The Adam Jones Show's NFL Draft List: Tight Ends
BOSTON (CBS) - Each week night leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Adam Jones and Rich Keefe break down the needs of the New England Patriots.
On Tuesday night, Jones and Keefe focused on tight end prospects.
While Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui, Tim Wright and Scott Chandler are all under contract, Bill Belichick loves drafting tight ends and it never hurts having another weapon for Tom Brady.
Jones and Keefe look at all the prospects and break them down into three groups:
Group 1: Off The Board - These players are the best of the best, prospects who the Patriots have no chance at picking 32nd overall.
Group 2: The Targets - These are the prospects who could be available for the Patriots.
Group 3: The Pick Is In - Jones and Keefe each reveal who they want to see the Patriots pick.
Off The Board
Jones: I don't think there will be any one guy off the board [at pick No. 32]. It's a pretty weak tight end class. It's considered one of the weakest positions in this draft.
The Targets
TE Clive Walford - Miami (FL)
Jones: He's 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds. He and Williams are the two best tight end prospects, which we know Bill Belichick loves his tight ends and drafting the position.
Keefe: He's certainly not the best blocker but he's a guy who can line up on the outside and use his size and strength there. I kind of just like the pedigree from Miami. I know it's been under different head coaches and different recruiters and everything else, but Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow Jr., Jimmy Graham, Greg Olsen and now maybe Clive Walford. University of Miami is a pretty good place to be to be a tight end.
TE Maxx Williams - Minnesota
Jones: He's a redshirt sophomore that's 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds. I don't think he tested as well as everyone thought he would at the Combine, so he might have lost a little bit of steam.
Keefe: Not sure why he needs two X's in his name, but I read a comparison this week to Jason Witten, which is insanely high praise -- Witten is probably going to be a Hall of Famer. He certainly looks the part. He can catch passes, ran a 4.78 40-yard dash at the Combine, which is OK.
TE Tyler Kroft - Rutgers
Jones: He's 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds. You may remember him from the Combine; he actually injured himself there because teams were tugging too hard on his ankle or his knee.
Keefe: I would be afraid if they took another Rutgers kid. I just would. No thanks.
TE Jesse James - Penn State
Jones: He's 6-foot-7, 261 pounds and just a giant.
Keefe: He's an absolute monster and kind of similar to a Scott Chandler. If the Patriots didn't acquire Scott Chandler maybe you'd say Jesse James would make sense later on in the draft.
TE Jeff Heuerman - Ohio State
Jones: He's 6-foot-5, 254 pounds. Kroft, James and Heuerman all have ties to Bill Belichick with Greg Schiano at Rutgers, Bill O'Brien at Penn State and obviously Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Keefe: They didn't use him a ton there at Ohio State because they had a lot of other weapons.
TE Nick O'Leary - Florida State
Jones: Didn't work out at the Combine and didn't work out at his Pro Day. Also the grandson of Jack Nicklaus.
Keefe: He was actually the Mackey Award winner. He played on that title team with Jameis Winston but he's always hurt. Some of the mock drafts don't even have him getting drafted, but as a seventh round pick he could be the most productive of the tight ends, so that's something intriguing to look at. Plus he doesn't wear gloves. He's one of the few guys that doesn't wear gloves anymore.
The Pick Is In
To find out who Adam Jones and Rich Keefe desire most out of all the tight end prospects, listen below!
Later in the show, Adam Jones caught up with Andy Benoit of The MMQB to continue previewing the 2015 NFL Draft.
Listen below:
