(03-05-2022, 04:47 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Jeremy Ruckert wasn't used a whole lot at Ohio State but still had 26 receptions for 309 yards and three touchdowns this season.

He's 6'5, 250 lbs with TONS of potential. He's not overly athletic but he's also not a statue. He's a great possession receiver at tight end and does well at running routes.

If he could do it all over again, I'm sure he would choose somewhere other than Ohio State to play, but the mistake could pay off big for us if he falls to us in the fourth or even fifth round.

Only two drops in his entire college career and would be a great red zone target. He can also make the tough catches.

With three great receivers and Mixon at running back, we don't "need" a dynamic receiver at tight end, but we do need a reliable guy that can move the chains, be an outlet for Burrow, and be a presence in the middle of the field when defenses sell-out to stop the receivers on the outside.

I'd still like to go after a guy like Gronk but he could develop behind one of those guys and even get some solid catches. There's also no guarantee that we'll get a free agent tight end that's worthwhile.

(03-05-2022, 05:54 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Ohio St TEs have not fared well in the NFL, at least when it comes to being good receiving threats.

I'm going to say something that I think a lot won't like, but Ruckert gives me Drew Sample vibes.
Remember, Drew Sample was considered a sleeper at TE that was underutilized as a receiver too.
He tested very well leading up to the draft - https://ras.football/2019/12/15/drew-sample-ras-17634/

(03-05-2022, 05:54 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Ohio St TEs have not fared well in the NFL, at least when it comes to being good receiving threats.

I'm going to say something that I think a lot won't like, but Ruckert gives me Drew Sample vibes.
Remember, Drew Sample was considered a sleeper at TE that was underutilized as a receiver too.
He tested very well leading up to the draft - https://ras.football/2019/12/15/drew-sample-ras-17634/

(03-07-2022, 03:58 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: Drew Sample and Jeremy Ruckert are nothing alike. Sample is nowhere near the athlete Ruckert is. For comparison 247 sports had Sample ranked as the 56th TE (1272 high school player overall) in his high school class and Ruckert was the 2nd ranked TE in his class (37th ranked player overall and nearly a 5 star prospect).

You are right that OSU TE’s haven’t done much but none of those guys were ever supposed to. They were blockers brought in by OSU to do just that and then catch the occasional pass. Ruckert was a receiving TE who went to OSU to learn to block and become a complete TE which he is now.
He can do anything a TE needs to be able to do. He should be a great passing weapon for whichever team drafts him. He can block but nobody is drafting him as a blocking TE like we did with Sample.

Comparing Ruckert to Sample or any other OSU TE is doing yourself a disservice.

Brad mentioned he thinks Ruckert would choose a different school if he could do it over again but Ruckert knew what he was coming to OSU for before and after his recruitment. He even restated as much last week. He didn’t want to be just another one dimensional receiving TE. The kid knew before college he had the stuff to be a receiving TE in the NFL no matter where he went to school, he’s legitimately that good and that athletic.

The bengals don’t use the TE any more than OSU so I wouldn’t spend a 2nd rounder on one but in 3-4 Ruckert would be a great pick. I also like Kolar from Iowa State there too.