80 Prospects in 80 Days: Duke TE Noah Gray
Each day leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, we will take a look at prospects that should be on the Carolina Panthers' radar. We will look at roughly eleven prospects per round to give a better idea of potential draftees beyond just the first round.
Here's our schedule for the next 80 days:
1st Round: Feb. 8th - Feb. 21st
2nd Round: Feb. 22nd - Mar. 6th
3rd Round: Mar. 7th - Mar. 18th
4th Round: Mar. 19th - Mar. 28th
5th Round: Mar. 29th - Apr. 7th
6th Round: Apr. 8th - Apr. 17th
7th Round: Apr. 18th - Apr. 27th
Prospect No. 72: TE Noah Gray
College: Duke
Height: 6'4" Weight: 240 lbs
Draft range: 6th-7th
Analysis: Although Gray was never a go-to target per se at Duke, he was a reliable option for the Blue Devils offense over the last three seasons. He caught 100 passes for 911 yards, and six touchdowns while averaging nine yards per catch. Gray has a ton of upside and has the potential to be a consistent receiving tight end at the next level. Blocking is an area that will need to be improved but as far as being a receiving option, that won't be much of a problem for him.
Analysis from NFL Draft Bible on Sports Illustrated:
Wearing a variety of hats for the Duke football team, tight end Noah Gray is the type of flexible athlete who can cause a variety of mismatches. Some of his best reps come from the H back position where he is given a free release to attack second-level defenders, causing a ton of mismatches. Gray is a very smooth athlete who is extremely flexible for the position. This allows him to run a varied route tree with high success. He also offers enough juice to threaten the seam with some regularity. In the run game, his best reps come from a detached position, especially on cross-zone reps, taking on the role of a glorified fullback. Gray is an underdeveloped move piece who lacks the physical profile to play in line on a high volume of reps. There needs to be an increased amount of explosive plays for a player of his profile. There is a clear path to playing time on the next level. With Gray’s combination of smoothness, flexibility, and versatility, he should warrant heavy volume as a secondary pass receiver from the tight end position.
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