Dark Horse Candidates

[Heyjoe4]

I will say I think if we dip our toes in a WR pool this year its going to be a guy that fits either the deep speed threat or a make up we don't really have....

Late round guy to keep eye on is Anthony Gould from Oregon State....runs a 4.39, is an excellent returner and put up a 8.14 RAS thanks to a STUDLY shuttle of 4.16.

Dude is small....barely 5'8 but built solid at 174 for the size. He is literally this year's Tutu Atwell IMO without as much recognition. I honestly believe he will be one of the best Day 3 picks at WR.

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Thanks Ty. Interesting pick. His height says the Packers would never take him. But never say never. He sure could be a great day 3 value. And thanks for playing along! I know how you feel about the WR situation. This makes day 3 more interesting, something to watch for.

 

[DoURant]

One WR I like late day 3 or UDFA, is Hayden Hatten out of Idaho. He isn’t the fastest receiver, but he catches everything. One thing the Packers look for in a WR is production, and over the last 2 yrs. this guy has done that. 175 rec/ 2400+ yds/ 25 TD'S... plus threw for 2 TD'S on trick plays. Idaho prospects participated in the Washington St Pro Day, which the Packers attended.

 

[Fordel]

Rosengarten's a bit of a wild card, if he's got everything the Packers are looking for, why not.

 

[tynimiller]

For first round a guy that needs talked about as a dark horse is Kingsley Suamataia.

 

[Dantés]

For first round a guy that needs talked about as a dark horse is Kingsley Suamataia.

Yeah, him and Jordan Morgan are 1st/2nd round bubble guys by consensus, but I like Suamataia's profile a lot better. He's younger and possesses the length to stick at tackle.

 

[Thirteen Below]

I find there to be almost zero chance that 25% of the top 100 prospects are WR's. But I truly hope that the other 31 teams really believe that.

Everyone has their own personal opinions, and everyone has different levels of confidence in various draft evaluators, and those evaluations and opinions never reflect exactly how the draft will fall. But to the extent you trust PFF, they listed 22 WRs among their Top 100 last time I checked. Of the other sources, I've seen several name 20-23 WRs at various times in the last couple of weeks, and as of this past weekend, CBS Sports, Pro Football Network, and the Mock Draft Database were all at about 18-20.

It would have been more conservative to say "almost 25%" or stick with "4 out of 5", but I think the point remains - with 11 picks to work with, there's a pretty high likelihood that at some point, Gute's going to be looking at a WR being his BPA at that spot. Possibly more than once.

And yeah - that puts him in a position of advantage for turning those 11 picks into 12 or 13. Because anywhere from 8-11 of those WRs are projected for the approximate range where we have 4 Day Two picks, and chances are excellent that when we're up, some other team will want Roman Wilson, or Troy Franklin, or Ricky Pearsall badly enough to make a deal. Just because this draft is rich in wide receivers doesn't mean we have to draft one of them to make our team better; we can use our depth at the position as leverage to get a good player at a position of greater need.

Edit: damn; Pro Football Network, not NFL Network.

 

[OldSchool101]

Honestly I'm not picking a WR this year at all, I just don't personally see the logic of it from a roster building standpoint, but I know Gute won't fight a good prospect (relative to their board) falling too much regardless of position.

I can see that from a Macro look across our roster. We truly have 5-6 really good options. Although there are still some tertiary arguments as to why we don’t pass on a great value option.
One thing about that WR group is there are almost always 1 or 2 that miss time.
A second concept from your roster building is contract overlap. Especially with that position because like CB it’s a position we keep 6+ PS. Positions like CB or WR have to be kept restocked.

I think that if we find great value at another position other than WR? Then I’m not upset at all if we turn the other way when a WR comes across our plate. I probably wouldn’t get jumpy and draft one inside #58 either. However if someone I like such as Devontez Walker it Malachi Corley are there sniffing #88? I’m not afraid to gift wrap 1 WR

 

[OldSchool101]

but I think the point remains - with 11 picks to work with, there's a pretty high likelihood that at some point, Gute's going to be looking at a WR being his BPA at that spot. Possibly more than once.

And yeah - that puts him in a position of advantage for turning those 11 picks into 12 or 13.

