Finding Broncos: Scouting Boston College TE Hunter Long
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Boston College tight end Hunter Long, a talented prospect, but does he fit with the Broncos?
Measurables
- Height: 6 foot 5
- Weight: 254 pounds
Stats
Sports-Reference.com
Pros
- Has trustworthy hands as a receiver and can be a safety net target.
- Knows how to find the soft spots in zones and get room against man coverage.
- His route running is solid for a tight end.
- Versatile that can lineup in multiple spots for a tight end.
- Reliable blocker who is tough and physical.
- Will be physical after the catch and punish would-be tacklers.
- Solid in pass protection.
- Blocks with a great base and balance.
- Does well-carrying defenders on his hip through routes.
- Decisive when he has the ball.
Cons
- Not the smoothest of route runners, but not expected to be for a tight end.
- Some aspects of his route-running can be a little crisper for a tight end and less rounded.
- Not the most dynamic of athletes.
- The blocking technique can be cleaned up .
- He may not be a big-play threat in the NFL like he was in college.
- May see fewer big plays in the NFL because of the lack of athleticism.
Overview
Hunter Long is an inline Y tight end that can handle the blocking duties, especially with added development there, while offering up a safety net as a receiver. He is a solid athlete that can cause damage at every level of the field.
It is unlikely he will have as many big plays in college as he did in the NFL with the jump of talent and athleticism on defenses, but he still can get some now and then. Teams looking for a developmental number two tight end can easily find themselves loving Hunter Long.
Fit with Broncos
With the Denver Broncos cutting Nick Vannett, they have a void for a reliable blocking tight end that can play inline. As good as Noah Fant is, he struggles with blocking and Albert Okwuegbunam has a long way to go there. So in that aspect, Hunter Long makes a lot of sense.
The issue is Pat Shurmur’s lack of usage for two tight end sets and that, when they do, they want to get the play-making ability of Fant and Okwuegbunam out there on the field. From a personnel standpoint, it makes sense, but with the offensive coordinator, it just isn’t much of a pairing.
Grade: Round 2
Where he goes: Round 3
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
