Sort of forgot Matt Patricia is there. Gronk 2.0 has arrived in Detroit.
TIGHT END U. TJ Hockenson #8 OVERALL & Noah Fant #20 OVERALL,1st Round 2019 NFL Draft
- Thread starter Franisdaman
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Sort of forgot Matt Patricia is there. Gronk 2.0 has arrived in Detroit.
Excellent point.
NFL teams love Kirk Ferentz, they trust him, and they love that Iowa plays a pro style offense. They look at the Iowa players on film and the Iowa players are doing what will be asked of them in the NFL.
Pro teams want their TE's to be able to block. Iowa DEMANDS that their TEs block.That's a big reason TJ went so high because TJ does everything well that is demanded of an NFL TE.
Iowa is nicknamed TE U for a reason. Whether Jimmy in Ann Arbor likes it or not.
Agree with you One Thousand Percent.
@steventrelain is a shitty fan indeed. He should start a separate thread if he wants to discuss how Iowa won 9 games & won its bowl game over an SEC team last year and perhaps should have won more.
Detroit Lions' Bob Quinn on T.J. Hockenson: He checked every box
Carlos Monarrez,
Detroit Free Press
Published 6:40 a.m. ET April 26, 2019
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/04/26/nfl-draft-tj-hockenson-bob-quinn/3584846002/
Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn said the draft board broke pretty much the way he thought it would before he picked Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson No. 8 overall on Thursday.
And in Hockenson, Quinn said the Lions got a player that met just about all imaginable criteria.
“Felt really, really good about that pick,” Quinn said. “He’s a guy we targeted early in the process. Really great player. Three-down, four-down player that’s going to be a big part of our offense going forward.
“Really checked every box that we had in terms of the evaluation process, from on-field to third down to red area to blocking to special teams to culture to intelligence to work ethic. You name it, he checked basically every box throughout the whole process.”
Quinn indicated the Lions were set on Hockenson, whom he called a smooth and natural pass-catcher, at No. 8. In the seven picks that preceded the Lions, Quinn said “the only big surprise was” the New York Giants drafting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6.
And as much as Quinn tried a neon “for sale” sign for the No. 8 outside Allen Park headquarters, he was never close to actually making a deal to trade down.
“Nothing that really swayed us really hard to move out of that spot,” he said. “We did have a couple conversations.”
Speaking of conversations, Quinn said he will address the elephant in the room. He will, at some point, speak with Hockenson about the struggles Eric Ebron faced with drops and the high expectations of being the Lions’ No. 10 overall pick in 2014.
“Possibly, it might come up in conversation,” Quinn said. “But this isn’t going to be tomorrow morning when he gets in here, we’re going to revisit a draft that I wasn’t even a part of. I’ve got other things to talk to him about.”
At the Lions’ draft party in Allen Park, coach Matt Patricia spoke about how Hockenson can help the offense exploit matchups against linebackers and safeties. Quinn spoke about using Hockenson in tandem with Jesse James, the tight end the Lions signed in free agency, to give the offense multiple options.
Quinn conceded that it probably would be difficult for Hockenson, like other rookies at other positions, to transition to the NFL. But the degree of that difficulty and how long it takes Hockenson to adjust to the NFL could affect the dire need for the Lions to rebound from last season’s 6-10 finish.
“Listen, there’s pressure to win every game — that’s the profession we’re in,” he said. “Every game we go to, every season we’re in, there’s pressure, and I think T.J., in his career, has shown that he steps up to pressure. He steps up in big games in the Big Ten against a lot of teams that you guys cover on a weekly basis, and he does a really good job and has done a really good job. He’s not going to be scared, I know that.”
Carlos Monarrez,
Detroit Free Press
Published 6:40 a.m. ET April 26, 2019
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/04/26/nfl-draft-tj-hockenson-bob-quinn/3584846002/
Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn said the draft board broke pretty much the way he thought it would before he picked Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson No. 8 overall on Thursday.
And in Hockenson, Quinn said the Lions got a player that met just about all imaginable criteria.
“Felt really, really good about that pick,” Quinn said. “He’s a guy we targeted early in the process. Really great player. Three-down, four-down player that’s going to be a big part of our offense going forward.
