Dan Gronkowski Scouting Report

by Sean Yuille on May 10, 2009 3:32 PM EDT in Draft Comment 11 comments

Photo by Scott Boehm - Getty Images

TE Dan Gronkowski (Maryland) - Round 7, Pick No. 255

With their third pick of the seventh round and the second-to-last pick of the draft, the Lions selected another tight end, Dan Gronkowski out of Maryland. When it gets this late in the draft, teams usually make picks based on how hard it will be to sign a certain player as an undrafted free agent. I'm sure that played a part in the Lions' selection, but another part apparently was the fact that the tight end position still needed more depth. Brandon Pettigrew is the obvious starter, but additional depth at the position apparently was a need for the coaching staff, as Gronkowski became the second tight end to go to the Lions in this year's draft.

Experts' Opinions

Best trait per Scouts Inc.:

Possesses soft, reliable hands. Shows good concentration in traffic but lacks the body control to make acrobatic catches.

SI.com:

POSITIVES: Nice-sized tight end prospect who plays much faster than his forty time. Quickly gets off the snap into routes, displays a burst of speed, and extends his hands to make the reception away from his frame. Gets vertical and adjusts in midair to come down with the difficult catch. Uses his frame to shield away opponents and protect the pass. Smooth moving around the field, and shows a good degree of quickness in his all-around game. Breaks down well, and plays with good knee bend. Solid strength at the point, and removes linebackers from the action.

NEGATIVES: Inconsistent hands and does not show the ability to pluck the fastball from the air. Lacks blocking balance and does not finish blocks.

Video

Touchdown reception against Florida State (2006):

Draft day feature (shows him getting the call from the Lions):

Outlook for 2009

Gronkowski will compete for a spot on the roster with the other tight ends on the team. If I had to make a prediction right now, I would say he is more of a practice squad type of player since the Lions do have quite a few tight ends now, but it is only May. Once training camp begins we should have a better idea of which players will make the roster and which ones will be on the practice squad or off the team altogether. Also, we should have a better idea if three of four tight ends will make the team. Scott Linehan seems like he wants to utilize the team's tight ends in his offense, so that very well could mean four TEs make the team. If that is the case, then Gronkowski has a good chance of making the team as the fourth tight end.

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Comments

His best game..

as a Senior. Was against Aaron Curry’s Wake Forest. Not that is really means anything. Dan could be good in two TE packages.

by JCruize on May 10, 2009 3:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good pick

I was a lil suprised since the Lions drafted ’Grew already, but he will be good depth and immediately help ST. Nothing wrong having more bigger, faster guys on the team. Could def. help in 2 TE max protect and goal line/short yardage sets, too

by JazzyBBP on May 10, 2009 5:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd say his friends and family were more excited then he was.

I hope he can play his way on the roster. If we could get two TE’s who can play
significant minutes out of this draft we will be ahead of schedule re-building this team.
He should quickly become Hamtramcks favorite player.
New nickname the punshki pounder.

by Runnin' Rebel on May 10, 2009 7:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He may get some time during 2 TE packages

Like many of us have said. He does have some skills and I see him being one of our better pass catching TE’s on the depth chart.

2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).

by Hyperion Ecta on May 10, 2009 7:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What scares me is the negatives that are listed in the scouting report

“Inconsistent hands and does not show the ability to pluck the fastball from the air. Lacks blocking balance and does not finish blocks”.

If he is used in the double TE set I am not so worried about his blocking ability, but both Culpepper and Stanton tend to throw the “fastball”. If he does not have adequate balance to initiate and finish a block, he should not be our backup TE. Casey Fitzsimmons is a pretty good blocker who has flashed good hands too. His negatives are that his hands are inconsistent. If Pettigrew is the complete package, I could see him starting and Fitz being the backup or the guy they bring in for double TE sets. I have to agree with Sean here….Gronkowski looks like a special teamer at best, a practice squad guy, or a project.

by KDawg on May 10, 2009 8:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The thing about scouting reports

is that by the time you get past the 4th round, they all sound pretty scary. Players taken in the seventh round know that they have to work hard at improving their game to stay in the NFL With hard work, maybe, hopefully, he can overcome some of those negatives and be a positive addition to the team. As far as blocking goes, I’m pretty comfortable in a two Tight End set with Heller and Pettigrew.

by James L on May 10, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

KDawg

C’mon man, I usually am with you on your comments, but frankly there is nothing “scary” about the second to last pick in the draft. While I agree that this makes almost no sense considering the strong arms of both Culpepper and Stanton, I would imagine that this guy has the worst chances of any player added this offseason of making this team (including the undrafted FA). Maybe they were just short of tackling dummies…?

by Mushy on May 10, 2009 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Okay

not scary, but you used the phrase “scares me” so I followed suit. I guess my point was that by the 7th round, players have a few negatives. If a 7th rounder works hard at fixing those negatives, great. If not, we still have some good options in a 2 Tight End set. I’d love to see Heller on the QB’s blind side and Pettigrew on the other.

by James L on May 10, 2009 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

I meant Stafford, not Stanton (even though Stanton has a strong arm too)…..but in all honesty guys, I was replying to HE’s comment that “He does have some skills and I see him being one of our better pass catching TE’s on the depth chart”. I was basically re-stating the scouting report to show that he lacks consistency and balance. I said “What scares me is the negatives that are listed in the scouting report”. I am not scared or worried that he will play any significant role other than maybe a body on the kickoff team or a blocker on the FG unit or punt team. Basically, I was just saying that I would not go so far as to say that he is, or will ever be, one of the best pass catching TE’s on our roster. By saying that the negatives “scare” me, I really meant that I don’t think he will get the chance to catch a pass (at least this season) because of those very things. I agree with you both, Mushy and James L, 100%. Maybe with some hard work Gronkowski can be a positive addition to the team, but it is likely that IF he even makes the team he will only serve on special teams or the practice squad (as the 4th TE).

by KDawg on May 11, 2009 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs