NFL draft profile: Arkansas TE Hunter Henry, best at his position
Shutdown Corner is counting down the top 50 prospects in the 2016 NFL draft with a scouting report, quotes from NFL evaluators and a projection where they might be drafted.
46. Arkansas TE Hunter Henry
6-5, 250 pounds
Key stat: Averaged 14.3 yards per catch the past two seasons combined and dropped only two of the 90 catchable passes that were thrown his way, per Pro Football Focus, over that time.
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The skinny: Seam-stretching tight end who took advantage of the Hogs’ expanded passing attack in 2015 and worked the middle of the field effectively. Henry is a gifted and fluid athlete and has a frame that could handle more strength and bulk without him losing a step. His decision not to compete in the full spate of drills at the scouting combine irritates NFL talent evaluators after declaring early for the draft. But Henry helped stanch that a bit with a strong pro day performance, headlined by a 4.67 40 (which would have been second among TEs in Indy) and good positional work.
Best-suited destination: Henry’s blocking ability appears to be functional, and he can work effectively as an in-line tight end. But that might limit his true effectiveness, so going to a team that will allow him to detach off the line and run second-level routes would be ideal. Teams that use “12 personnel” packages (one back, two tight ends) might like his mismatch possibilities. That said, he fits in with most schemes as a true “Y” tight end.
Reason he’ll rise in draft: It’s a weak crop of tight ends, he’s roundly considered to be the best of the lot and yet every team seems to need one. Henry’s athletic profile is strong, and he can run a full route tree for the position. You need to use a safety to cover him, as Henry will run past most linebackers, even those with good NFL speed. He played a high volume of snaps, was a team captain and has been around the game his whole life, with a father who played for the Razorbacks.
Reason he’ll fall in draft: Teams have been burned by overdrafting tight ends in recent years, and Henry — like Maxx Williams a year ago — is still young and in need of development, so he might not be ready-made. Henry also has a history of knee injuries and is not considered a premier blocker. He had seven penalties (three holds) last season and only put up 13 reps on the bench press at the combine (although that included four “no-reps”, and he upped that number to 21 at his pro day).
Scouting hot take: “In a normal year, he might be a high [third-round pick]. But this is a bad group [of tight ends], man. We were talking about it at the combine, there’s just no one we love there. I like him. He’s not [Travis] Kelce, but he’s the best of the bunch.” — AFC college scouting director
Player comp: Zach Ertz
Expected draft range: Early-to-mid second round
Previous profiles
50. Ohio State WR Braxton Miller
49. Indiana OT Jason Spriggs
48. Florida DL Jonathan Bullard
47. Texas Tech OT Le’Raven Clark
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
