2023 NFL Draft: 11 prospects who could rise at the Senior Bowl
By Rob Paul
TE- Will Mallory, Miami (6-5, 245)
If there was ever a year to need a tight end, this would be the one. It’s a top-heavy tight end class with potentially four going in the first round, including Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave who is Senior Bowl bound.
With Musgrave the clear top tight end at the Senior Bowl and none of the other Top 7 in the class heading to Mobile, it’s a perfect situation for any one of the other six tight ends in town to help themselves and build some hype.
Out of the group, Miami’s Will Mallory seems to have the least buzz around his name and that could be due to circumstances out of his control. Quite frankly, the U hasn’t been all that relevant in the five years he’s been there.
After spending redshirting as a freshman, he spent the next two seasons as Houston Texans tight end Brevin Jordan’s backup while flashing big play ability (622 yards and 6 TDs on just 38 catches). As a starter during his junior and senior seasons, he became a safety net and led the team in receiving yards in 2022 (over that two-year span he had 72 grabs for 885 yards and 7 scores).
Asked to line up as a jumbo slot, H-back, and in-line, Mallory has shown he has the straight-line speed to operate in space as a receiver and the frame to be a competent blocker. His size, ball skills, and catch radius allowed him to be a mismatch while lining up in the slot despite not being the cleanest route runner or most productive YAC player.
The Senior Bowl presents Mallory with the chance to show he can handle the blocking duties that will come with playing in the NFL and that he has the flexibility to develop as a route runner at the next level.