“Really checked every box that we had in terms of the evaluation process, from on-field to third down to red area to blocking to special teams to culture to intelligence to work ethic. You name it, he checked basically every box throughout the whole process.”
Quinn indicated the Lions were set on Hockenson, whom he called a smooth and natural pass-catcher, at No. 8. In the seven picks that preceded the Lions, Quinn said “the only big surprise was” the New York Giants drafting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6.
And as much as Quinn tried a neon “for sale” sign for the No. 8 outside Allen Park headquarters, he was never close to actually making a deal to trade down.
“Nothing that really swayed us really hard to move out of that spot,” he said. “We did have a couple conversations.”
Speaking of conversations, Quinn said he will address the elephant in the room. He will, at some point, speak with Hockenson about the struggles Eric Ebron faced with drops and the high expectations of being the Lions’ No. 10 overall pick in 2014.
“Possibly, it might come up in conversation,” Quinn said. “But this isn’t going to be tomorrow morning when he gets in here, we’re going to revisit a draft that I wasn’t even a part of. I’ve got other things to talk to him about.”
At the Lions’ draft party in Allen Park, coach Matt Patricia spoke about how Hockenson can help the offense exploit matchups against linebackers and safeties. Quinn spoke about using Hockenson in tandem with Jesse James, the tight end the Lions signed in free agency, to give the offense multiple options.
Quinn conceded that it probably would be difficult for Hockenson, like other rookies at other positions, to transition to the NFL. But the degree of that difficulty and how long it takes Hockenson to adjust to the NFL could affect the dire need for the Lions to rebound from last season’s 6-10 finish.
“Listen, there’s pressure to win every game — that’s the profession we’re in,” he said. “Every game we go to, every season we’re in, there’s pressure, and I think T.J., in his career, has shown that he steps up to pressure. He steps up in big games in the Big Ten against a lot of teams that you guys cover on a weekly basis, and he does a really good job and has done a really good job. He’s not going to be scared, I know that.”
SPORTS
DENVER BRONCOS
Denver Broncos draft tight end Noah Fant with 20th pick in NFL draft
By RYAN O'HALLORAN
rohalloran@denverpost.com
The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: April 25, 2019 at 8:37 pm
UPDATED: April 26, 2019 at 12:14 am
Broncos general manager John Elway could have drafted Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock to eventually replace quarterback Joe Flacco.
Instead, Elway decided to give Flacco immediate help in the form of a potentially dynamic pass-catching option.
After trading from No. 10 to No. 20 in Thursday night’s NFL draft, the Broncos selected Iowa tight end Noah Fant. The Broncos swung a deal with Pittsburgh (which chose Michigan linebacker Devin Bush) and also acquired a second-round pick (No. 52) and a 2020 third-round selection.
“Noah can really run and stretch the field, (is) very athletic and a very effective receiving tight end,” Elway said. “We’re excited about where it ended up.”
Fant (6-foot-4, 249 pounds) had 78 catches in three years for the Hawkeyes and joins Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli, all former Big Ten tight ends, on the depth chart.
“I wanted to go to a team that fit me, a team that wanted me, a team (whose) scheme I fit,” Fant said. “The Denver Broncos are 100 percent that team. I couldn’t ask for a better team to pick me.”
Fant should get a chance to contribute immediately. While Heuerman has been cleared for football activities after rib-and-lung injuries last November, he hasn’t played a full season. Butt (torn ACL) and Fumgalli (abdominal) played four and zero games last year, respectively.
Fant took a pre-draft visit to the Broncos’ facility, which he called “amazing. I loved it. I thought it would be a great place for me to go. I’m super-psyched and super-stoked to be going to Denver.”
Also super for Fant will be the chance to play alongside Flacco, who has enjoyed consistent success throwing to tight ends.
“I would argue I’m in the best situation for a tight end in this draft, being with the Denver Broncos,” Fant said. “I can’t express how happy I am about this.”
Fant was highly regarded throughout last season and gained attention by running the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds at the NFL Combine.
“He was one of the first guys I watched,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. “Obviously, he can run. That’s the first thing that jumps out at you.”
