NFL Fantasy Football Tight End: 2009 Chase Coffman Preview

Chase Coffman – Tight End – Mizzou Tigers (Big 12)

Height: 6′6″

Weight: 252lbs

Best 40 Time: 4.76s

Projected 40 Time: 4.79

Projected Bench:18 Times @ 225lbs

Chase Coffman of the Mizzou Tigers is an incredible TE, and will prove to be fairly useful at the next level.

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Unfortunately, he’s got some issues with the physical aspect of the Tight End position.

Coffman can  make the spectacular catch, and has buttah soft hands. However, in the Tiger’s offense he’s often in space. It’ll be interesting to see how well he can go across the middle at the next level.

He’s a solid red-zone target, with good leaping skills. He has terrific body skills for someone his size, but lacks the ideal strength required for an in-line TE.

The problem with Coffman, is he’s not going to provide huge match-up problems for linebackers at the next level.  He doesn’t possess break-away speed to leave linebackers in his wake.  His size will always be an advantage, but the majority of top flight TE are too quick for linebackers and too big for safeties.  If Coffman can put up a dirty 40 time at the combine, this’ll massively elevate his stock.

With the right coaching staff and attitude, Coffman shouldn’t have too much of a problem becoming an adequate blocking tight end which should elevate him to an above-average TE.

Coffman will have to refine  his routes, if he’s going to contribute on a daily basis for an NFL team.

As a whole, Coffman has the tools to be a premiere tight end, but he’ll have to impress at the combine to elevate his draft stock with the other TE’s coming out this year.

There’s lots of negatives about Coffman, but they’re more to due with the Mizzou system than Coffman as a football player.  If he was asked to block more, and the Tigers ran a more pro-style offense, it’d be easier to evaluate Coffman.

If everything goes well, Coffman is looking like the next Todd Heap.