This might be exactly the solution. Trade back similar to last season in Rd2 using 41 or 58 IF our ideal player isn’t there. Then recoup an additional 4th-5th Rounder and grab a bonafide Top 100 WR that’s closer to that 150 neighborhood. I’ve used this approach in some Mocks I’ve done. Sometimes it takes a 7th Rounder (216/245/255) packaged with our move back trade to sweeten the pot to get into that more preferable 4th Round area selection.

 

[OldSchool101]

I don’t know if he’s a Dark Horse qualifier, but OT Javon Foster (Missouri) has many of the traits we look for in a Swing Tackle. He’s got experience playing both Tackle spots and add to his versatility he’s 6’5.5”X 313lb with near 35” arms. He’s experience in that RPO/ Zone scheme and he’s also shared the role of Team Captain. While I see he’s generally listed in that 5th Rd area I wouldn’t be shocked to see his length (1.5” shy of a 7’ Wingspan) and his position versatility drop him into that later 3rd Round.

 

[tynimiller]

I don’t know if he’s a Dark Horse qualifier, but OT Javon Foster (Missouri) has many of the traits we look for in a Swing Tackle. He’s got experience playing both Tackle spots and add to his versatility he’s 6’5.5”X 313lb with near 35” arms. He’s experience in that RPO/ Zone scheme and he’s also shared the role of Team Captain. While I see he’s generally listed in that 5th Rd area I wouldn’t be shocked to see his length (1.5” shy of a 7’ Wingspan) and his position versatility drop him into that later 3rd Round.

Many remember me pre new year saying Javon was my early pick as Zach tom this year type

 

[Voyageur]

I've always believed that NFL teams that are winners year after year have a better sense of how they draft then who they draft. I say this because I've watched teams like the Patriots draft guys that make you scratch your head and ask why, but then they kept on winning.

Of course a lot of that had to do with Brady at QB, but he wasn't alone on the field, and they also had to play decent defense. They did a lot of things right.

I was curious about it over ten years ago, and decided I'd do the best evaluation of their roster I could based on the information I could gather. Then I plotted out what I thought would be the direction they took their draft. Not based on best player available, but based on need, combined with potential upgrade at a position, or whether or not there was what I thought was need for better back up, or in some cases even picks that were project players that needed two or three years to start to reach potential.

Although my results, as to figuring out which players would be picked was horrible, I found that need was the key to their picks, and they continuously used a "progression theory," where the players they were taking weren't usually projected as instant starters, but were players that could be groomed, to fill that role, after they became more attuned to the NFL game. It was how they continued to build internally, through the draft. It also kept their salaries down, so when they need to make a splash, by bringing in a free agent, they had the cap room to make it happen. It also created an environment where players nearing the end of their career, who wanted that ring, knew they had their best shot with the Pats, and would often take less than elsewhere, because the quest was more important than the money.

As for that last part, think of Randy Moss, and what he did with the Patriots, as kind of a "hired gun" at the end of his career.

Teams always say it. "Next man up." Yet, most NFL teams don't really build on that philosophy. Coaches and GMs feel too much pressure to succeed now, and don't feel the luxury to build a team for the long term.

Drafting Love was the foresight that the Patriots use. Actually, so was drafting Rodgers. They knew they weren't plug and play players, but needed time to learn the game at the NFL level. Wise decisions. Both succeeded because they weren't thrown to the wolves, and tore apart before the learned how to fit their skills into the NFL game.

Rashan Gary is another prime example. In his first year, and even into his second, people were screaming about what a horrible pick he was. He was a "next man up" player and needed to learn how he fit into the scheme of things on the defense. It isn't always instantaneous. It can take some time.

So, when I sit down, and try to analyze a draft, I don't even look at the names of the players that will probably be available when the Packers turn comes up. That's secondary. What I look at first is what I perceive as their strengths and weaknesses, and the depth they have at a position before the draft even starts. Then I pretty much believe I know where the worst weaknesses are, and need instant help. I also then have a little better understanding about where they can afford to put guys on the roster, and give them room to grow into the job, so they can take their rightful turn in the starting lineup.

As far as making trades? I'm rarely interested in seeing the Packers move up, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at the Packers move that netted Love. You can talk about wasted picks all you want, but getting him like they did was almost genius. The guy could end up being a decade plus player at QB for the Packers, and when you figure we've only had 3 actual starting QBs in nearly 30 years already, that's a truly amazing feat.

