NFL Prospect, Zach Ertz, TE Stanford

Zach Ertz, TE, Standford

Born: 11/10/1990 Orange, California       Years in College: 3

TD: 15            Receptions: 112                   Receiving Yards: 1434

Overview: At 6’6″ and 249lbs, Ertz has certainly bulked up in his time in Palo Alto. He’ll need to have an impressive bench press showing at the combine to further prove his strength. When Andrew Luck left Stanford last season, many expected Ertz’s numbers to drop in 2012, but he emerged as the number one offensive weapon for the Cardinal. He has impressive blocking skills and puts in the extra effort to block downfield. He may not be the fastest, but his quickness and route running makes him a big target. He’s most like Jason Witten and has the potential to really help a struggling QB in the redzone.

Combine Results:

• 40 Yard Dash: 4.76 seconds
• Bench Press: 24 reps
• Vertical Jump: 30.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 111.0 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 7.08 seconds
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.47 seconds

Draft Rankings Overall/Position: Walter Football-37/1

Projected Team and Round: Ertz has a good chance at being the first Stanford TE to go in the first round. However, teams seemed to be concerned with his speed. He made a strong case for himself at Day 1 of the combine with better than expected speed drills. He also highlighted his strength, posting one of the top number of reps at the bench press. He could go as early as #30 to the Atlanta Falcons who need to replace future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons have indicated they’re most interested in a DE in the first round, so Ertz will really need to show them something special. Most likely, he’ll be a good second round pick, falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at #43 to finally give Josh Freeman a consistent target.