Arrowhead Pride
The former Clemson standout has drawn attention during Kansas City’s recent practices.
After the NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs signed tight end Jake Briningstool as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Clemson. Briningstool had become one of the most decorated tight ends to ever play for the Tigers.
While the Chiefs seem pretty set at the position (with Travis Kelce, Noah Gray and Jared Wiley all likely to make the team), an impressive camp and preseason could earn Briningstool the fourth chair in the tight end room.
A four-star recruit out of Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee — a suburb of Nashville — Bringingstool was targeted by more than two dozen colleges, including Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas A&M. Over 48 games at Clemson, he recorded 127 catches for 1,380 yards and 17 touchdowns, setting an all-time Tiger record for career receptions by a tight end, while finishing second in career receiving yards and touchdowns.
Checking into the NFL Combine at 6 feet 6 and 241 pounds, 31 1/2-inch arms and 8 5/8-inch hands, Briningstool displayed a good physical build, which is the foundation for his game and playing style. He turned in a 4.75-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.6-second 10-yard split), a 31-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 9 feet 7.
Although his athletic testing shows him to be a modest athlete, Briningstool plays the game with good fundamentals — and when targeted, he catches it effectively.
At Clemson, Briningstool used his large frame to make contested catches over the middle of the field — and even provided some tackle-breaking upside. A crafty player, he also demonstrated a knack for making downfield plays once his quarterback had left the pocket — a valuable skill for a Kansas City tight end.
While tight ends aren’t the centerpiece of the Tigers’ offense, Briningstool made the most of his chances.
Here, Briningstool runs a crossing pattern over the middle. As the pocket collapses around him, the quarterback scrambles in the same direction as his tight end, throwing just before he’s flushed to the sidelines. Briningstool stops his route, working himself into position to make the grab, boxing out the defensive back and making an impressive one-handed catch for a first down.
Briningstool created solid chemistry (and synchronicity) with quarterback Cade Klubnik during his final season at Clemson — displayed not just in these contested catches, but also with his impressive catch radius.
Running a corner route on this play, Briningstool initially works through different layers of coverage undetected. As the outside receiver runs a vertical route, the defensive back sticks with him — but finally spots Briningstool breaking into space. While the defender is able to close the gap, the tight end showed he isn’t afraid of laying out in space, making a phenomenal diving catch of Klubnik’s throw.
Clemson mostly used Briningstool as a zone-beater, so he developed a good understanding of running routes...
