NFL Draft Profile: Brenton Strange, Tight End, Penn State Nittany Lions
Brenton Strange
Penn State Nittany Lions
#86
Pos: TE
Ht: 6036
Wt: 253
Hand: 0958
Arm: 3118
Wing: 7518
40: 4.70
DOB: 12/27/2000
Hometown: Parkersburg, WV
High School: Parkersburg
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Strange is an athletically enticing prospect who offers ideal acceleration, understanding of zone coverage, motor, and scheme versatility as a blocker.
Evaluation:
Strange has special teams experience on the kick return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, along with experience playing in the slot, in-line, and out wide. He appears to have ideal arm length to accompany a frame that still has room to add mass. The Penn State product has the upper body strength to break arm tackles and shrug off shoulder hits. Strange is an explosive athlete who frequently hurdles defenders and uses his acceleration to pull away from linebackers. He displays quick footwork at the top of his routes and is sure-handed. Strange adjusts to make catches outside his frame and displays excellent concentration at the catch point, which helps him win in contested catch situations. He consistently provides his quarterback with a clear target and always works to get open when the play breaks down. The redshirt junior has a strong feel and understanding of zone coverages and where there is open space. He’s a willing and competitive blocker who has the athleticism and power to operate in gap, inside zone, or outside zone schemes. However, Strange’s positioning as a blocker sometimes allows defenders to slip past him and into the play. His aggression as a blocker varies, and he doesn’t consistently sustain blocks or generate displacement. The former four-star recruit appears high-hipped and lacks the mass to dominate as a blocker. He has good but not great long speed, and it’s unknown if he will maintain his speed once he puts on mass in the NFL. Despite his flashes of upper body power, Strange doesn’t break many tackles and is frequently chopped down at the legs. He left a lot of yards after the catch (YAC) on the table over the past two years. The West Virginia native isn’t shifty or dynamic in the open field. He benefited from screens and manufactured YAC on short throws but still wasn’t a high-volume player. Strange suffers from occasional false steps in his release. He needs to expand his route tree while refining his route running. Right now, he doesn’t consistently separate from linebackers and defensive backs in man coverage. Strange should enter the NFL and immediately serve as a functional second tight end on the depth chart.
Grade:
4th Round
Background:
Brenton Strange finished his collegiate career at Penn State. This season he started 12 games at tight end. He posted 32 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns. Some honors include being named the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Game following Northwestern (10/1), being named to the Mackey Award watch list, All-Big Ten third team by the coaches and being honorable mention by the media. In 2021, he made 13 starts, accumulating 20 receptions for 225 yards and three touchdowns. In high school, he was rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals and a three-star prospect by ESPN.