The growth of the Packers is what I envision most. I see them making lots of strides this year, with a multitude of picks, and I think that next year will be more filling the role of "next man up," so they can start to be one of the top teams in the league for a decade or more. We just need to be patient, and don't get too excited when they don't grab the big name stars out there, opting for a guy that's less polished, but has a higher level he can reach. This is how you build teams, in my book.

 

[OldSchool101]

I've always believed that NFL teams that are winners year after year have a better sense of how they draft then who they draft. I say this because I've watched teams like the Patriots draft guys that make you scratch your head and ask why, but then they kept on winning.

Of course a lot of that had to do with Brady at QB, but he wasn't alone on the field, and they also had to play decent defense. They did a lot of things right.

I was curious about it over ten years ago, and decided I'd do the best evaluation of their roster I could based on the information I could gather. Then I plotted out what I thought would be the direction they took their draft. Not based on best player available, but based on need, combined with potential upgrade at a position, or whether or not there was what I thought was need for better back up, or in some cases even picks that were project players that needed two or three years to start to reach potential.

Although my results, as to figuring out which players would be picked was horrible, I found that need was the key to their picks, and they continuously used a "progression theory," where the players they were taking weren't usually projected as instant starters, but were players that could be groomed, to fill that role, after they became more attuned to the NFL game. It was how they continued to build internally, through the draft. It also kept their salaries down, so when they need to make a splash, by bringing in a free agent, they had the cap room to make it happen. It also created an environment where players nearing the end of their career, who wanted that ring, knew they had their best shot with the Pats, and would often take less than elsewhere, because the quest was more important than the money.

As for that last part, think of Randy Moss, and what he did with the Patriots, as kind of a "hired gun" at the end of his career.

Teams always say it. "Next man up." Yet, most NFL teams don't really build on that philosophy. Coaches and GMs feel too much pressure to succeed now, and don't feel the luxury to build a team for the long term.

Drafting Love was the foresight that the Patriots use. Actually, so was drafting Rodgers. They knew they weren't plug and play players, but needed time to learn the game at the NFL level. Wise decisions. Both succeeded because they weren't thrown to the wolves, and tore apart before the learned how to fit their skills into the NFL game.

Rashan Gary is another prime example. In his first year, and even into his second, people were screaming about what a horrible pick he was. He was a "next man up" player and needed to learn how he fit into the scheme of things on the defense. It isn't always instantaneous. It can take some time.

So, when I sit down, and try to analyze a draft, I don't even look at the names of the players that will probably be available when the Packers turn comes up. That's secondary. What I look at first is what I perceive as their strengths and weaknesses, and the depth they have at a position before the draft even starts. Then I pretty much believe I know where the worst weaknesses are, and need instant help. I also then have a little better understanding about where they can afford to put guys on the roster, and give them room to grow into the job, so they can take their rightful turn in the starting lineup.

As far as making trades? I'm rarely interested in seeing the Packers move up, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at the Packers move that netted Love. You can talk about wasted picks all you want, but getting him like they did was almost genius. The guy could end up being a decade plus player at QB for the Packers, and when you figure we've only had 3 actual starting QBs in nearly 30 years already, that's a truly amazing feat.

The growth of the Packers is what I envision most. I see them making lots of strides this year, with a multitude of picks, and I think that next year will be more filling the role of "next man up," so they can start to be one of the top teams in the league for a decade or more. We just need to be patient, and don't get too excited when they don't grab the big name stars out there, opting for a guy that's less polished, but has a higher level he can reach. This is how you build teams, in my book.

I know. I was ridiculed by a certain poster when I said the choice to draft Love at #26 (from a capital standpoint) was cheap when considering the 1. Impact of the position
2. Length of time/career production

That response turned into a retaliatory attack response of “a Day1 selection is an enormous amount to spend on Love!” .
It is actually turning out to be the most critical rebuttal comment of the decade. How many teams would pass on Jordan Love at #26 or after knowing what he did last year? 3? 1? Zero?

You recognizing the GM philosophy is wise. Very few people can extrapolate their vision out past next week or next year. Brian has done a great job overall (all GM’s miss at draft picks) and I trust that even when we don’t see the immediate benefit? He’s looking from the spectacles of a GM to the future. He thinks long term and at least 3-4 years out or more and seeing as a GM might not be here long term? It’s somewhat selfless.

The best draft value is a QB who can lead for a decade plus. It’s 2X 4X 15X the value of any other player. Do a decade draft redo of all players in the last 10 years into 1 draft. Would Tee Higgins even make a Day 2 selection? Nothing personal but I doubt it as good as he is? He’s averaged 900 yards and 6 TD’s. That’s not an all decade player. There are 300-400 QB’s and WR’s drafted in Day1-2 each decade.

