Finding Broncos: Jeremy Ruckert | TE

Measurements

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 250 pounds
Arms: 32-3/4 inches
Hands: 10-1/8 inches

Combine Results

Bench Press: 19

Stats

Pros

Ruckert has a great frame and good mass.
There is no quit from him, and he is tough and willing as a blocker.
His catch radius is fine.
He makes good adjustments to get low to get the low balls.
He does well to sink his hips into his breaks.
When working as a run blocker, he works to finish his block and then looks for more work.
He is what you want as a safety net tight end for the quarterback working the shorter areas of the field.
He plays with good balance as a receiver and as a blocker.
Ruckert will lay the wood on defenders when tasked with cutting off the backside.
It translated to the box score when he got a more prominent role on offense.
There is potential to be the top guy at the position in the right scheme.

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Cons

Ruckert has a bad habit of dropping his head into contact.
There isn't much there after the catch, and he is a pretty straightforward receiver.
There are a large number of double catches.
His pad level is high, and he has a forward lean that will be a more significant issue in the NFL.
His hands aren't great at the point of attack, and he often opens his chest to defenders.
He doesn't have much burst to get instant separation and will need to come by it through design.
There is hip tightness with Ruckert, and he will often roll his routes and doesn't have a crisp change of direction or breaks.
While he has the potential to be a starter, he may be better suited as the number two tight end behind someone with more to offer as a receiver.

Overview

Ruckert is a fine prospect to be that safety net for quarterbacks at the tight end position. He isn't a dynamic receiving threat, but he is great at what he does bring to the table as a receiver. In addition, there is sound blocking from him to be a solid number two tight end in the NFL.

With his blocking, Ruckert needs to do a better job of keeping his pad level down and over a solid base. That would be a massive improvement for him to make, and then work on not opening his chest up to defenders. Improving both of those aspects would go a long way to improving his overall performance as a blocker, which he is more than willing to do.

As a receiver, there isn't much he can do to end up more than he already is, but he can clean things up and be better at what he already is. One of them is cutting back on the double catches, as those give that little extra time for defenders to close in and limit what he can do. There is solid potential with Ruckert, but he isn't this dynamic player at the tight end position teams look for anymore.

Fit with Broncos

Even though the Denver Broncos signed Eric Tomlinson to be a blocking tight end, they can use someone with a well-rounded skill-set. In addition, they have Albert Okwuegbunam, whom they believe to be their receiver threat. That's fine with the usage of tight ends from the Green Bay Packers during Nathaniel Hackett's time there and Russell Wilson's use of the position historically; they don't need to take one super early.

This is a deep tight end class, making it even easier for the Broncos to wait on the position. However, when it comes to the third day of the draft, that is the time for them to start looking, and Ruckert should be available. He fits with the scheme and the personnel.

Ruckert works well attacking the outside and being that safety net, which balances out Okwuegbunam exceptionally well. Wilson also likes to attack the outside and not the middle, and Ruckert can work the flats and out routes. When Denver goes with more tight ends and obvious running situations, Ruckert and Tomlinson would be a good duo and could add more if Okwuegbunam takes the next step with his blocking.

Grade: Early Round 4

Where he Goes: Early/Mid Round 4

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