TEs drawing plenty of attention

Tight ends have become hot commodities, and UCLA's Marcedes Lewis headlines a strong class in 2006.

Updated: October 13, 2005, 4:48 PM ET
By Todd McShay | Scouts Inc.
Over the last five years in the NFL, the demand has been high for playmaking tight ends. After watching Shannon Sharpe and Tony Gonzalez create mismatches throughout the 1990s, the rest of the league got jealous.

Size and strength were traded in for speed and athleticism, which led to high draft picks like Baltimore's Todd Heap, Atlanta's Alge Crumpler, Miami's Randy McMichael, the Giants' Jeremy Shockey, Indianapolis' Dallas Clark, Washington's Kellen Winslow Jr., New England's Ben Watson and Tennessee's Ben Troupe. Antonio Gates' emergence as one of the biggest pass-catching weapons in the NFL over the last two seasons has only increased the interest in the position.

Fortunately, after last year's draft produced just one prospect (Heath Miller, Steelers) in the first two rounds, this year's tight end class is shaping up as one of the strongest in years.


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Todd McShay

Scouts Inc.
  • ESPN College Football and NFL Draft Analyst
  • Joined ESPN in 2006
  • Played quarterback in high school and was a backup QB for the University of Richmond.

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