The Carolina Panthers selected former Texas Longhorn tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders with the No. 101 pick of the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
Most NFL analysts projected Sanders as one of the top tight ends of the draft. He wasn’t in the same game-breaking category as Georgia’s Brock Bowers. But he was one of the best tight ends at catching the ball.
He left the Longhorns as the top tight end, in terms of catches, in Texas program history. In his career, he caught a team record 99 passes. His receiving yards (1,295) ranked second all-time among tight ends.
Sanders conceded that his blocking wasn’t where he needed it to be. A lot of NFL rookie tight ends either can block or catch. It takes awhile to get good at both.
“I know it’s one of my weaknesses for sure,” Sanders told CBS Sports. “And I’ve been working on that since I’ve declared for the combine, I know whatever team I [go to], they’re gonna help me progress. In that aspect, I know it’s a weakness. I’ve been trying to work out on myself, so I know whoever [drafts me], they’re gonna help me get right, so I can be on that field.”
Coming out of Texas high school powerhouse Denton Ryan, Sanders represented a huge get for the Longhorns. On3 ranked the two-way star as the top athlete in the country, but listed him as a four-star prospect. However, the Industry average had him as a five-star and the 12th-best prospect in the country, regardless of position.
Sanders, at times, lived up to that five-star potential. He was a two-time All-Big 12 Conference first teamer.
What NFL Draft experts said about Ja’Tavion Sanders
Lance Zierlein, a draft analyst for NFL.com, wrote of Sanders:
“Talented pass-catching tight end with an exciting floor if he can handle the rigors of the pro game. Sanders possesses an average build, but he has room for more muscle. He flashes as a run blocker, but he isn’t consistent at the point of attack. He can get up the field from in-line or from the slot, beating man coverage at his route stems or separating quickly from turns.”
He added that Sanders “is able to dig in and win combat catches underneath and has proven to be highly effective running the seam or catching intermediate throws into zone pockets. Teams looking for a tight end with a more complete game might pass on him, but his potential to open up the passing game and become a highly productive pass-catcher should be hard to pass on.”
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