You might not be familiar with Ashland University, and unless you're among the NFL draft's most avid fans, you likely haven't heard of Adam Shaheen, either. But don't consider the former Ashland Eagles tight end a sleeper.
In fact, one NFL executive believes his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine on March 4 will make him anything but a sleeper -- how about a potential first-round draft pick?
"He's clearly the third-best tight end in this year's class and I think you'll start to hear first-round buzz about him by the time his workout is finished," the executive told NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah. "It's hard to find tight ends with his combination of size, speed and toughness. He's a unique talent."
Unique, indeed. Shaheen is 6-foot-6 and 277 pounds, yet at times looks like a wide receiver, per Jeremiah. At that imposing size, he led Ashland in catches (57), receiving yards (867) and touchdowns (16) last year. And considering College Football 24/7 included the CoSIDA Academic All-American among draft prospects who could one day run for president, it's a good bet that he'll fare well in an interview setting with NFL clubs, as well. Shaheen's pro day workout has been scheduled for March 22 at Massillon Washington (Ohio) High School.
It's also worth noting that the executive slotted him as the draft's third-best tight end, because the 2017 tight end class is spectacularly deep. The group includes Alabama's O.J. Howard, Miami's David Njoku, Michigan's Jake Butt, Ole Miss' Evan Engram, Virginia Tech's Bucky Hodges, Arkansas' Jeremy Sprinkle, Clemson's Jordan Leggett and South Alabama's Gerald Everett.
And if Shaheen is indeed the draft's No. 3 tight end, he's a better pro prospect than most of them.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *@ChaseGoodbread*.