 

[PikeBadger]

I can see that from a Macro look across our roster. We truly have 5-6 really good options. Although there are still some tertiary arguments as to why we don’t pass on a great value option.
One thing about that WR group is there are almost always 1 or 2 that miss time.
A second concept from your roster building is contract overlap. Especially with that position because like CB it’s a position we keep 6+ PS. Positions like CB or WR have to be kept restocked.

I think that if we find great value at another position other than WR? Then I’m not upset at all if we turn the other way when a WR comes across our plate. I probably wouldn’t get jumpy and draft one inside #58 either. However if someone I like such as Devontez Walker it Malachi Corley are there sniffing #88? I’m not afraid to gift wrap 1 WR

I certainly wouldn't be against taking a WR somewhere in the draft. I just think an awful lot of people over value both individual WR's and the position as a whole.

 

[tynimiller]

One part of the WR discussion is our desperate need for WR is a day in the past given not just our WR room, but the potential fact that both our TEs appear to be true viable options in the passing game.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Everyone has their own personal opinions, and everyone has different levels of confidence in various draft evaluators, and those evaluations and opinions never reflect exactly how the draft will fall. But to the extent you trust PFF, they listed 22 WRs among their Top 100 last time I checked. Of the other sources, I've seen several name 20-23 WRs at various times in the last couple of weeks, and as of this past weekend, CBS Sports, Pro Football Network, and the Mock Draft Database were all at about 18-20.

It would have been more conservative to say "almost 25%" or stick with "4 out of 5", but I think the point remains - with 11 picks to work with, there's a pretty high likelihood that at some point, Gute's going to be looking at a WR being his BPA at that spot. Possibly more than once.

And yeah - that puts him in a position of advantage for turning those 11 picks into 12 or 13. Because anywhere from 8-11 of those WRs are projected for the approximate range where we have 4 Day Two picks, and chances are excellent that when we're up, some other team will want Roman Wilson, or Troy Franklin, or Ricky Pearsall badly enough to make a deal. Just because this draft is rich in wide receivers doesn't mean we have to draft one of them to make our team better; we can use our depth at the position as leverage to get a good player at a position of greater need.

Edit: damn; Pro Football Network, not NFL Network.

Thanks for the detail 13. Safe to say that 20% of the top 100 are WRs. That's just evidence that this draft is top heavy with Wr talent. Now whether that is justified - who knows - these lists are subjective, and even more subjective past 50.

 

[Poppa San]

Gotta take what is given. I'd rather he take a WR at some point, probably #88, than waste it on a LB or Edge player who will be, at best, a backup.

But yeah, with a WR roster of 8, it's gonna be tough for a new guy to break through.

And to your point, WR-talent-rich draft or not, it makes little sense to waste a pick on someone with long odds to make the roster.

Can I get some real maple syrup to go with these waffles?

 

[Voyageur]

In later rounds, good GMs pick guys for skill positions like WR, that nobody heard of, but have a measurable history of having talent. They may not be in the slightest bit polished, but they can be turned into pretty darned good players. For me, when it comes to that late round WR picks, there's a few things I like to consider as important. Hand size. The longer the fingers, the easier it is to hang onto a football. Fearless. The guy who doesn't care when someone dishes out punishment when he's trying to catch the ball, because he dishes it out too, when he can. Last but not least, he has to be able to play the game between his ears. A guy who can think, and read a defender's moves, and understand the qualifications of his QB, can turn into an amazing possession receiver, and often a lot more. I look back at Donald Driver's career, and how he spent his time learning where he should be, and when he should get there, not only on the designed plays, but more often on broken plays. That's something that no matter how much you coach a player up, it's between his ears. He either gets it, without it being told to him, or he don't. I'd rather have a WR who runs a 4.6 than a guy that runs a 4.3, if the guy with the 4.6 understands exactly what he has to do to succeed.

I've seen a lot of players like that. They live each play inside their head, before it happens. Examples. Raymond Berry of the Colts, years ago. He had one leg shorter than the other, a congenital back condition that meant he wore a brace underneath his uniform, and in those days it wasn't supple plastic. He was also nearly as blind as a bat! Worse, when someone in the Colts organization was asked how fast he was, he said he was so fast they didn't use a stop watch to time him, they used a calendar!

