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We are a little late on this, but according to reports, the Denver Broncos had a pre-draft visit with former Iowa tight end, Noah Fant earlier this week.
Broncos have held top 30 pre-draft visit with Iowa TE Noah Fant. He is best receiver at TE position in 2019 class. Many mocksters have him going in the first round, along with his Hawkeye TE teammate T.J. Hockenson. Fant had 18 TDs among his 69 catches past 2 seasons. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) April 10, 2019
Fant is a 6’4”, 249lb tight end who is considered one of, it not the best tight ends in the entire draft. He’s also considered one of the best overall prospects in the entire draft.
What makes him considered one of these top prospects is his elite athleticism. At 6’4” and nearly 250lbs, he ran a 4.5 40-time during the NFL Scouting Combine. He also jumped 39.5 inches, and a ran the 3-cone drill in 6.81 seconds.
Fant played a total of three seasons at Iowa and was a productive tight end during that time. During his three-year career at Iowa, Fant totaled 78 receptions for 1,083 yards, and 19 touchdowns. This past year, he totaled 39 receptions for 519 yards, and 7 touchdowns.
Noah Fant’s going to be a mismatch nightmare. There’s so many ways that you can use him. Prime example here.pic.twitter.com/5m9XhmhhO4
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) February 18, 2019
The Broncos have a big need at the tight end position. They currently have Jeff Heuerman and 2018 draft pick Troy Fumagalli on the roster. Neither are really starting caliber talent nor have the receiving ability and potential that Fant has.
Fant is your modern day tight end. He can play outside, in the slot, inline, and in the backfield. He’s not really a blocker, but he is a big-time matchup problem for defenses. He’s too fast for most linebackers and safeties to handle one on one and is too big and physical for cornerbacks to handle one on one. He can also out run pretty much all of them in the open field. He’s a freak.
The tight end figures to be a feature of the Broncos offense going forward with Offensive Coordinator Rich Scangarello bringing the Kyle Shanahan offense to Denver. We all saw what they did with George Kittle in that offense and likely will try to replicate that here in Denver with someone. Could that someone be Noah Fant? It’s possible.
If the Broncos want Noah Fant, they may have to take him at 10th overall or maybe trade back a few spots to get him. I know that might be a tad early for a tight end, but with the importance of the tight end position in this offense I would be okay with it.
Both Iowa tight ends are in play for the Broncos in my opinion. T.J. Hockenson is a more traditional tight end but is also equally freaky as an athlete. He’s a dominant blocker who is also a weapon in the passing game. Meanwhile, Noah Fant is the freaky athlete/matchup problem for opposing defenses. Both would instantly upgrade the Broncos offense and should be play for the 10th overall pick.