2018 NFL Draft: Can Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki make it in the pros?
Another talented tight end the 2018 NFL Draft class, how will Mike Gesicki translate to the pro game following a solid college career?
More: 2018 NFL Draft preview, player profiles and latest mock drafts
The last couple seasons, Penn State football went through a massive resurgence led by key figures such as Trace McSorely, Saquon Barkley and head coach James Franklin. A figure that had gone relatively under the radar was tight end Mike Gesicki. While his receiving yards did fall some in 2017, Gesicki hauled in a career high 57 passes, establishing himself as a favorite target for Trace McSorely.
Gesicki follows in the footsteps of productive Penn State tight ends such as Mickey Shuler Sr., Jesse James and Andrew Quarless. But can his success in State College translate to professional level?
Strengths
As shown by his statistics, Gesicki is a great receiver, amassing nearly 1,500 receiving yards in his Penn State career. Impressive considering he plays in an era where offense are wide open and tight ends are generally forgotten in most spread offense schemes. His speed as a tight end is what allowed him to be a major contributor in the Penn State passing game.
Another strength is his sheer athletic ability, as not only did Gesicki star in football in high school, but was a standout basketball and men’s volleyball player. This translates to the football field in the sense of being able to high-point balls when locked into man-to-man coverage. This skill set makes Gesicki a potential red-zone nightmare for defensive coordinators.
Weaknesses
His biggest and most noticeable deficiency is definitely in run blocking. In a similar case of Oklahoma tight end Mark Andrews, Gesicki was simply not asked to run block much, as many times they would split him out as a hybrid tight end/slot receiver. If Gesicki wants to make the transition to be a true NFL tight end, he will have to work out the kinks in the blocking game fast.
Draft Expectations
Next: Latest pre-Combine first round NFL Mock Draft
Gesicki is a very good, but not great tight end. He will fit quite a few schemes in the NFL. One that especially comes to mind is the New England Patriots and their hybrid pro-style/spread offense. But for him to transform into a reliable NFL tight end, his blocking abilities must improve, it will hurt his draft stock, but not by much.