2013 NFL Draft: Nick Kasa Prospect Profile
By John Carey
Oct 22, 2011; Boulder, CO, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive linesman Jake Fisher (75) blocks Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Nick Kasa (44) in the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. The Ducks defeated the Buffaloes 45-2. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Kasa was a 5-star player coming out of high school, and was considered one of the best prospects of Colorado’s recruiting class in 2008. He was originally recruited to be a defensive end, but eventually was moved to tight end when new head coach John Embree was hired. He struggled with injuries throughout his entire college career, but none ever kept him out for extended amounts of time, which leads many to question his toughness.
Measurables:
6’6″ Height
32 7/8” Arms
269 lbs. Weight
9 1/8” Hands
Strengths:
Kasa is a large Tight End who is very physical and has very good straight line speed, very much in the mold of what some of the NFL’s best Tight End’s today are like. He is very thick, and has broad shoulders, and looks a lot like Kevin Boss did coming out of college. He is a very good run blocker, it’s actually one of his best traits as a prospect. He is a very balanced player who is good at most everything he does. He possesses incredible strength, attributed from his former play at defensive end, and showed off his strength by being the top performer among Tight Ends at the NFL Scouting Combine on the bench press whith 22 reps. To express how good that is, Defensive End Damontre Moore, a first round pick to most members of the scouting community, only had 12 reps. His prior experience on the defensive line helps him a lot in his blocking, as he has some idea of what his opponent is doing.
Weaknesses:
One of the biggest concerns about Kasa is his toughness, and whether or not he can sustain a career in the NFL, as all of his injuries he had in his college career didn’t require him to have surgery or miss any considerable amount of time. He was knocked out of a game against Arizona due to concussion like symptoms. He is a very raw prospect who will need some time to develop and get coached up as he has only spent one whole season at his position. He tends to be a bit too physical sometimes, fighting too much to get the ball as a pass catcher and did have a few pass interference penalties. He is not the fastest tight end in this class, and needs to show more explosiveness to generate separation.
Projection:
Kasa is likely not going any time the 3rd round of the draft, but has the potential to become one of the better Tight Ends in the NFL. He would be a great fit to a team like the Giants or Raiders.
Grade: 6.0