Draft TE Noah Fant with the 28th Overall Pick
First round tight ends are usually looked at as glamorous pick and one that shouldn’t be made by a team with so many holes. However, an athletic tight end like Fant could be an intriguing and volatile weapon for years to come.
It was no secret that Gruden and Carr liked throwing to the tight end in 2018. Jared Cook was able to have a career year, catching 68 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns. All three were career highs.
Cook’s big season is likely to result into a big payday and he is arguably the best tight end available in free agency. Rather than bring him back on a bloated contract, the Raiders should try to recreate his magic with a younger, cheaper and more athletic tight end in Fant.
Fant spent three years at Iowa, catching 78 passes for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. He is viewed by many as the number one tight end in the 2019 NFL Draft.
A lot of Fant’s hype is due to his athleticism. He reportedly has a 42 inch vertical. That number would’ve topped any number set by a tight end in the past seven years at the NFL combine, and would’ve been tops of any player at the 2017 NBA combine. Furthermore, as Chad Leistkow points out, he has set three Kirk Ferentz-era records for tight ends in the pro agility drill, the 10-yard dash and of course the vertical jump.
Fant also comes from Iowa who has a history of developing great tight ends, from Dallas Clark to more recently George Kittle.
The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs writes in his scouting report:
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.
The bottom line, is that Fant is incredibly athlete who would provide the Raiders with a great size/speed combination. Not many linebackers would be able to keep up with that skill set. If Cook was able to put up career numbers in this Raiders’ offense, Fant could have a huge rookie season.
It’s no secret that one of Oakland’s biggest needs is receiver. However, outside of Ole Miss’ D.J. Metcalf, it’s currently unclear if any wide receivers are worth a first round pick. In what should be a deep wide receiver draft, it could be worth it to take the top tight end available then take a dice roll on a receiver.
Oakland and Gruden love the tight end position. Fant would give the team a dynamic weapon to build around going forward. He should test well at the combine and hopefully the Raiders are watching.
Fant could be the next big thing in the NFL.
