NFL Combine Preview: Aaron Hernandez

by mlmintampa on Feb 25, 2010 1:45 PM EST in Florida Football

TE Aaron Hernandez (Scheduled to workout with Group 3 on Saturday, February 27)

Size and Statistics: 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. 111 catches, 1382 yards, 12 touchdowns in three seasons. 2009 Mackey Award for nation's best tight end and first team AP All-American.

In 140 characters or less: A tight end in the mold of Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzales with a mean streak too.

Strengths: Great hands and leaping ability. He is too big for DBs to cover him and too fast for LBs. Hernandez can run up the seam and build up enough speed that he won't be touched until he gets to the end zone.

Weaknesses: Seems to take plays off when it is not a pass play and could work on using his mean streak to run block. Rounds off pass routes on occasion.

Character: Has never been a problem for Florida. However, there is the often quoted but never confirmed line from Urban Meyer during Hernandez's freshman year, "Aaron will either be in prison or a Hall of Famer."

Where will he go: He needs a good combine and pro day to move into the first round. Otherwise, Miami at 43.

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another strong possibility

…would be the Patriots. He is definitely on the radar screen of the Pats fans and the experts who follow the team. If current starting TE Ben Watson leaves in free agency (as is widely believed), that leaves the team without a legitimate pass-catching TE for Brady to throw to. They already have more of a run-blocking TE so word on the street is the team is going to be looking hard in the draft for a TE who is an offensive weapon in the passing game. While I don’t think there is any chance they use their first-round pick on him (22nd overall), they have three second-round picks (44th, 47th, and 53rd).

If he is still on the board early in the 2nd round and the Pats are convinced Miami is going to take him at 43, I would not at all rule out the fact they have a boatload of picks this year to move up to snag him. Or, alternatively as is often the case with the Pats, trade away their 1st round pick entirely for a high 2nd plus future considerations.

by JohnPaul on Feb 25, 2010 1:59 PM EST reply actions

If he fell to Miami at 43

That would be the awesomest thing ever. A badass SEC draft like 1st Rolando Mcclain 2nd Hernandez 3rd Dexter Mccluster would be great.

That said, I dont see how Hernandez can get out of the first round. This guy runs in the open field like he is playing Tecmo Super Bowl, and has Marvin Harrison hands.

www.takeyourskirtofftombrady.com

by Sid Bream's Moustache on Feb 25, 2010 2:31 PM EST reply actions