The tight end position is becoming much more involved in the NFL and teams are constantly looking for good pass catching tight ends shaped in the mold of such current NFL players as the Cowboy’s Jason Witten and San Diego’s Antonio Gates. The 2009 NFL Draft will feature some pretty decent tight end talent and Missouri’s Chase Coffman is one of those solid players who will be sought after by several NFL teams.
In looking at Coffman’s upside, the first thing that you notice is he rarely drops a pass. Throughout his career with the Tigers, he has been an ever reliable go to receiver and has been a part of what has made them one of the better teams in the nation for the past few seasons. A tight end with great hands is money in the bank.
While Coffman may not have a ton of speed, he can separate himself from the defender after the catch and seems to have an extra gear that allows him to gain separation. He doesn’t have the kind of speed that you will find in a tight end like the Bear’s Greg Olsen but he can break away from a defender and gain those extra yards.
Coffman’s size also makes him a viable asset at tight end. At 6’6”, Coffman is a huge target and can catch balls over top of defenders, especially shorter linebackers and safeties. He can also reach up and snag passes that are too high and out jump defenders for the ball. His size is definitely an asset. This will help him out a lot in the NFL. He is also very athletic which is a must for any good NFL tight end (see the Chargers Gates).
Coffman also has a knack for getting open and this is because of his size and his ability to run routes effectively. He is rarely caught out of position and is very intelligent which allows him to run the proper route almost 100% of the time. Coffman is also well adept at finding holes in the defense as well and will sit in the open hole and let the quarterback find him there for a completion.
What Coffman lacks is superior blocking ability which is something that any NFL team looks for in a tight end. He needs to work on that and will learn a lot about blocking in the NFL. The only question is, will he be able to learn this and execute it effectively in the NFL. He has to learn this or he won’t be as effective as he can be in the NFL. Coffman also has issues with his strength. There have been times when it appears he gets manhandled by defensive ends and linebackers when he is called to block so he will have to hit the weight room hard in order get strong and be able to take on some of the strongest players in the NFL.
Sheer speed is another thing that Coffman also lacks and while this isn’t too serious, it does hurt him because he won’t be wont be able to stretch the field (a la the Bear’s Greg Olsen). This, in combination with his lack of blocking ability could hurt him come draft time. He has to get better blocking or he might find himself slipping down the draft boards of many NFL teams. He has also had ankle problems in the past that required ankle surgery so teams will take a close look at that as well.
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