So what will the tight end depth chart look like for the Patriots in the post-Rob Gronkowski era?
Currently, New England has four tight ends under contract for 2019: Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse.
Doesn’t strike the same level of fear in the hearts of opposing defensive coordinators as Gronkowski might have, huh?
So what will New England do? I have to believe tight end suddenly becomes a priority for the Patriots. Let’s take a look at 10 possibilities for New England to consider moving forward— five in the draft and five guys who are already in the pros.
DRAFT
T.J. Hockenson: There are three tight ends who are head and shoulders above the rest of the field in this year’s draft and Hockenson is the best of the bunch. The guy who is mentioned the most often as “The Next Gronk” because of his catching and blocking prowess, this Iowa product is a 6-foot-4, 251-pounder who had 49 catches for 760 yards and six touchdowns last year for the Hawkeyes. His transcendent performance at the combine (along with teammate Noah Fant) likely makes him a high first-round selection, which means New England would have to move from its spot at No. 32 overall to try and land him.
Noah Fant: The second half of the tight end combination at Iowa last year, his 6-foot-4, 249-pounder had 39 catches for 519 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018 for the Hawkeyes. Another guy who lit up the combine with an electric set of skills (his 6.81 3-cone time is on par with wide receivers), New England would likely have to trade up from the end of the first round if it wanted to land Fant. He's a "move" in the Patriots' offense, not a Gronk replacement.
Irv Smith, Jr.: This is a guy who screams Patriots’ pick. An Alabama product, he checks in at 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds, and caught 44 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Crimson Tide. If New England wants to roll the dice and stick at the end of the first round but still wants a potential impact tight end, Smith could be the guy. Smart guy with good speed. (Two more things: one, Belichick loves guys who grew up in the game of football, and Smith's father was a first-round pick out of Notre Dame by the Saints in the 1993 NFL Draft. And two, I thought this Tweet from Smith last week after Alabama Pro Day was interesting.)
Chopping it up with TWO?s @AlabamaFTBL @Patriots pic.twitter.com/Px1fmIJFLm
— Irvin Smith Jr. (@swervinirvin_) March 21, 2019