Long before Rob Gronkowski’s retirement announcement earlier in the week, countless 2019 NFL mock drafts had the New England Patriots using a first round pick to select the heir apparent for the future Hall of Fame tight end. The majority of those mocks have Bill Belichick pulling the trigger on one of the two Iowa tight ends in the draft in T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant.
Both Iowa tight ends are unique talents, but neither one of them is Gronk. To be fair, we may never see a tight end with Gronkowski’s elite pass-catching, route-running and blocking ability all rolled into a single package at the tight end position again.
That, then, begs the question: why waste a first-rounder on a tight end?
New England has a handful of other needs to fill in the upcoming draft. It would be very unlike Belichick to use a first round pick or package some lower round picks to move up and select Hockenson or Fant, and it’s unlikely that either player will be there when the Patriots pick at No. 32.
The more logical and likely scenario would be drafting a tight end in the lower rounds who might be flying a little under the radar, yet whose skill set is not that far off those of the two Iowa tight ends.
Here are five value picks at tight end who the Patriots could target in the 2019 NFL Draft as eventual replacements for Rob Gronkowski.
Kahale Warring, San Diego St.
Warring has good size at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds. He’s an excellent route-runner with underrated speed. As a blocker, he had a small sample size, but was never a liability at the college level. He has the potential to develop into an above-average NFL starter.
Alize Mack, Notre Dame
Mack was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school who never met expectations at the college level. That said, he is an elite athlete at the position and made some highlight-reel catches for the Irish. He has experience playing out of the H-back spot, which is always a plus in Josh McDaniels’ offense.
Josh Oliver, San Jose State
Oliver is bigger than Fant, but a comparable athlete. He lined up all over the field and was used much like New England used Gronk in the passing game. He’s strong enough to be a solid run-blocker at the next level.
Zach Gentry, Michigan
At 6-foot-7, Gentry is a big target and surprisingly nimble for an athlete his size. He’s an obvious jump-ball threat in the red zone and brings plenty of energy when asked to block. His football IQ is apparent on film when you watch him looking for soft spots to get open over the middle.
Dax Raymond, Utah State
Raymond compares favorably to Hockenson in almost every way. He’s a terrific route-runner with great hands, and he comes with plenty of H-back and screen experience — both as a receiver and a blocker. Most scouts have him as one of the top five or six prospects available at the position. If the Patriots can land him on Day 3, it would be a steal.
