Finding Broncos: Princeton Fant | TE

Measurables:

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 238 pounds
Arm Length: 31-3/8 inches
Hands: 9-5/8 inches

Stats:

Pros:

Good straight-line speed as a vertical seam stretcher from the slot or attached wing.
A willing participant in the blocking game on the boundary and as a lead blocker on down blocks coming out of the backfield between the tackles.
Shows good pop when meeting second-level defenders.
H-Back and Fullback versatility.
Smooth hands catcher that is aggressive when catching the ball outside of his framework.
Multiple different alignments all over the formation, but mainly used out of the backfield as an attached wing.
Fancy footwork at the top of his stems when running routes.
Red area threat as a ball carrier.
Has plenty of experience playing in 46 games with 14 starts.

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Cons:

Though willing, his blocking technique is lackluster and needs refinement at initial contact.
Tight-hipped as a route runner and doesn't have burst to create separation on lateral breaking routes.
Undersized for the position with short arms.
Not the strongest player at the point of attack.
Lateral agility is lacking severely.

Overview:

Princeton Fant is the cousin to former Broncos tight end Noah Fant. Fant is a "move" tight end that fits multiple different alignments along the formation with enough athleticism to win from them. Primarily used as an H-Back out of the backfield and as a lead blocker, Fant showed enough ability to be utilized at the next level as a possible full back and red zone threat capable of handling the ball in short-yardage situations.

Though he is undersized for the position, Fant is willing to get physical on the edge or driving through the b-gaps as a lead blocker when attacking linebackers at the next level. He has enough ability as a pass protector off the edge, though there are limited reps of him doing so.

Fant's exposures on tape were limited due to Tennessee's rotation at the tight end position. However, there are a lot of tools to like despite being the "move" tight end.

Despite limited exposure as a pass catcher on tape due to the rotation at the position, he did show nice ability to track the football. He also displayed soft hands outside of his frame. However, due to those limited reps, Fant didn't show much after the catch and often went down with limited yards after the catch.

His blocking ability needs technical upgrades in initial hand placement, but he does a nice job resetting after contact and keeping defenders in front of him.

Overall, Fant has limited upside as a true tight end at the next level but can be a formidable red zone threat as a fullback and H-Back hybrid player.

Fit with the Broncos:

With Andrew Beck heading into the 2023 season as a free agent, Fant could become the Bronco's next player in that mold as a lead blocker in short-area situations. New head coach Sean Payton also values players in the slot that can stretch the seams and open up routes underneath, breaking over the middle of the field, so Fant could have a chance to fill some snaps offensively.

Fant holds his best value as a willing participant running the field on special teams early in his career and being used creatively in the red zone on shovel passes, and screen plays close to the goal line.

Denver can upgrade the room on a very cheap contract and have a developmental player at the position as he builds more strength and nuance as a route runner before deploying him on offense.

Grade: 7th Round/UDFA

Round Projection: UDFA

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