FalcFans Forums

Jermaine Gresham
6-6/260
Oklahoma Senior

PROS: Is a big, athletic target that has good size and strength. A capable blocker that can destroy a linebacker, and does a good job locking onto defender and using his size to his advantage. Has soft hands with good length to go up high to make the catch. Has nice speed and gets good release off the line. Is tough to bring down after the catch because he's so athletic and strong. Is a decent route-runner.
CONS: Needs to improve his concentration and drops a lot of passes. Doesn't always attack the ball in the air. Doesn't have sudden burst or speed and never seems to appear to be going full speed. Is tough to bring down after the catch because of his size, not because he runs particularly hard. Needs to get better push as a blocker and not as physical as you'd like to see in a player his size.
OVERVIEW: Gresham is a matchup nightmare and is able to get by mostly because of that. Not sure he really has a fire lit under him, and if he can get one, then he can be a dominant tight end on the next level.
NFL FORECAST: I think Gresham can be a very good pro, but I don't see him being a dominant receiver. He is a comparable player to Antonio Gates in terms of his size, athleticism, and strength. But at times, he appears to be a player closer to O.J. Santiago that is trapped in Gates' body. He has loads of upside, and will be a dangerous threat in the redzone. But I'm not sure he's quite reliable enough to be a consistent chain mover. But he'll be a very productive pro, although I'm not convinced he'll live up to the lofty expectations of being one of the elite tight ends in the league. He's just not that natural a receiver, but a player with his size and athleticism can't help but be a productive player. I wouldn't want him to carry my offense, but if he can get a good coach to motivate him, and a quarterback that works with him and trusts in him, he can start to live up to his lofty potential.
ATL FORECAST: Gresham has the potential to be a good replacement for Gonzalez because of his potential to be a matchup nightmare for defenses. But he'll have to be a more consistent player and being groomed behind Gonzalez for a year or two would probably help him in doing many of the little things it takes to be an elite tight end. At the very least, he would make a good starter that can be a good secondary option for Ryan.
VALUE: Gresham has Top 15 potential in terms of his athletic potential, but because of his inconsistency he's probably best served being a late first round pick or early second round pick.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

SPEED: 4.0
HANDS: 3.0
BLOCKING: 4.0
BODY CONTROL: 3.5
RANGE: 5.0

Pros: Great size, speed and athleticism for the position. He has a large frame and does a good job of using it to shield defenders from the ball and has large hands to make the catch. Can make catches away from his body and is a legitimate threat after the catch because of his speed and his size. Has flashed the ability to make catches in traffic.

Cons: Seems to have lapses in concentration and drops more passes than he should. Seems to coast on his talent to a degree and doesn’t seem to play particularly hard. He could stand to run better routes and he doesn’t attack the ball that well in the air. Is a big threat to get yards after the catch, but it’s not because he is particularly elusive, it is more because of his size and athletic ability. He does flash a nice stiff arm though. He is only a decent blocker, but needs to be more physical and improve his ability to sustain. I don’t think he puts forth the kind of effort that he should on a regular basis, and I question his passion and fire. He also has very serious injury concerns because he missed well over the last year because of injuries.

Overall: Gresham has a lot of potential as a TE but I am not sure he will ever reach it. His combination of size, speed and pure athletic talent makes him a legitimate 1st round talent, but I don’t think he is very fundamentally sound. He has good hands, but will drop passes that he should be able to catch with relative ease. I personally think it has to do with a lack of concentration, which worries me. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of fire, a lot of passion and doesn’t seem to put forth a lot of effort as a football player. He is a natural athlete, but there is a difference between being a natural athlete and just going through the motions, which is something I think Gresham is guilty of at times. He is not a good blocker, he drops passes that he should catch and he has the potential to be a better route runner than he is. If someone can light a fire under him to get him to play harder and work harder, then perhaps he will live up to his lofty potential. Otherwise I think he will just end up being a decent secondary option who never really put it all together.

Projection: Late 1st-early 2nd: I imagine he will be the first TE off the board even if he isn’t my favorite TE in the class, but he could go as early as #25 to the Ravens, otherwise he could go later in the 1st or in the very early 2nd.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

SPEED: 4.0
HANDS: 3.0
BLOCKING: 3.0
BODY CONTROL: 3.5
RANGE: 4.0