Michigan Wolverines

2017 NFL draft rankings: Tight ends

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Every NFL team craves a mismatch-creating tight end. All the better if that player can step inline and hand out a little punishment with his blocks, too. Good news for those front offices looking: The 2017 class has several prospects who fill the former void, and at least a couple who bring a complete game to the table.

Rank	Player	School	Measurables
1	O.J. Howard	Alabama	6' 6", 251 lbs.
2	Jake Butt	Michigan	6' 6", 250 lbs.
3	Evan Engram	Ole Miss	6' 3", 235 lbs.
4	Bucky Hodges	Virginia Tech	6' 7", 245 lbs.
5	Jeremy Sprinkle	Arkansas	6' 6", 256 lbs.
6	Gerald Everett	South Alabama	6' 4", 215 lbs.
7	Jordan Leggett	Clemson	6' 5", 260 lbs.
8	Cole Hikutini	Louisville	6' 5", 248 lbs.
9	Blake Jarwin	Oklahoma State	6' 5", 248 lbs.
10	Josiah Price	Michigan State	6' 4", 248 lbs.

It may not play out this way in April, but there is a bit of a gap between the top two and the rest of the tight end prospects. Both Howard and Butt are capable of lining up anywhere within an offense and are coming out of programs where they are expected to help pave the way for the run game. Howard arguably is a bit more dangerous as a downfield pass catcher, but Butt is about as reliable as they come within a 20-yard window. Engram is kind of like a pass-catching running back playing tight end—he’s undersized for his listed position but has shredded defenses hash mark to hash mark. Hodges pushes the other end of the spectrum, as an outside receiver type stuck in a tight end’s body.

This article originally appeared on