Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins could rise to top of relatively weak TE class

What happens when you have a team that needs an upgrade at a position that’s thin in terms of quality and quantity?

You have a potential first-rounder.

With New England expected to pick late in the 2020 NFL draft, the Patriots may look to replace former tight end Rob Gronkowski as early as the first round.

However, it’s not a great year for tight ends, as it’s possible that one isn’t drafted until as late as the third round, something that hasn’t happened since 1987.

So, on the one hand, logic says a team that drafts a TE in the first round isn’t getting great value, as that same player could be available in later rounds. And if that player doesn’t work out? Then your team has potentially wasted a high draft pick. Former San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny comes to mind. Penny was selected with the No. 27 overall pick by Seattle in the 2018 draft but has thus far underwhelmed.

On the other hand, taking a tight end in the first round in 2020 means your team is potentially taking the best player at his respective position. And there are times when that’s worked out well, too, such as the year when Dallas was widely criticized for taking former Wisconsin center Travis Frederick in the bottom of the first round in 2013. Draft analysts thought Frederick was more of a second- or third-rounder, but he was the best center available in the draft at a position of need for Dallas, and he’s been a Pro Bowl-caliber player ever since.

That’s why it wouldn’t come as a complete shock to see a team like New England draft a tight end like Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins on Day 1. At 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, the senior co-captain caught 61 passes for 830 yards and 7 touchdowns. His receptions were the second-most in the nation among tight ends.

#Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins is the Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year.

Hopkins finished with 61 receptions for 830 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior for the Boilermakers. pic.twitter.com/DlNkclTKbA

— Andrew Pogar (@AndrewPogar) December 4, 2019

“He is a very fluid athlete, with strong route-running ability, and comes with some explosiveness as well,” said Pro Football Network’s Neal Driscoll, who listed Hopkins as a player whose draft stock is rising.

Driscoll says Hopkins could use work on his consistency with his hands but otherwise “make his money as a vertical seam threat.”

“One huge bonus with Hopkins is his ability to block,” Driscoll writes. “He tends to be stronger than he appears, and is a willing and able blocker in the running game.”

Brycen Hopkins (@Itsbhop89) earned it. ✅

The @BoilerFootball star is the B1G TE of the Year: pic.twitter.com/O7v1121O3X

— Purdue On BTN (@PurdueOnBTN) December 4, 2019