Countdown to the Draft: TE - Patriots hitting reset button after Rob Gronkowski's retirement

As we count down to the 2019 NFL draft, we’ll take the measure of the Patriots by position and offer up five prospects at each position — three if they’re inclined to invest in the early going, and two more if they’re interested in waiting until later in the draft. Today, we look at the tight ends.

THE SKINNY

Let’s be really clear here before we start this exercise: There’s no “Next Gronk” out there in this draft. Rob Gronkowski was a once-in-a-generation offensive talent. To expect the Patriots to find one tight end this spring to instantly step in and do what he did is foolish. It’s not going to happen. Instead, what New England can try and do is look for a reasonable facsimile of the level of production Gronkowski delivered the last few seasons with a combination of talents at the position. To that end, the Patriots have spent much of the offseason adding the likes of Matt Lacosse and Austin Seferian-Jenkins to a depth chart that includes Jacob Hollister and Stephen Anderson. I’d wager they’re going to continue to add to that group on draft weekend.

POSSIBLE EARLY TARGETS

T.J. Hockenson, Iowa



Patriots scheme fit: In-line tight end, blocker, pass catcher

Why he makes sense: As the post-Gronkowski Era begins, Hockenson has become the wish-upon-a-star target of many Patriots’ fans this spring. A big, rangy physical target who is also considered a solid blocker, Hockenson is 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, and probably the closest thing you’re going to find to Gronkowski, at least in this draft. Last year, he started 13 games and led Iowa with 49 catches for 760 yards (good for a 15.5 yards per catch average) and six touchdowns. In a draft that is stacked with NFL-ready tight end prospects, Hockenson might be the best of the bunch — which means the Patriots would have to trade up from No. 32 if they wanted to land him.

Noah Fant, Iowa

Patriots scheme fit: move tight end, pass catcher
Why he makes sense: The other half of Iowa’s dynamic tight-end duo, Fant is more of a pass catcher than blocker. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a willingness to do the dirty work — it’s more to say those duties appeared to fall more to Hockenson in college. The 6-foot-4, 249-pound Fant had 39 catches for 519 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Hawkeyes, good tough to land first-team All-Big Ten honors. From a New England perspective, two things stick out to me about Fant: one, he reminds me an awful lot of Ben Watson in his solid playing style, his preternatural wisdom (he wants to be an orthopedic surgeon when his playing days are done) and his potential ceiling as a pro. And two, that 3-cone time (6.81) is just the sort of thing that’ll make the Patriots think hard when it comes to whether or not they want to trade up into the 20s for a shot at Fant.