Said Fant: “I think I do a good job with my speed and keeping defenders off me. Not meaning to be too braggadocios, but I put up some good numbers at the Combine.”
Fant was the second tight end selected; Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson went eighth to Detroit. Fant was only the second tight end ever selected by the Broncos in the first round. Riley Odoms was the fifth pick in 1972.
Fant spoke by phone with Elway, Fangio and offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello after being drafted. He is expected to fly to the Denver area on Friday. Fant, who can play in the slot and in-line, should be a good fit for Scangarello if he chooses to use frequent two-tight end packages.
“With Rich being here, a speed tight end can be very effective in this offense,” Elway said.
Also projected as a good fit for the Broncos was Bush, who could have solved their issue of covering tight ends.
“(Bush) was definitely one of the better players in the draft,” Fangio said. “He went where we thought he would. I don’t know if we would have taken him if we didn’t trade (down). We felt like the trade value trumped the guy we were getting there.”
According to a source, the Steelers reached out to the Broncos at mid-morning Thursday to begin trade discussions. The source said Pittsburgh was “primarily” the only serious suitor for the 10th pick.
“From 10-20, there are a lot of different twists,” Elway said. “Anytime you move back 10 spots, you don’t know how it’s going to fall. We were excited about Noah being there. We stayed true to our board. We felt we got great value moving back.”
The Broncos were linked to several quarterbacks throughout the pre-draft season. They worked out Duke’s Daniel Jones, who went sixth to the New York Giants. And they hosted Haskins and Lock for pre-draft visits. Haskins went to Washington at No. 15 and Lock remains on the board.
Elway said the Broncos did not consider taking a quarterback in the first round.
The Broncos currently have nine picks, including Nos. 41, 52 and 71 in rounds 2-3 so players like Lock and Kansas State offensive tackle Dalton Risner (a native of Wiggins) could still be in the Broncos’ plans. Cornerbacks Byron Murphy of Washington and Rock Ya-Sin of Temple are also intriguing.
“(Friday) will be a big day for us and we feel there are a lot of good football players left,” Elway said.
The Broncos could pick up an additional pick if they deal disgruntled cornerback Chris Harris, who made a pay-him-or-trade-him request on Tuesday.
“We talked to a couple of people but no traction,” Elway said.
Noah Fant
Size: 6-foot-4, 249 pounds.
Position: Tight end.
College: Iowa.
Age: 21.
5 things to know
1. Caught 78 passes for 1,083 yards and 19 touchdowns in 36 career games (15 starts)
2. Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds at the Combine.
3. Grew up in Omaha, Neb., and was a three-star high school recruit as a defensive end.
4. Was first-team All-Big Ten as a third-year junior (2018); seven of his 39 catches were touchdowns.
5. Only the second tight end selected in the first round by the Broncos (Riley Odoms, 1972).
Scouting report:
Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson was chosen ahead of him (eighth to Detroit), but Fant is regarded as advanced in the pass-catching department. … Able to line up all over the formation and use his speed and overall athleticism to win matchups.
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/25/noah-fant-denver-broncos-round-1-pick-20/
DENVER BRONCOS
Denver Broncos draft tight end Noah Fant with 20th pick in NFL draft
By RYAN O'HALLORAN
rohalloran@denverpost.com
The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: April 25, 2019 at 8:37 pm
UPDATED: April 26, 2019 at 12:14 am
Broncos general manager John Elway could have drafted Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock to eventually replace quarterback Joe Flacco.
Instead, Elway decided to give Flacco immediate help in the form of a potentially dynamic pass-catching option.
After trading from No. 10 to No. 20 in Thursday night’s NFL draft, the Broncos selected Iowa tight end Noah Fant. The Broncos swung a deal with Pittsburgh (which chose Michigan linebacker Devin Bush) and also acquired a second-round pick (No. 52) and a 2020 third-round selection.
“Noah can really run and stretch the field, (is) very athletic and a very effective receiving tight end,” Elway said. “We’re excited about where it ended up.”
Fant (6-foot-4, 249 pounds) had 78 catches in three years for the Hawkeyes and joins Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli, all former Big Ten tight ends, on the depth chart.
