2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report: TE Noah Fant
By Grant Tuttle
Noah Fant is one of many great tight ends in this year’s draft class. With great balance of athleticism and size, could he be the first one off the board in the 2019 NFL Draft?
Player Name: Noah Fant
Player School: Iowa
Position: Tight End
Projected Draft Position: First Round
Anyone who loves draft season knows that this is the year of the tight end. With several potential first round candidates, there is none like Noah Fant. He is one of two tight ends from Iowa that has a good chance of being a first round selection. To me, Fant is one of the most interesting offensive prospects in the draft. Standing 6’5 and weighing 241 pounds, Fant is an excellent receiver and can play inside or outside. In his three years at Iowa, he put up 78 receptions for 1082 yards along with 19 touchdowns.
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has Fant as his 28th rated player on his board, saying: “Fant has a tall, athletic frame (6-5, 241 pounds) and exceptional explosiveness. He moved around in the Iowa scheme, putting his hand in the dirt, splitting out wide or aligning in the wing. He explodes off the line of scrimmage and is a very fluid route runner. He creates a lot of separation and tracks the ball easily over his shoulder. Fant isn’t as effective when he’s working underneath. He lacks polish and drops some easy balls. He also has a bad habit of unnecessarily jumping for balls that are put on his frame. After the catch, he uses his speed to pull away from defenders. He is shield blocker in the run game, lacking tenacity and physicality in that department. Overall, Fant is a special athlete who is at his best working vertically. He has some shortcomings in other areas, but he’ll be a big-play producer right away for his drafting team.”