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Welcome to the Patriots Prospect Preview, our annual series where we talk about the club’s future picks before literally anyone else! I can’t believe we made it to Week 6.
The New England Patriots are quite literally the only show left in town, but they don’t play on Saturdays…
I don’t believe in apple picking, pumpkin patches and winery dates, however, which is why we’ve been talking college ball for nearly two months now — and we’re excited to welcome an entirely new audience now that baseball is over around these parts.
If you’ve been paying attention throughout the last several weeks, you’d know we have tight ends to watch! I’ve got three more for you, as well as a couple wild cards entering this weekend’s slate:
Week 6: vs. Iowa State (12 p.m. ET on ESPN2)
I’ve decided that this will be the week of the tight end, with three draft-eligible prospects all taking part in some big-time matchups on Saturday.
Joe Royer will be the first one we see, as the one-time Ohio State Buckeye has become an offensive force since transferring to the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Royer is a fluid athlete who can easily win one-on-one matchups with linebackers, while carrying some versatility after working in the backfield at times during his first several collegiate seasons. It’ll be interesting to see what his testing numbers look like, but the young man certainly knows how to play the position and appears ready to contribute in the passing game at the next level — though system fit will be important.
I don’t necessarily know where to place him in terms of prospect rankings — as there are plenty of guys at the position with higher ceilings, but the tape suggests he should be in consideration on Day 2.
Week 6: @ Florida (3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Texas has produced some quality tight ends in recent seasons, with Jack Endries serving as the latest alongside the likes of Gunnar Helm and Ja’Tavion Sanders.
Endries arrived this offseason after a considerable run with the California Golden Bears, which saw him put together two incredible seasons after initially joining the club as a walk-on.
I don’t necessarily know how to feel about the player just yet, but this is a good test as he’ll almost certainly be relied upon as quarterback Arch Manning faces another stiff test in the Florida Gators.
Endries is a good, not great, athlete who needs to display more value as a contributor in the running game — which is what I’ll be watching for over the course of the next few months.
Week 6: @ Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
Eli Stowers is the final tight end we’ll talk about today, and just so happens to be the very best.
Stowers is the top target for quarterback Diego Pavia, who he has played with each of the last...
