Fant vs hockenson who ya got?

[Jpoore]

Fant is my te1 hockenson my te2. Fant is gonna come out as a top 10 te. Hockenson will need a year but he'll be in the conversation for top te in the NFL year after year. Hockenson player comp in Travis kelce but can block. Fant is a Tyler eifert type. A guy who is elite in route running hut will not make plays after the catch or break tackles. But who you guys got?

Fant

PROS: Noah Fant is of the most freakish athletes in all of college football. Reported 42.5” vertical from spring camp, which would be a top score out of the 2018 NFL Combine. Has unbelievable blend of size and speed, graceful in the open field and will be a mismatch nightmare for safeties and linebackers across the league. Has big play ability as a receiver, averaging 16.5 yards per catch and tallying 11 touchdowns on just 30 overall receptions as a first-time starter in 2017. First step quickness as a blocker wins angles to gain favorable positioning at the point of attack, plus good urgency and effort to continue to press and turn out edge defenders in the run game. Has had success as a zone blocker to ride out defenders and rework hands to continue to gain leverage relative to the ball carrier. Dynamic seam threat with size and catch radius in the middle of the field to elevate overtop of chasing defenders and take the football off the top of defender’s helmet. Will be a red zone terror thanks to versatile alignment and ability to create mismatches before the snap. Already runs a versatile tree, has created separation vertically, carrying across the middle of the field or working into the flat before turning eyes up the field.



CONS: Lean cut frame can be limiting if tasked with playing in-line with regularity. Plays with a loose base as a blocker and failure to tether feet to the ground has restricted functional play strength when having to lock horns head up with defenders. Shouldn’t be considered a viable option as a pass protector, versatility and athleticism would be wasted if kept in the backfield.

Hockenson
PROS: T.J. Hockenson is an absolute beat in the run game. Effective in pushing off of the line of scrimmage and shows sticky hands to latch onto the chest plate of defenders and sustaining his initial push. Effective control in the open space as a flexed blocker on the edge as well, shows great mobility to twist back and pin defenders as a strong side defender. Has a smart sense of bumping out of his stance and leaking past efforts to jam him at the line of scrimmage. Will rip through contact before accelerating up the field and into the secondary. Strong hands, plays a powerful brand after the catch and at the catch point. Shows some crafty skills in working angles to ensure a clean break across the face of his defender’s face.



CONS: Still has some room to grow into his frame through the trunk and the lower half, although functional strength doesn’t appear to be an issue thanks to tenacity with feet. Has not always caught the nose of the ball when contested at the catch point, although hasn’t directly resulted in a lot of missed conversion opportunities. Has overrun some block attempts if given too much space to close in on a body, but has plenty of flexibility to create needed contact to delay pursuit.