Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has all of the traits that NFL teams covet. (photo: gamedayr.com)
DraftBrowns.com Editor: Brendan Leister
School: Washington
Position: Tight End
Jersey Number: #88
Class: Junior
Size: 6’6″, 266 lbs.
Ever since he was a five-star recruit and the number two tight end in the country according to scout.com, Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been in the limelight. During his first two seasons at the University of Washington, Seferian-Jenkins did everything he could to live up to his five-star status. As a freshman in 2011, Seferian-Jenkins caught 41 passes and produced 538 yards (13.1 yards per reception) and six touchdowns. During his sophomore season in 2012, Seferian-Jenkins broke two school records for tight ends when he caught 69 passes for 852 yards. Seferian-Jenkins also scored seven touchdowns during his second collegiate season.
The first thing that stands out when watching Austin Seferian-Jenkins is his versatility. Seferian-Jenkins has experience lining up as an in-line tight end, flexed out wide, in the slot, as a fullback, and as an H-back. With NFL teams progressively coveting tight ends that can thrive in multiple roles and create mismatches all over the formation, Seferian-Jenkins’ versatility could prove to be extremely valuable.
As a receiver, Seferian-Jenkins combines incredibly strong hands with tremendous ball skills that allow him to consistently catch any ball within his wide catch radius. You can tell that Seferian-Jenkins has a basketball background (played on the Washington Huskies’ basketball team during his freshman year) by the way that he attacks the football in the air. He regularly boxes out the defender, leaps in the air, and catches the ball at its highest point with ease. Due to his size, ball skills, body control, and leaping ability, Seferian-Jenkins is a matchup nightmare for cornerbacks, linebackers, and safeties. Although Seferian-Jenkins is not the most vertically explosive tight end, he has more than enough athletic ability to consistently threaten the seam of the defense. As a route runner, Seferian-Jenkins does a good job of pushing vertically and setting up defenders, but I have doubts about his ability to separate at the next level due to a lack of quick-twitch movement skills. With this being said, an inability to separate may not be as big an issue for Seferian-Jenkins as it would be for other tight ends due to his aforementioned ability to leap up over defenders and make contested catches at the highest point. Seferian-Jenkins will fight for yards after the catch, but I doubt that he will ever be a big-time threat in this area due to lacking the lateral agility to make defenders miss and the strength to break tackles with any regularity.
First and foremost, Seferian-Jenkins will never become a great blocker if he does not learn to give more effort on a play-in, play-out basis. There are plays where he executes his blocking assignment and seals the defender away from the run, but there are too many times where he looks disinterested and struggles to execute. Without an official measurement, Seferian-Jenkins looks to have long arms; which help him keep defenders from getting into his body and disengaging from blocks. At this stage in Seferian-Jenkins’ development, he typically does a good job of sealing defenders away from runs when he is giving good effort. However, Seferian-Jenkins rarely moves defenders at the point of attack. To do this, he must get stronger, learn to lower his pad level more consistently, and drive his legs on contact with much more consistency as well. It is very easy to see that Seferian-Jenkins has all of the tools to become a great blocking tight end. If he works hard on his craft and decides to give optimal effort, he will give himself a chance to reach his high potential.
Seferian-Jenkins spent limited time as a situational pass rusher during his sophomore season, but I do not believe that his long-term potential lies in that role. Although he showed some explosiveness off the edge, he did not show the flexibility to bend the edge that is needed for pass rushers at the next level. There is no doubt that Seferian-Jenkins is best as a tight end and I expect him to be drafted as such.
All in all, Austin Seferian-Jenkins has everything that NFL teams look for in a tight end. At the very least, his combination of size and ball skills will make him a very dangerous threat in the red zone. If Seferian-Jenkins continues to improve on the field and makes some changes off the field, he has a very good chance of being an early selection when he declares for the NFL Draft.
Games Viewed: 2012 California, 2012 LSU, 2012 USC, 2012 Utah