But, what Raymond did was amazing. He and John Unitas, who went to the Colts at the same time, and had been cut the previous year by the Steelers in his attempt to make their team, had minds alike, and both of them went on to become Hall of Famers, even though both weren't considered "star potential." Why? Because Berry Understood what Unitas would do, and he understood what the defenders were trying to do, and they had total trust in each other in doing what had to be done.

Yogi Berra said something a long time ago. It's funny, because of what he said, but there is no better way of putting it. "Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical." The guy who can play the game in his head, and has already played out what's about to happen will come out the winner more often than not.

Therefore, grabbing a WR late in the draft, who has intangibles is not dumb. Sometimes that's the guy that suddenly becomes a stud on your team. I think the 49ers will agree when they look out on the field and see Mr. Irrelevant is their QB, and a darned good one. Brock Purdy is the epitome of what we're talking about.

 

[Thirteen Below]

Therefore, grabbing a WR late in the draft, who has intangibles is not dumb. Sometimes that's the guy that suddenly becomes a stud on your team. I think the 49ers will agree when they look out on the field and see Mr. Irrelevant is their QB, and a darned good one. Brock Purdy is the epitome of what we're talking about.

And don't forget your own earlier example, Donald Driver, was a 7th Round pick himself - #213. I think he's every bit as good an example of a late round pick growing into his full potential as Purdy is, maybe even more. Driver had to work for years to turn himself into Donald Driver.

Bart Starr was the 200th player picked in 1956 (17th Round), and played very much like a 17th Round pick for his first couple of years. But he studied the game, and learned how to use the skills he did have to make himself the most successful playoff quarterback in NFL history - 9-1 in the playoffs. No other quarterback is even going sniff .900 ever again, for as long as football is played.

Jimmy Ringo... the most dominant center in the NFL from the mid-50s to the mid-60s; he was drafted at 211 lbs and never weighed a pound over 220 his entire career. Granted, he was strong for his size ("country strong"), but he just plain taught himself how to play absolutely perfect, mistake-free football on almost every single snap every single Sunday.

Tom Brady is another - 6th Round pick, marginal skill set, barely good enough to stay on the team his first season. But when Robert Kraft introduced himself to him, Brady looked him dead in the eye and said "I'm the best decision this organization has ever made. You will never regret drafting me." His first training camp, he told his roommate "I'm going to beat out Drew next season." Can't remember who that guy was, but he thought Brady was delusional. Until he saw how hard he worked.

Right from Day One, he began showing up at the facility at 6 AM and staying until 7 PM - and often returned to study film after dinner. The security guard gave Brady his own key so he could lock up when he left. The Patriot's VP of player personnel worked late one night and left after midnight; on his way out, he noticed flickering light coming from the film room. He went to check it out, and there was Brady studying film like he did every single night.

His college coach said "Brady's greatest skill is that he understands what he isn't." Every coach he's ever had said he was the hardest working player they'd ever known. Nobody who just looked at his physical traits ever would have dreamed he'd someday be the greatest quarterback of all time, but he knew it. And didn't stop until he did it.

 

[Voyageur]

And don't forget your own earlier example, Donald Driver, was a 7th Round pick himself - #213. I think he's every bit as good an example of a late round pick growing into his full potential as Purdy is, maybe even more. Driver had to work for years to turn himself into Donald Driver.

Bart Starr was the 200th player picked in 1956 (17th Round), and played very much like a 17th Round pick for his first couple of years. But he studied the game, and learned how to use the skills he did have to make himself the most successful playoff quarterback in NFL history - 9-1 in the playoffs. No other quarterback is even going sniff .900 ever again, for as long as football is played.

Jimmy Ringo... the most dominant center in the NFL from the mid-50s to the mid-60s; he was drafted at 211 lbs and never weighed a pound over 220 his entire career. Granted, he was strong for his size ("country strong"), but he just plain taught himself how to play absolutely perfect, mistake-free football on almost every single snap every single Sunday.

Tom Brady is another - 6th Round pick, marginal skill set, barely good enough to stay on the team his first season. But when Robert Kraft introduced himself to him, Brady looked him dead in the eye and said "I'm the best decision this organization has ever made. You will never regret drafting me." His first training camp, he told his roommate "I'm going to beat out Drew next season." Can't remember who that guy was, but he thought Brady was delusional. Until he saw how hard he worked.

