Welcome to Potential Patriots!
Each day leading up to the NFL Draft on April 25, the Herald will introduce prospects the Patriots are likely targeting position by position. The Pats have eight picks this year, starting at No. 3 overall, their highest selection in decades. As for their other picks, the Patriots are expected to address offensive tackle and wide receiver, though they could pad their depth at virtually any position.
Below is a breakdown of the Patriots’ best prospect fits at tight end:
The Patriots head into next week’s draft with just three tight ends on their roster in Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper and La’Michael Pettway.
Henry will continue to start at the position for the Patriots, and Hooper, who provides a similar skill set, adds valuable veteran depth. Pettway, a college wide receiver, has no NFL experience. The 27-year-old did play in the USFL prior to signing with the Patriots in December. He’s likely best suited for work on the practice squad in 2024.
In the draft, the Patriots should be looking for a developmental tight end to add depth behind Henry and Hooper.
Day 1-2
Brock Bowers, Georgia
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-3, 243 pounds
Projected round: First
Scouting report: Drafting Bowlers would involve a surprising trade down from the No. 3 overall pick, but he’s the top tight end in the class.
Bowers had tremendous production at Georgia as a three-time first-team All-American, catching 175 passes for 2,538 yards with 26 touchdowns before going pro. Bowers elected not to test prior to the draft. He missed three games last season with an ankle injury.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-4, 245 pounds
Projected round: Second-third
Scouting report: Sanders is one of the youngest players in the draft. He won’t turn 22 until March. He ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash but otherwise didn’t impress during with his testing during the pre-draft process, running a 4.32-second short shuttle with a 30-inch vertical leap, 9-foot, 6-inch broad jump and just eight bench press reps of 225 pounds.
He’s more of a flex tight end but was a proven receiving weapon with the Longhorns, catching 99 passes for 1,295 yards with seven touchdowns in his last two seasons.
Patriots 2024 NFL mock draft: Trading back to take two wide receivers
Theo Johnson, Penn State
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-6, 259 pounds
Projected round: Third
Scouting report: A Canada-native, Johnson has experience playing inline and in the slot. His production in college didn't wow - he caught just 34 passes for 341 yards with seven touchdowns as a senior - but he knocked the NFL Scouting Combine out of the park with a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, 39.5-inch vertical leap, 10-foot, 5-inch broad jump, 4.19-second short shuttle and 7.15-second 3-cone drill.
Jared Wiley, TCU
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-6, 249 pounds
Projected round: Third
Scouting report: A former teammate of Sanders, Wiley transferred from Texas after the 2021 season. The former high school quarterback has the size, frame and run-blocking experience to play inline at the NFL level.
He caught 47 passes for 520 yards with eight touchdowns in 2023 and impressed with a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
Cade Stover, Ohio State
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-4, 247 pounds
Projected round: Third
Scouting report: Stover began his college career in 2019 on defense as a defensive end/linebacker before moving to tight end in 2020. He actually moved back to linebacker during the Rose Bowl in January 2022 to start in the Buckeyes' 48-45 win over Utah.
He has solid athleticism for his size with a 4.65-second timed 40-yard dash and dropped just two passes in his college career while hauling in 82 receptions for 1,058 yards with 10 touchdowns.
Day 3
Ben Sinnot, Kansas State
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-4, 250 pounds
Projected round: fourth
Scouting report: A versatile prospect, Sinnot played tight end, fullback and in the slot for Kansas State. His 76.1 PFF run-blocking grade ranked fifth out of 124 qualified tight ends in the 2024 draft class. He also impressed at the combine with a 4.68-second 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical leap, 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump, 4.23-second short shuttle and 6.82-second 3-cone drill. He led the Wildcats in receiving last season, catching 49 passes for 676 yards with six touchdowns and just two drops.
A.J. Barner, Michigan
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-6, 251 pounds
Projected round: Fourth/fifth
Scouting report: Graded out as PFF's second-best run blocker in the 2024 draft class, Barner transferred from Indiana to Michigan after his junior season. He lacks ideal pass-catching production with just 610 career receiving yards, but he has the potential to be a solid backup inline tight end.
Tip Reiman, Illinois
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-5, 271 pounds
Projected round: Fifth
Scouting report: Reiman is massive and athletic, which is enough to work with at the NFL level. The former walk-on ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at 271 pounds. He caught just 41 career passes for 420 yards with five touchdowns and will need to be molded in the pros. He was voted a team captain in 2023.
Erick All, Iowa
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-4, 252 pounds
Projected round: Sixth
Scouting report: All missed most of his final two college seasons following spinal surgery in 2022 and a torn ACL in 2023. He was a team captain at Michigan in 2022 before transferring to Iowa to play as a senior.
Overall, through his injury-shortened seasons, All caught 75 passes for 864 yards with five touchdowns in 40 games with 19 starts. He'd be regarded much higher without the injury concerns and could wind up being a steal late in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jack Westover, Washington
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-3, 243 pounds
Projected round: Seventh
Scouting report: A former no-star recruit and walk-on, Westover earned 16 starts with the Huskies over the course of his six seasons in Seattle, catching 87 passes for 849 yards with six touchdowns.
He graded out well as a run blocker at PFF (73.3) and has extensive experience on special teams.
Devin Culp, Washington
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-3, 231 pounds
Projected round: Seventh/UDFA
Scouting report: Culp lacks size and production, but his 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the combine could make him draftable at the next level. He was a three-star recruit as a wide receiver coming out of high school before moving to tight end. Culp caught just 66 passes for 711 yards with four touchdowns in six total seasons at Washington.
Current Patriots wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes spent the 2023 season as a graduate assistant at Washington, so he knows Westover and Culp well.
