The entire draft class of tight ends is a weak one, according to one NFL personnel executive, and the fool's gold starts at the top with North Carolina's Eric Ebron. The former Tar Heel is widely regarded as the draft's top prospect at the position and has been projected as high as the No. 9 overall pick to the Buffalo Bills, but at least one club will have a strong voice against him when his name comes up.
"He's OK. He's completely overrated, and he's a pain in the (butt)," an AFC personnel executive told nj.com. "And don't ask him to block anybody, because he's not going to do it."
Now there's someone who wouldn't touch Ebron with a pick anywhere near as high as No. 9. Ebron has also been projected to the New York Giants at No. 12 by NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah, and No. 17 to the Baltimore Ravens by analyst Charles Davis. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but Ebron didn't even catch the worst of it. Washington's Austin Seferian-Jenkins, potentially a second-round pick, wasn't spared, either.
"He's more overrated and a bigger pain in the (butt) than the other guy," he said. "And he blocks like a wide receiver. I don't want any part of him."
The same exec went on to devalue the entire class at the position, which includes another potential first-round pick in Texas Tech's Jace Amaro, a second-round projection in Notre Dame's Troy Niklas, and a projected second-day pick in Iowa's C.J. Fiedorowicz.
It can certainly be argued that the tight end class is thin on depth, particularly for clubs in search of an in-line blocker at the position, rather than the slot-type receiving tight end that has taken a commanding presence in more than a few NFL offenses.
If Ebron is headed for Bustville, however, it will come as a surprise to the other scouts nj.com spoke with.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
