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Cal TE Craig Stevens Opens Eyes

Feb 23, 2008 – 7:10 AM
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Michael David Smith

Michael David Smith %BloggerTitle%

Notes on a trip to the NFL Scouting Combine.

I've now heard the name of Cal tight end Craig Stevens more times here in Indianapolis than I had all through the 2007 college football season.

There seems to be a growing consensus that if you're a team looking for a tight end who blocks first and catches passes second, Stevens is your man. He put up 27 reps on the 225-pound bench press, making him the strongest tight end at this year's Combine, and he's one of the few tight ends around who actually considers himself primarily a blocker. Coaches love tight ends who love to block.

The only question is just how high a draft pick a blocking tight end is really worth. Yes, Stevens can catch passes; he's scoring a 21-yard touchdown against UCLA in the photo. But he never caught more than three passes in any one game in his college career, and most teams think a tight end who's purely a blocker shouldn't be a first-day pick. But the team that drafts Stevens will have a guy who can step in and contribute in short yardage immediately.
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