Leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft starting on April 29th, we will be releasing several draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up…
John Bates (Tight End), Boise State, Redshirt Senior
OVERVIEW:
We have all talked about the current state of the Steelers’ tight end room going into the 2021 season. The retirement of Vance McDonald left a major hole in the offense, specifically in the rush game. Eric Ebron provides a great route running, pass catching, red-zone-threat option, but lacks in blocking. Therefore, the Steelers will be looking at a reliable blocking tight end in the middle to late rounds of the draft. Who is a top ranked blocking tight end that will be available on the 3rd day? John Bates from Boise, Idaho.
PROS:
At 6’5” and 250 pounds, Bates is the ideal size for a reliable tight end. Bates turned heads at the Senior Bowl earlier this year and has started to appear on NFL coaches’ big boards. He isn’t the flashiest player at tight end, being in the same class as Kyle Pitts and Patrick Freiermuth, but his blocking skills are a major asset. He was used as a more rotational tight end in college, so it didn’t allow his route running and speed to improve, but he was key in the rushing game. He holds low leverage on defensive ends and linebackers and blasts off the snap onto the line. When used in the pass game, he is a good safety blanket on broken plays and catches well using his hands (almost 10 inches in diameter) and brings the ball into his body. Bates has great hand-eye coordination and does what he needs to do in order to make the catch.
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CONS:
Bates has a fairly low ceiling for him to take the next step in the NFL. He has average athleticism and would be primarily used on run plays. Bates lacks speed on pass plays and seems to play at that one speed. He doesn’t necessarily burst off the ball on pass and play action plays. Bates wouldn’t be used as a TE1 on an NFL roster; most likely a TE2 or TE3.
DRAFT PROJECTION: 5nd Round
In a draft class where the need for tight end is already low, Bates will find himself selected on the 3rd day. If he gets drafted earlier than the 5th round, say in the 4th round, it’ll simply be because the team doesn’t have a 5th round selection and will use a late 4th round pick in lieu of a true 5th round selection.
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VERDICT:
Bates is a great blocking tight end; and that is exactly what the Steelers need. There is no way he is going to run away with the starting tight end position, but he could provide depth at the line, which is critical. The Steelers do not currently have a 5th round pick, so they could be that team late in the 4th that calls his name. Bates’ blocking skill set could be a great compliment to Ebron’s receiving skills. Bates in the 4th may be a bit of a reach, but the Steelers need depth at the tight end position, and in a class that is very thin in 2021, they need to take advantage of what is available to them this weekend.
Where do you think Bates will land this week? Let us know in the comments below!
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