We're over a year removed from Rob Gronkowski's retirement announcement, and the Patriots are still looking for someone to grab their starting tight end role by the throat. Is that player in this year's draft class?
While evaluators of all types will tell you this isn't the deepest draft class at that position, there are a few future starters in the mix.
Let's lay out what the Patriots like at this spot.
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They've drafted 14 tight ends under Bill Belichick, and some trends have emerged. Size, obviously, is important. The "prototype" falls in the 6-foot-4 range and a shade over 250 pounds. Big hands (about 10 inches) are also preferred. Athleticism matters, too. Quick 40 times (4.7-second range) and three-cone drills (7.0-second range) could help a player find his way onto the Patriots roster, as will legitimate lower-body explosiveness (35-inch vertical or thereabouts).