 6' 3", 237 lbs., Dial is a great physical prospect who has the potential to be an impact player on an offense in 2011.
Dial has the skills to transition to the pros and make a name for himself.
9. Virgil Green
6 of 14
Virgil Green was one of the best tight ends in the WAC in 2010. With Colin Kaepernick as his quarterback, Green became a big star for the team.
The question will be whether Green can duplicate his success at Nevada in the NFL.
8. Mike McNeill
7 of 14
Mike McNeill has great speed and what scouts term "adequate" size. He has had to battle injuries, and that will keep him from being a top-round draft pick.
7. Lee Smith
8 of 14
Just shy of 6' 6" and weighing in at 269 lbs., Smith looks more like a linebacker than a tight end, and that will get him a lot of attention in the draft. With his size and speed, Smith can be a versatile player for a pro offense.
6. Robert Housler
9 of 14
Housler is getting praise from scouts for his ability to separate from coverage, make catches and attack the middle of the field.
Those kinds of traits could get him drafted as high as the third round.
5. Weslye Saunders
10 of 14
Weslye Saunders is projecting to be a great receiving tight end, but he gets knocked for his blocking ability.
That knock will keep him out of the top two rounds, but he should go in the third round.
4. D.J. Williams
11 of 14
Williams is considered undersized for a tight end, but he has the other physical attributes to make up for it.
Williams is better in a zone coverage than man-to-man, and that deficiency will cost him a chance to get picked in the first two rounds. Look for Williams to go off the board in the third round.
3. Lance Kendricks
12 of 14
Lance Hendricks gets knocked for being pushed around by the linebackers, but Hendricks has good moves and can take the linebackers out of plays with good moves. He has above-average catching ability, and that should put him in the second round.
2. Luke Stocker
13 of 14
Luke Stocker is big and strong, reads coverages and can catch. Stocker is projecting high in the draft, and with his big frame and athletic ability, he is a lock for the second round.
1. Kyle Rudolph
14 of 14
Rudolph has great ball skills, runs great routes and has the size and ability to be a good blocker. Scouts praise his big play ability and dedication to bettering his craft.
Rudolph could go in the first round, depending on how the chips fall. He is deserving of a first-round pick but may fall to the second round if luck isn't with him.
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