Right from Day One, he began showing up at the facility at 6 AM and staying until 7 PM - and often returned to study film after dinner. The security guard gave Brady his own key so he could lock up when he left. The Patriot's VP of player personnel worked late one night and left after midnight; on his way out, he noticed flickering light coming from the film room. He went to check it out, and there was Brady studying film like he did every single night.

His college coach said "Brady's greatest skill is that he understands what he isn't." Every coach he's ever had said he was the hardest working player they'd ever known. Nobody who just looked at his physical traits ever would have dreamed he'd someday be the greatest quarterback of all time, but he knew it. And didn't stop until he did it.

Exactly my point.

 

[OldSchool101]

I certainly wouldn't be against taking a WR somewhere in the draft. I just think an awful lot of overvalue both individual WR's and the position as a whole.

How do you feel about QB Day 1?

 

[PikeBadger]

How do you feel about QB Day 1?

Would not be in favor. Truly doubt the Packers draft board would have more than 2 QB's with 1st round grades on them. I found it very alarming when I saw some of the numbers on these QB's in regards to how they handle blitzes. I think we are going to see some of these guys that are playing early get their butts kicked badly.

 

[AmishMafia]

Late round picks, I would be swinging for the fences. Seems to me that the players there are either marginal nfl players, guys who have questions, or guys who have excuses.

Guys with questions are potentially good players but have drug, personality, injury, . . . issues. They can play but won't be able to play for other reasons.

The excuses crowd is who I would look closer at. Guys who were late bloomers; WRs who had a really bad QB; a DT who had bad coaching; a LB who was played out of position and should be a safety, those kind of things. Players who have little recognition for reasons outside of their control.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Would not be in favor. Truly doubt the Packers draft board would have more than 2 QB's with 1st round grades on them. I found it very alarming when I saw some of the numbers on these QB's in regards to how they handle blitzes. I think we are going to see some of these guys that are playing early get their butts kicked badly.

Seems like the best NFL QBs are able to get the ball out in around 2.5 seconds. And that's necessary because NFL players play very fast. I'm pretty sure even the elite college QBs are not used to dealing with that. And that would explain the difficulty most rookie QBs have in the NFL.

 

[Sanguine camper]

Gute has reached before taking guys way before their projected slot on the so-called big board. Myers, Deguara, Dillon are just a few of the names. What concensus 2nd or even 3rd round pick would Gute draft in the first round ? I think it could be Payton Wilson or Jordan Hicks, Patrick Paul or Marshawn Kneeland. A lot of people say no way but Gute drafted Deguara in the 3rd round when he was a late 5th round or 6th round talent. Myers went in the mid 2nd round when he was a projected late 3rd round pick. Don't be surprised if Gute spends pick 25 or 41 on Kneeland. He's my top dark horse. He's a clone of Lowry IMO.

 

[edensmage]

One position that many aren't talking much about, understandably so, is TE. However, I do think we end up grabbing another one as I've seen a few people propose. So instead of the standard Sinnott pick I started reviewing the TE class - which is small so it makes it easy to do - and I found what I think might be a gem.
Jared Wiley is currently consensus 133, end of the 4th. He's commonly mocked to teams in the 5th. When I watched some tape on him vs. Sinnott and Theo Johnson I saw someone who could easily be every bit as good. For reference, I went back and watched some college tape on Musgrave and Kraft - although Kraft's level of comp makes it a little harder to eval.
A few notes I came up with (keep in mind this is with very limited sample size):
Theo: I see someone who you are purely projecting. he definitely has the profile, but his tape is only so-so. I didn't see much or great blocking, and he doesn't seem to catch the ball naturally. I also don't know that his athleticism jumps out at me like musgrave's does.
Ben: For all the talk about this guy being a HB type TE, after watching his tape vs. Texas I was not terribly impressed. Now I understand college TE's aren't asked to block a ton but of all of the TE's in this class he does have a higher level of experience with it, and it doesn't look great. It was either Theo or Ben I saw get stood up by a CB or much smaller safety. Ben frequently missed/wiffs on his blocks.

Which brings me to Wiley:
So, definitely used primarily as a receiving TE, but he looks natural doing it. His speed and athleticism show up. Hands catcher, not trying to catch with his body like Theo does. Very fluid in his routes. If someone can get a read on his blocking capability, this might be the best option of the 3.
I'm going to Jared.