Hunter Henry is regarded as the top tight end in the 2016 NFL Draft, but he also stacks up well with the best tight ends from recent drafts.
"He's the most complete tight end to come out in years. He's a legitimate first-round pick," an NFL scout told New Jersey Advance Media. "You have had so many tight ends who were nothing more than big wide receivers. This kid is a complete tight end. He can catch, he can run and he can block."
In a draft not especially deep with tight end talent, Henry figures to be the first one selected. Whether that happens in the first round, however, is anything but clear. NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein projects the Green Bay Packers to choose Henry with the No. 27 overall pick. Analyst Bucky Brooks rates Henry as the No. 35 overall talent in the draft and analyst Charles Davis rates him No. 49. Both analysts have Henry rated as the top tight end available in the 2016 draft.
Yet, he doesn't crack analyst Daniel Jeremiah's top 50.
Another scout suggested Henry falls short of Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert when it comes to receiving skills, but believes he can block more effectively than Eifert. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Henry's played in a pro-style offense at Arkansas. That should help him transition to the NFL more easily than slot tight ends from college systems that employ the spread offense.
Henry's been compared to the Dallas Cowboys' Jason Witten, who has helped define what a complete tight end is in an era that is increasingly using the position as a mismatched receiver.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
