Photo Cred : withthefirstpick.com
- POSITION / TIGHT END
- HEIGHT / 6’5”
- WEIGHT / 250 LBS
- COLLEGE /WISCONSIN
- CLASS /RED SHIRT SENIOR
- COMBINE / ARMS (32 ⅝”), HANDS (9 ½”), 40 YD DASH (4.81), BENCH PRESS (15), VERT (31 ½”), BROAD (118), 3 CONE (7.03), 20 YD (4.48),
- PRO DAY / 40 YD DASH (4.71), 10 YD (1.60), VERT (34 ½”)
- NFL COMPARISON / GERALD EVERETT
- GAMES WATCHED / (2021) HOME NORTHWESTERN, (2021) AT RUTGERS, (2021) NEUTRAL SITE NOTRE DAME, (2021) HOME MICHIGAN, (2021) HOME PENN STATE, (2020) DUKES MAYO BOWL WAKE FOREST
- GRADING SCALE / 1 – 10 IN EACH CATEGORY
SIZE: Ferguson possesses the prototypical height, weight, and athletic build for the position in today’s NFL which is always on a quest for size and speed mismatches. At 6’5” 250lbs (Up 8-10 lbs from his college playing weight) he is too big for Safeties and Corners to cover underneath in 1 on 1 situations, and in most cases too quick and physical for off ball LB’s to get a hand on and disrupt. Has a lean dense frame, thick lower body, and utilizes all of his size attributes very well in box out situations when competing for the football. Has shorter arms and wingspan than expected for a player his size, and for what is coveted in a tight end today. GRADE 7.5
HANDS / RECEIVING: Has very reliable and soft hands overall. Makes the spectacular in addition to the routine catches look easy. Makes a habit of extending his arms on throws away from the body, and snatching the football. Rarely uses his body to trap throws, and does a solid job of securing the ball before adjusting upfield. Displays outstanding ball skills, balance, and body control for a tight end of his size, gives you an extended catch radius in spite of his limited wingspan. Shows a very natural ability to adjust to throws over either shoulder and below the waist, and provides a dependable target on 3rd & 8. Red Zone threat with the versatility to line up in multiple spots and create huge mismatches within that boundary. GRADE 8.7
BLOCKING: Came from a Pro Style Offense in college used a good amount as an In-Line Blocker, but struggled more times than not when matched up against bigger more athletic assignments. Lacks the power at the point of attack to regularly sustain blocks, and finds himself rag dolled too often. His inconsistency in attacking angles leaves him with no anchor, and fighting to maintain his contact balance. Once locked in he doesn’t generate much movement primarily as a result of his lean frame. Willing to systematically compete, but lack of pure physicality, and aggression paired with an H-Back body type could potentially hurt the amount of snaps he sees on the field. GRADE 5.5
ROUTE RUNNING / QUICKNESS IN TIGHT SPACE: Route Tree was confined to Flats, Bubble Screens, Comebacks, and Slants, nothing much applying pressure to the third level. Needs to improve on sinking his hips when setting up defenders and changing directions. Doesn’t provide a lot of preciseness and sharpness at the top when breaking off routes, could be due to the lack of versatility within the route tree he was given at Wisconsin. Has good suddenness and initial burst off the line; with good speed to quickly reach the second and third levels. Carries his pad well and has a pretty good body lean, but could stand to become better at breaking down and delivering the blow instead of always receiving. GRADE 7.0
EXPLOSIVENESS: Wasn’t asked to do much in terms of vertical work within the Wisconsin offense, but certainly has the receiving and athletic traits to potentially become a 3 level threat at the next level. Shows good leg drive when fighting through tacklers for extra yards, and is always moving forward. Doesn’t look uncomfortable in space once the ball is in his hands; he’s a North/South runner with quick enough feet to make defenders miss when he maintains balance and brings his feet along with him. Very agile when the ball is in the air and does a reliable job of tracking. Wont hesitate to climb the ladder for off target throws, secures the ball, and very seldom does he double catch. Not a very fast tight end, but explosive and crafty in the open field once he has the ball. GRADE 8.2
FINAL THOUGHT: Ferguson is a very reliable and versatile pass catcher with adequate athleticism, and a nose for the endzone. What he lacks in natural bulk he makes up for in physicality and toughness, but his deficiencies in playing strength, scheme versatility, and pure athleticism hinder how high his ceiling can actually become. Even in this day and age in the NFL of Quads, Trips, Hybrid TE’s, and Power Run Offenses a TE must still be at least an adequate blocker if he wants to see significant snaps consistently. Ferguson’s struggles in this area are of significant concern on film, and could get worse given the level up in competition. If he lands in the right system preferably West Coast or a VERTICAL ATTACKING ZONE RUN we could really see him flourish and for 2 completely opposite justifications. Whether you line him up in the backfield, in line, off line, or slot he poses a different mismatch threat, and is a chain mover. Put him in space he has the requisite ball skills, body control and catch radius to make plays vertically on contested throws but lacks the speed and loose hips to really separate consistently on his own. OVERALL GRADE 7.3
