NFL Draft spotlight: TE Eric Ebron

We shift our focus to the offensive side of the football, in today’s draft spotlight (Last spotlight: S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix). All spotlights are players who we believe would make a good fit for the Jets, regardless of projected draft positions.

The New Breed

Eric Ebron, out of the University of North Carolina, is a 6’4-5?, 250 lb beast. Ebron played in 34 games over the course of a three-year stay with the Tar Heels. He enters the 2014 NFL Draft as a junior.

During his tenure, he amassed 1,805 yards on 112 receptions, and eight touchdowns. Look deeper into his numbers, and you’ll see an average of 16.1 yards a reception. That’s impressive.

Ebron set the ACC record for receiving yards by a tight end in 2013, with 973 yards, passing Vernon Davis’ previous mark of 871 yards.

Beyond the Digits

Eric Ebron is obviously a big target who can catch the ball, but Ebron is also very instinctive in his route-running. What this does most for Ebron is put him in the right position to get to the next level; once this guy gets some momentum, good luck trying to bring him down.

When catching, he is able to get a very solid grip on the football, bringing it into his body where no defender can take the ball away. It’ll be very hard to force a fumble out of Ebron in the NFL.

Looking for any knocks on Ebron can be difficult, but no player is a finished product. He could stand to set his feet better after making a catch, as he sometimes tends to focus on running, before finishing the reception. This causes his body weight to be off-center, slowing down acceleration. When running down the field with the ball, Ebron needs to be more decisive—picking a path and staying with it, instead of hoping to out-muscle defenders. Don’t get me wrong, he has out-muscled defenders at the NCAA level, but guys are bigger and stronger in the NFL.

As with more and more talented college tight ends, Ebron should improve his blocking techniques, while showing the power that he demonstrates in the receiving game.

Tell me what you know about dreaming…

When you imagine a NFL-ready player in this year’s NFL Draft class, Eric Ebron is one of the stand-outs.

The New York Jets continue to lack the necessary playmakers to stake their claim as playoff threats. Ebron would add a completely new dynamic for the team—a security blanket for young Geno Smith, and a big redzone weapon. What TE Dustin Keller was to QB Mark Sanchez, Ebron has the potential to be 10x that for Geno Smith.

Whether he’ll be there when the Jets draft at 18 remains to be seen, but the Jets could certainly use more help at the skill positions, come 2014 kickoff.