“I wanted to go to a team that fit me, a team that wanted me, a team (whose) scheme I fit,” Fant said. “The Denver Broncos are 100 percent that team. I couldn’t ask for a better team to pick me.”
Fant should get a chance to contribute immediately. While Heuerman has been cleared for football activities after rib-and-lung injuries last November, he hasn’t played a full season. Butt (torn ACL) and Fumgalli (abdominal) played four and zero games last year, respectively.
Fant took a pre-draft visit to the Broncos’ facility, which he called “amazing. I loved it. I thought it would be a great place for me to go. I’m super-psyched and super-stoked to be going to Denver.”
Also super for Fant will be the chance to play alongside Flacco, who has enjoyed consistent success throwing to tight ends.
“I would argue I’m in the best situation for a tight end in this draft, being with the Denver Broncos,” Fant said. “I can’t express how happy I am about this.”
Fant was highly regarded throughout last season and gained attention by running the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds at the NFL Combine.
“He was one of the first guys I watched,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. “Obviously, he can run. That’s the first thing that jumps out at you.”
Said Fant: “I think I do a good job with my speed and keeping defenders off me. Not meaning to be too braggadocios, but I put up some good numbers at the Combine.”
Fant was the second tight end selected; Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson went eighth to Detroit. Fant was only the second tight end ever selected by the Broncos in the first round. Riley Odoms was the fifth pick in 1972.
Fant spoke by phone with Elway, Fangio and offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello after being drafted. He is expected to fly to the Denver area on Friday. Fant, who can play in the slot and in-line, should be a good fit for Scangarello if he chooses to use frequent two-tight end packages.
“With Rich being here, a speed tight end can be very effective in this offense,” Elway said.
Also projected as a good fit for the Broncos was Bush, who could have solved their issue of covering tight ends.
“(Bush) was definitely one of the better players in the draft,” Fangio said. “He went where we thought he would. I don’t know if we would have taken him if we didn’t trade (down). We felt like the trade value trumped the guy we were getting there.”
According to a source, the Steelers reached out to the Broncos at mid-morning Thursday to begin trade discussions. The source said Pittsburgh was “primarily” the only serious suitor for the 10th pick.
“From 10-20, there are a lot of different twists,” Elway said. “Anytime you move back 10 spots, you don’t know how it’s going to fall. We were excited about Noah being there. We stayed true to our board. We felt we got great value moving back.”
The Broncos were linked to several quarterbacks throughout the pre-draft season. They worked out Duke’s Daniel Jones, who went sixth to the New York Giants. And they hosted Haskins and Lock for pre-draft visits. Haskins went to Washington at No. 15 and Lock remains on the board.
Elway said the Broncos did not consider taking a quarterback in the first round.
The Broncos currently have nine picks, including Nos. 41, 52 and 71 in rounds 2-3 so players like Lock and Kansas State offensive tackle Dalton Risner (a native of Wiggins) could still be in the Broncos’ plans. Cornerbacks Byron Murphy of Washington and Rock Ya-Sin of Temple are also intriguing.
“(Friday) will be a big day for us and we feel there are a lot of good football players left,” Elway said.
The Broncos could pick up an additional pick if they deal disgruntled cornerback Chris Harris, who made a pay-him-or-trade-him request on Tuesday.
“We talked to a couple of people but no traction,” Elway said.
Noah Fant
Size: 6-foot-4, 249 pounds.
Position: Tight end.
College: Iowa.
Age: 21.
5 things to know
1. Caught 78 passes for 1,083 yards and 19 touchdowns in 36 career games (15 starts)
2. Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds at the Combine.
3. Grew up in Omaha, Neb., and was a three-star high school recruit as a defensive end.
4. Was first-team All-Big Ten as a third-year junior (2018); seven of his 39 catches were touchdowns.
5. Only the second tight end selected in the first round by the Broncos (Riley Odoms, 1972).
Scouting report:
Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson was chosen ahead of him (eighth to Detroit), but Fant is regarded as advanced in the pass-catching department. … Able to line up all over the formation and use his speed and overall athleticism to win matchups.
