2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford

by Cory J. Bonini on February 27, 2013 @ 17:48:48 PDT

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Stanford tight end Zach Ertz chose to declare for the 2013 NFL Draft following his junior season for the Cardinal. He was extremely productive in his lone year as a starter, registering a team-best 69 receptions. Ertz finished with 898 yards and a half-dozen touchdowns, giving him 15 total scores in his three years at Stanford.

All-around talented prospect

Strengths

Very soft, natural hand catcher
Quality size - 6-foot-5, 249 pounds
Understands how to exploit coverage in man-to-man and zone coverage
Playmaker who can stretch the field
Hard worker, very coachable
Deceiving route runner - understands how to use nuances to shake a defender
Quick off the line of scrimmage
Blue-collar player - gives 100 percent effort and takes pride in what he does
Experienced lining up all over the field - tight end, H-back, slot receiver, joker position
Football player first, athlete second

Weaknesses

Occasionally will shy a little over the middle
Not very athletic - pedestrian workout numbers
Only one year for a track record
Could bulk up a little more
Very short arms (31 3/4 inches) for his height - limited catch radius
Isn't much of a threat in jump-ball situations
Statistics partially inflated based on the system?

Expected draft placement

Ertz will challenge Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert to be the first tight end off the board in April. The Cardinal product deserves a strong second-round grade but could sneak into the first round, as high as No. 19 to the New York Giants or at No. 30 to the Atlanta Falcons.

About Cory J. Bonini

Cory is KFFL's General Manager. In late 2002, he joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, Bonini has been featured in print, on radio and on scores of websites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors. Follow @CoryKFFL