Redskins: Senior Bowl prospects to watch at positions of need

Tight End

The Redskins should consider themselves essentially devoid of tight ends on their current roster. Jordan Reed’s contract, combined with his ongoing medical uncertainty, makes him a likely offseason casualty, and the same can be said for Vernon Davis, given his contract value. Jeremy Sprinkle may be maxed out as a depth player, and while undrafted rookie Hale Hentges showed some promise late in the season, he hasn’t earned an increased role yet.

Tight ends can provide valuable versatility and mismatch generation in the modern NFL, as playoff standouts such as Travis Kelce and George Kittle have shown. This year’s tight end class is vastly unproven, but it also possesses exciting upside, and one of these Senior Bowl tight ends could end up following a meteoric rise similar to that of Kittle or Kelce. Recent Senior Bowl tight ends who’ve gone on to succeed at the NFL level include Mike Gesicki, Evan Engram, and O.J. Howard.

The Redskins have the situational circumstances to incubate tight end growth: New tight ends coach Pete Hoener brings with him an impressive track record with Carolina, and Dwayne Haskins developed an affinity for tight end targets later on in the year, despite the lack of reliability at the position. With any luck, one or more of these players will have a chance to give Haskins the safety blanket he needs to expedite his growth in 2020.

Senior Bowl Tight Ends to Watch

North Team

Dayton TE Adam Trautman: The Dayton Flyers benefitted greatly from Trautman’s combination of athleticism (speed between 4.7 and 4.8) and a 6-foot-5, 251-pound frame. Trautman hit career marks in production in his final season, logging 70 receptions for 916 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s a dangerous receiving threat with blocking ability, and he’s easily one of my favorite sleepers at the tight end position. If he shows out, however, he won’t be a sleeper for long.

Purdue TE Brycen Hopkins: Brycen Hopkins isn’t as favorable for the Redskins draft range, as he’ll likely be gone somewhere in Round 2, if he isn’t taken at the tail end of Round 1. He’s certainly worth a trade if the Redskins decide he’s the weapon they need, however. Hopkins isn’t as multifaceted as other tight ends, but he fits what the Redskins need, in that he’s a receiving tight end with elite upside. Hopkins mends stellar route running nuance with excellent athleticism and flashes of NFL toughness, and while there are some consistency issues that could send him down to the top of Round 3, he’s exactly what the modern NFL wants in a tight end.

South Team

Florida Atlantic TE Harrison Bryant: Bryant won the John Mackey Award in 2019, given to the best tight end in the NCAA, and his traits back up his statistical prowess. Bryant has good size at 6-foot-5, 242, and like Brycen Hopkins, he has near-elite potential as a receiving tight end. Bryant is an excellent mover for his size, and he has enough nuance and spryness off his stems to gain separation against second and third-level defenders. He’s not a functional blocker at this point, so his usage is somewhat limited, but for Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins, he’d be a great match.

Vanderbilt TE Jared Pinkney: Raw prospects need to sell NFL teams on their starting potential in order to get opportunities, and that’s the kind of pressure that will be on Pinkney this week. Pinkney has excellent size and relative athleticism, consummated in a 6-foot-4, 260-pound frame and a near-80-inch wingspan. He also has plus blocking traits. That said, Pinkney wins primarily with his traits, and not with detail or refinement, which makes the prospect of drafting him both exciting and daunting. For a team with a known tight end developer, Pinkney is a worthwhile investment.

LSU TE Stephen Sullivan: Not a fan of picking a tight end early, with all the other needs on the board? LSU’s Stephen Sullivan might be more your speed. He has the Power 5 pedigree, and he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, but his career didn’t live up to the hype. He switched from receiver to tight end and only saw modest production at his peak. He’s 6-foot-5, 245, with a massive 85-inch reach, so there’s definitely something there. But how far Sullivan can be developed remains to be seen.