NFL: Aaron Hernandez to Enter 2010 NFL Draft
It is being reported that Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez is set to announce his intention to enter the 2010 NFL draft. Hernandez was Tim Tebow’s favorite target this season leading the Gators with 68 catches.
Measuring in at 6′ 2″ Hernandez is shorter than a prototypical tight end and that is going to knock him down a few pegs in the grand scheme of tight end rankings. Hernandez catches most of the passes he gets his hands on and he has the speed to stretch the middle of the field, but, his lack of height makes him a potential liability as a run blocker in the NFL. He will be a good fit on a team that likes to spread out the offense and run a lot of three receiver sets a-la Shannon Sharpe when he played for Denver or Chris Cooley in Washington.
If he were two inches taller we would probably be talking about Hernandez as a first round pick, but, as it is he is considered a mid to late second round prospect. The question is what offense is a good fit for him?
That Panthers have a need for a pass catching tight end, but, given their offense is built around a strong running game a tight end who is not particularly strong at run blocking may not be a good fit.
With Tony Scheffler apparently in Josh McDaniel’s dog house in Denver the Broncos are likely going to be in the market for a tight end this spring.
With Tony Gonzalez now catching passes in Atlanta the Chiefs have a need for a tight end as well.
The Cardinals like to spread their receivers out and have been looking for a good pass catching tight end for a couple of years now and Hernandez could be a good fit in Arizona.
