The New Orleans Saints heavily scouted last year’s rookie tight end group, and came away empty-handed. The position remains as big a need now as it was 12 months ago, so expect the Saints to travel coast to coast evaluating college prospects. We’ve established that the Saints will not need a first round draft pick to select a talented tight end, and that’s helped by what could be a historically great class.
Popular prospects to project to the first round include Iowa teammates T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant, as well as Alabama product Irv Smith Jr. (son of former Saints first round pick Irv Smith Sr.). But the Saints will not make their first pick until the tail end of the second round (62). The good news is that there will be plenty of options even that late in the process. Here’s four names to track as we move towards the Scouting Combine and the 2019 NFL Draft.
Isaac Nauta, Georgia
- Listed measurements: 6-foot-4, 246-pounds
- Career stats: 68 receptions, 905 yards, 8 touchdowns
- Games played: 33
Nauta doesn’t profile as an elite athlete who will post a freakish time in the 40 yard dash. And that’s okay. Because he’s an all-around talent who can positively impact every phase of the game. He has few areas to improve as a blocker and makes receiving look easy thanks to his wide catch radius and reliable hands. Nauta also carries plenty of collegiate experience with 33 games played. He’s a truly well-rounded player with few weaknesses in his game. Outside of the Iowa twins, there may not be an easier college-to-pro projection in this draft class.
Key stat: Per Pro Football Focus, Nauta ranked second among qualifying tight ends in passer rating when targeted (146.4) and was credited with a top five grade as a blocker on running plays.
Jace Sternberger, Texas A&M
- Listed measurements: 6-foot-4, 250-pounds
- Career stats: 49 receptions, 837 yards, 10 touchdowns
- Games played: 15
Sternberger profiles very similarly to Jimmy Graham coming out of college. He didn’t log any meaningful reps in two years at Kansas before transferring to JUCO, where he gained the notice of first-year Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher. Then it was off to the races, with Sternberger flashing sudden finesse as a playmaker “above the rim” — he got vertical with ease, streaking downfield to attack the seam and out-leaping every defender to go up and snatch the ball away. He offers little ability as a blocker in his rookie season, but if the Saints just want a big athlete who can do damage through the air, Sternberger is their guy.
Key stat: Per Dane Brugler of the Athletic, Sternberger logged at least one catch for 20 or more yards in 12 of 13 games in 2018, showcasing his consistent ability to generate big plays downfield.
Kaden Smith, Stanford
- Listed measurements: 6-foot-5, 252-pounds
- Career stats: 70 receptions, 1,049 yards, 7 touchdowns
- Games played: 20
Smith doesn’t fit the typical writeup of a Stanford tight end. He’s a receiving specialist who lacks physicality, showing good technique but little aggression as a blocker. That extends to his routes, where he can be bullied by smaller, more assertive opponents. The good news is that Smith can run any route in the playbook from virtually any alignment. Stanford didn’t shy away from deploying him in the slot as often as inline to the formation. He also rarely puts a ball on the ground and consistently reaches higher than the players charged with defending him.
Key stat: Per Pro Football Focus, Smith ran almost half of his routes from the slot, registering a clip of 2.06 yards per routes run; that puts him at sixth out of 51 qualifying tight ends from the 2018 season.
Caleb Wilson, UCLA
- Listed measurements: 6-foot-5, 235-pounds
- Career stats: 114 receptions, 1,675 yards, 5 touchdowns
- Games played: 24
Wilson has the issues you’d expect of a tall, underweight tight end: an inability to get low or anchor when tasked with blocking, and a plodding running style that works better after the catch than before it. His understanding of the game is impressive and he frequently sets up defenders to take poor tackling angles before ever breaking out of his route. Wilson is strong enough to challenge slighter-built defenders in the open field but struggles to shed tacklers once they’re on him. He has room to grow but given his extensive usage at UCLA, you have to question whether he’s able to reach his potential.
Key stat: Per Pro Football Focus, Wilson set the pace for collegiate tight ends with 467 yards after the catch and 42 receptions for a touchdown or first down in 2018. He was invaluable on passing downs, earning a top five pass-blocking grade (78.3).
