NFL Draft: 4 tight ends to watch in Week 1 of the CFB season

Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida

Wilcox, the USF product, has the potential to be the most productive prospect of this group early on and he’s a very intriguing prospect.

Wilcox has a thick 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame. He has the physical profile you look for at the next level, and he will only continue to improve physically when he gets into an NFL strength and conditioning program.

He’s a good athlete with impressive leaping ability. Wilcox’s long speed is above average and he has enough juice to stretch the middle of the field.

He’s strong and can win consistently when he climbs the ladder on 50-50 balls. Wilcox has impressive toughness and can secure the ball through heavy contact, and he effectively uses his frame to box out defenders at the catch point. His hands are strong and he doesn’t drop the ball often.

Wilcox runs a handful of routes and can do a lot of damage on post routes. He has solid quickness as a route runner and can effectively release and get downfield. Wilcox is an effective check down option and his physicality with the ball in his hands make him an asset on 3rd down.

He’s still developing as a blocker. Wilcox wins the leverage battle at times but he struggles to get underneath guys, extend and drive at the point-of-attack. He possesses the strength in his upper half but is still putting it together in his lower body.

Wilcox is a talented prospect that will get to display his development as a blocker against a tough, physical Wisconsin team. He’ll likely make plays in the passing game, but the most important thing to watch in this game is how he helps establish the run at the point-of-attack.