TE, Dan Gronkowski, Maryland

TE, Dan Gronkowski, Maryland

Pros:  Looks the part. Good height, and even weight distribution. Good initial pop at the line of scrimmage as a blocker. Good hand placement. Good upper body strength to lock on and has the leg drive to knock defenders off the ball. Good lateral agility and balance to stay square with the defender. Good effort at the second level to block downfield. Uses his hands well to get off the line of scrimmage and into his routes. Presents a big target to the quarterback and knows where the holes in the zone are located. Secure receiver who can take a pop and hang on.

Cons:  Lacks the preferred athleticism for the position. Only a short yardage target in the passing game. Slow off the line of scrimmage. Lumbers downfield and struggles to sink his hips and generate any explosion out of his breaks. Lacks the frame to add much more weight.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From "Ranking the NFL Draft 2009 TEs" at Buffalo Rumblings:

 Another block-first tight end with underrated athletic skills, Gronkowski is a name to keep an eye on.  I have him graded as a fifth-rounder, but he might be available lower.  If the Bills choose to put off tight end for the first four or five rounds, Gronkowski very well could be a Bill.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

• Long before he arrived on the Maryland campus, senior tight end Dan Gronkowski was battle-tested.
  
  Being one of five brothers will do that to you.
  
  "There was fighting every day. You had to have at least one good one a day before you called it a night," said Dan's younger brother Chris, the starting H-back at Arizona.  [see more...]