College Football Recruiting 2012: Kent Taylor or Ricky Parks, Who's the No. 1 TE

The tight end position is an important piece of an offense. They can serve as a sixth offensive lineman on one play, and catch a touchdown on the very next one.

I've had a college coach tell me that if he got an elite tight end, that piece alone would make his offense put up serious points. This year we have several good tight end prospects, but the two that I'm going to focus on for today are Kent Taylor and Ricky Parks.

Let's see who's the top TE in the country for 2012.

Who Is Ricky Parks?

Parks is a prospect out of Georgia that is hailed as one the state's top finds this year. He has played some quarterback for his high school squad and is also athletic enough to play some wide receiver. However, many consider his prime spot to be tight end.

Parks is 6'4", 230 pounds, and shows good speed to match up with safeties and linebackers in the passing game. Parks is a bit raw as a blocker and will need to add strength, but his athleticism and play speed should make him a nice pass-catching tight end.

He's headed to Auburn, as he chose the Tigers over Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Clemson and LSU.

Who Is Kent Taylor?

Taylor is a TE prospect from Florida that just gets it done. 

He's a 6'5", 215-pounder that plays TE, but has the ball skills of a WR, and he runs pretty well, too.

He can be used as a joker type, a move guy, an H-back, fullback, slot, in-line TE and even red-zone WR. With his length, ball skills, hands, speed and versatility, he's like a cross between Jimmy Graham and Michael Egnew.

Taylor chose Florida over Penn State, Alabama and Georgia.

Differences and Similarites

There are several similarities between the two. Yet, the only differences I see right now, are that Parks is the thicker cut athlete while Taylor is the more experienced TE.

Other than those two, each are pretty athletic and have good speed. Also, each shows good ball skills and project as "move" or receiving TEs in college.

Neither likely will be flat dominant blockers, but will serve as another receiver for their offenses.

Who's Tops?

I'll take Taylor, as I just think he's going to be able to do a little bit more. From playing in-line TE, to H-Back, to Flex TE, to WR, to moving out to the slot to being a complete Joker-type, I like Taylor.

I think Parks will become a more traditional TE, that is an in-line guy with a little flex to his game and be a Joker too, but Taylor has great hands, ball skills and good speed to which I prefer him over Parks right now.

But again, both should do some damage in college.