Brycen Hopkins | TE | Purdue
Elevator Pitch
Hopkins is an athletic receiving tight end with the potential to be a high-volume ‘U’ tight end at the next level. While he’s a work in progress as a blocker, his speed, body control and route-running abilities should see him be high in command in a class that doesn’t have a lot of top-end talent at his position.
Vitals
Height | 6-4
Weight | 245
Strengths
In a league where tight ends have more and more value as pass-catchers, Hopkins should be able to fit right in.
An athletic player with a good frame for his position, Hopkins is a very fluid weapon who can flip his hips seamlessly and burst well coming out of his breaks. He has great body control and is a coordinated athlete in terms of his ability to move across the middle of the field. He’s a refined route-runner for a tight end, as he does a good job of sinking his hips and making sharp cuts.
Hopkins has plenty of experience lined up in the slot, and his combination of size and speed makes him a difficult player for opposing defenses to contain in man coverage. His ball skills are impressive: he excels at adjusting to the ball and high pointing passes in contested situations. The son of former All-Pro offensive lineman Brad Hopkins, the Purdue star has professional football in his blood, too.
Weaknesses
For all the upside that Hopkins brings as a pass-catcher, he still needs to get better as a blocker. His pad level could use some work, as he isn’t great at sinking his hips into contact and staying low when engaged with a defender. His grip strength is decent at best, and he doesn’t have the nastiest of edges as a run blocker.
Drops have also been an issue Hopkins has dealt with from time to time. His film has a handful of double-catches in it, as well as just straight up drops. If he wants to make it into that upper echelon of tight ends in the NFL, then he will have to work on his hands a bit.
