2020 PFF draft position rankings: Tight ends

With the sudden news earlier in the week that the Falcons will let Austin Hooper test free agency, it seems like the team will be looking hard in the draft to find his replacement.

It’s been noted that the Falcons major priorities in the draft are tight end, strong-side linebacker, and center.

Pro Football Focus released their top 10 tight ends in the draft, and I’m sure the Falcons have taken a look at every option so far. Here’s how they stack up so far:

1. Hunter Bryant, Washington

2. Brycen Hopkins, Purdue

3. Adam Trautman, Dayton

4. Harrison Bryant, FAU

5. Cheyenne O’Grady, Arkansas

6. Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt

7. Cole Kmet, Notre Dame

8. Devin Asiasi, UCLA

9. Stephen Sullivan, LSU

10. Josiah Degaura, Cincinnati

Hunter Bryant looks like the top choice here, and one of his specialties is causing mismatches in the passing game and his ability to catch the deep ball. He’s not your traditional tight end, so if the Falcons are look for just a pass-catcher, he could the choice.

Adam Trautman comes in as your regular tight end, and his tape at Dayton shows it. The Falcons will most likely be looking for a blocking tight end that can catch too, and Trautman is that guy.

Cheyenne O'Grady's off-field issues may have taken a toll on his draft stock, but make no mistake about it: he has one of the best hands in the tight end class. He's only dropped 4 balls in his career at Arkansas.

If the Falcons are looking for their “sleeper” pick in the draft, Harrison Bryant has it written all over him. Over the past 3 seasons, Bryant has been graded over 90.0 and had 65 catches for 1,004 yards in 2019.

The tight end class looks like it has the potential to be deep, so the Falcons might not have to worry about picking one early. Either way it goes, it may be tough trying to find one of Hooper’s caliber out the gate.