2019 NFL Draft: Iowa’s Noah Fant has remarkable upside
Former Iowa tight end Noah Fant has taken a backseat to his own teammate in the 2019 NFL Draft process, but his upside is the highest at his position.
Draft experts have settled on the Iowa duo of Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson being the top two tight ends in the 2019 NFL Draft. Hockenson is the consensus No. 1 prospect, with Fant nipping at his heels. Both are first round locks.
Hockenson has the higher floor, and his all-around game makes him tailor-made to be an immediate contributor in the NFL as a rookie.
His upside falls short of Fant’s though.
Fant has the potential to end up as the top tight end in the NFL within the next five years if he develops at the rate that is expected. There are a few holes in his game, but he’s an athletic freak who will immediately provide matchup problems when split out wide or with his hand in the dirt.
Fant hauled in 18 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the Hawkeyes. His receiving yards were meager (just 1083 in 30 career games), but lack of consistency from his quarterbacks and a run-first offense led to that production more than any slight on his game. He was always the preferred red zone target, though, something that will follow him to the next level.
Fant solidified his position as a first round pick with an eye-opening combine. His athletic ability was on full display, and he blew away his competition with a 4.5 40-yard-dash to lead all tight ends in Indianapolis. He also had an impressive 39.5 inch vertical.
Fant has ridiculous upside, and his ability as a receiver, especially in today’s NFL, will make him one of the more coveted prospects during the first round of the draft.
Strengths
Fant is an extremely fluid athlete. He takes big strides aided by his great size for the position. He’s a coverage mismatch for any defense, regardless of where you line him up.
If he lines up on the line-of-scrimmage, Fant is a nightmare matchup for a linebacker or safety in one-on-one coverage. Even with the influx of rangy and athletic linebackers, he’s still a speed mismatch for most.
If he splits out wide, you’re likely tasking a corner, who would be at a tremendous size disadvantage, to try and cover him. Fant has a big catch-radius to go along with great hands and outstanding ball skills, meaning he’s going to dominate most in one-on-one situations, especially undersized defensive backs.
A smart team will move him all over the field to try and take advantage of the matchup advantages he’s sure to have every week.
Fant is a dynamic playmaker, one who will have to be gameplanned against. He’ll make a big impact as a rookie, but the fruit of the labor a team pours into him will really bear out after a couple of seasons of fine-tuning.
Weaknesses
The Iowa product has some technical issues that he needs to iron out with his route-running. He won’t be able to rely on his size and speed advantage over everyone in the NFL, so running crisper and more precise routes will help him gain the separation he needs. A good position coach will get that ironed out quickly.
While Fant is the top receiving threat among tight ends in this class, his limitations as a blocker knocks him behind Hockenson. He hasn’t demonstrated much power at the initial point-of-attack, and can easily be moved in the running game. He does well when he can get a running start and make blocks on the second level, but he’ll need to improve his functional strength to be an every-down player.
If that happens, then Fant could end up being the No. 1 tight end in this class when we reassess a few years down the road.
Draft Expectations
I have a tough time seeing Fant fall out of the Top-20. Tight ends are typically tough to project, but more and more teams are seeing the benefit of having a playmaking tight end who can impact the game in a variety of ways. His upside is too high to slip, and it wouldn’t surprise me if a team made a move up the draft board to acquire him.
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There are several teams in the top half of the drat who are sure to show interest. The Broncos and Packers in the Top-12 have needs at the position and could be intrigued with one of the two former Hawkeyes.
Past that, the Titans could be a nice landing spot at No. 19 as they look to find an eventual replacement for Delanie Walker while providing another receiving threat for Marcus Mariota.
Draft Projection: Top 20