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/25/noah-fant-denver-broncos-round-1-pick-20/
We basically had a 1st round TE and 1st round WR in 2018. Which explains why our offense was so impressive.
38th in offensive efficiency out of 130 teams and 39th in scoring. Pretty good I’d agree. Especially with our top tier defense and our Rb game still at best average. Pretty exciting when you think about our upside.
Actually the general upswing of the entire program over the last 5 years is pretty exciting!
Great night for both players and Iowa. Never hurts to have potential recruits see that. While it won't happen for the vast majority of players, nearly all of them have some level of NFL aspirations.
Agreed, @steventrelain is another of about 20 guys who lack any real understanding of what Iowa has vs what is out there coaching wise. I always encourage them to pick a different coach that they think would do better, but I suppose they are at least smart enough to know I’ll bring up that coaches record and losses and what their fans say about them..
The moral of the story is nobody wins enough to make “that fan segment“ happy.
Sad but true...
Hopefully they are both still healthy that late in the season.
Kind of seems a bit silly at this juncture that Hock took so long to decide to enter the draft doesn't it. Holy hell.
Well, I said earlier that I had a hard time thinking BOTH guys would go in the first round, but I was wrong about that. I'm quite happy to be wrong sometimes.
Well, I said earlier that I had a hard time thinking BOTH guys would go in the first round, but I was wrong about that. I'm quite happy to be wrong sometimes.
I actually follow this draft/Pro-day/combine stuff pretty close for most teams/conferences actually....I’m not a betting man, but this is more like an investment. Let’s you and I talk about how many players Iowa will have drafted in the NFL over the next, what do you say one year? two years? five years?
We do know at the start of the 2018 season they had the 16th most in the NFL so the likelihood that they only have “three” on the roster right now would actually be pretty remarkable all things considered.
So just so we can keep you from wiggling here… Your position is Iowa only has three players currently on the roster that going to make the NFL? That’s what you’re saying, right?
If so I’d like to get in on that action? Or Should I just assume you misspoke and you’ll ignore this challenge?
You know whats shocking?
Last year's #8 pick signed a 5 yr contract worth $18M with $12M guaranteed. If TJ signs a similar contract, he is making over $3.5M perYEAR.
George Kitlle will earn LESS than $3M in the first 4 years of his contract.
First 4 years Earnings:
$14 Million --TJ
$3 Million --George Kittle
Sometimes I get carried away. In all fairness, Linderbaum and Nixon haven't played a B1G snap at their respective positions so definitely a wait and see there.
Agreed and I probably wouldn’t have added their names. I would’ve been more ambiguous about it. But you can pretty safely say there are multiple linebackers, D backs, offensive lineman, defensive lineman and TEs currently on the roster that will make the NFL in the next 2 to 4 years. We have history on our side and I think we both agree recruiting if anything is on an upswing.
So as a result it was a pretty ignorant comment on his part. More than anything I’m continually shocked at the way people debate and put their point out there… That was an untenable position on his part which either shows general ignorance about Iowa or general ignorance about positing a point or both.
As far as getting carried away that’s nothing I know anything about…
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Hopefully it changes how prospects view Iowa in the future, too.
Look at all the 2 & 3 stars Iowa has developed into NFL prospects.
Well it is worth saying it’s likely that Iowa probably considered them higher than 2 or 3-star prospects initially. After a couple years they are lucky....after 5 they are good developing...
After 20 it seems more likely that they are better at Identifying true 4-star talent than the scouting pundits!
And the NFL people love Kirk Ferentz because they know the kids in the Iowa program will be fundamentally sound
Not silly at all, it just shows then kind of kid he is, and how much his time at Iowa, and his connection to his teammates meant to him. I'm sure some part of him would have liked to return to Iowa, and help lead them to a BIG title.
Whatever time he wanted to take to make the decision he earned. It appears that he absolutely made the right one in the end.Not silly at all, it just shows then kind of kid he is, and how much his time at Iowa, and his connection to his teammates meant to him. I'm sure some part of him would have liked to return to Iowa, and help lead them to a BIG title.
Actually, both he and Fant conducted themselves just fine and were rewarded.
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