The Senior Bowl game kicks off on Saturday, February 4th, after a full week of practice, evaluation, and interviews for nearly 100 of college football’s top senior players. To get prepared, Chargers Wire will preview each position group set to compete in Mobile, Alabama, continuing today with the tight end group.
Tight end is a position in transition in LA – Donald Parham Jr. is a restricted free agent and Gerald Everett is a pending free agent following the 2023 season. The Chargers have yet to find an option as reliable as Hunter Henry since he departed for New England in 2021, and could turn to the draft to find a long-term answer.
Cameron Latu, Alabama
Measurables: 6’5”, 244 lbs
Likely draft range: Early Day 3
Latu is a traditional tight end, both in size and style. The 244 pounder began his career at Alabama as a defensive end before moving to the offensive side of the ball following his freshman season, then climbed the depth chart and emerged as a reliable target for Alabama’s stable of NFL quarterbacks over the past few seasons.
Latu can be a bit high-hipped as a blocker, allowing defenders to win with leverage when he’s set up as an in-line blocker. Alabama frequently split him out wide or in the slot to make use of his size against smaller defenders. As a receiver, Latu is the classic middle of the field threat underneath – nothing flashy, but a consistent chain-mover.
One thing Latu lacks is speed, both immediate and build-up. He’s not likely to be a threat down the seam for this reason, which could remove him from Chargers contention considering that the new offensive system will likely revolve around pushing the ball downfield.
Josh Whyle, Cincinnati
Measurables: 6’6”, 250 lbs
Likely draft range: Mid-Day 3
A fixture on draft radars since 2020, Whyle never quite broke out and became the game-breaking tight end some pundits thought he was capable of. Still, the fifth-year senior carved out a nice career as a Bearcat, which will be capped with a Senior Bowl appearance in early February.
Whyle has developed tremendously as a blocker since he first popped up on mock drafts, but he still has some work to do technically to round that area of his game out. He’s a surprising route runner who also won a national title as a high jumper in high school. That’s evident on his tape, and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported in the summer that Whyle’s vertical clears 35”.
The concerns with Whyle mainly center around the way he’s built: he’s a high-cut, athletic tight end meant to be more of a receiver than a blocker. The Chargers need a player who can do both if they’re going to move off a patchwork approach the way they have over the past two seasons.
Davis Allen, Clemson
Measurables: 6’6”, 250 lbs
Likely draft range: Mid-Day 3
An overlooked part of Clemson’s offense during his four seasons with the program, Allen’s best argument for pro consideration is his versatility. While a Tiger, the senior lined up anywhere from out wide to in the backfield as an H-back, winning with his prototypical size and length for the position.
Beyond his versatility and frame, everything about Allen is just about average. He’s a fine blocker, rarely losing but rarely definitively winning. As a route runner, he’s alright, but doesn’t create ample separation at the top of routes, instead winning with contested catch skills. He’s an average and smooth athlete without a second gear to really punish defenders downfield.
All that profiles as a backup tight end in the NFL, and one who will likely stick around because of his formational flexibility. For the Chargers, however, I don’t see him being the likeliest selection because of the need for a starting-caliber player.
Will Mallory, Miami
Measurables: 6’5”, 245 lbs
Likely draft range: Late Day 3
A four star recruit from Jacksonville, Mallory increased his reception totals every season at Miami en route to a career high 42 catches in 2022. From a football family that includes NFL and NCAA coaches alike, Mallory’s experience around the game runs deep and his transition to being a professional should be seamless.
Mallory would be a perfect fit in Joe Lombardi’s offense as a stick and sit tight end who makes his living finding the soft spot in underneath zones. He’s not a natural separator against man coverage, but he’s an adequate receiver who can play a complementary role in an offense.
As a blocker, Mallory is far from the best in the class, and there’s not much room for significant improvement. His frame looks mostly maxed out, and reworking his strength profile runs the risk of making him less of a receiving threat, a losing proposition considering his existing struggles with creating separation.
Brayden Willis, Oklahoma
Measurables: 6’4”, 239 lbs
Likely draft range: Late Day 3
Willis is essentially a fullback, but the Senior Bowl does list him as a tight end, so we’ll include him on today’s list. Another versatile player, Willis has produced primarily on special teams for the Sooners, but has also made plays as a receiver, runner, blocker, and passer during his Oklahoma career.
As a pro, Willis’ most likely role will be as an H-back or true fullback, where teams can get him into space to serve as a lead blocker on outside runs. That’s where he was at his best at Oklahoma, and NFL teams are increasingly adding college-style run concepts that utilize that skillset. Playing him in-line runs the risk of having bigger defensive linemen outmatch him with power that the 239 pounder simply can’t handle.
The problem with players like Willis is that they require creative vision to unlock. Making use of the versatility he showed at Oklahoma is his best path to NFL success, but an early role on special teams will be how he earns those opportunities. With Zander Horvath and Tre’ McKitty on the roster, it’s unlikely that opportunity comes in LA.
Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
Measurables: 6’6”, 250 lbs
Likely draft range: Day 2
It’s not clear how much Musgrave will participate in Mobile after a knee injury cut his 2022 short after only two games, but if he’s healthy, expect a whole lot of eyes to be on him. The nephew of veteran NFL assistant Bill Musgrave, the former Beaver is one of the top tight ends in the draft.
While the rest of the players on this list struggle to either create underneath separation or threaten defenses downfield, Musgrave has the ability to do both while also harboring enough power to run through defenders after the catch. A former lacrosse player and alpine skier, Musgrave’s short-area athleticism is evident on his tape.
He’s a work in progress as a blocker, which might turn teams like the Chargers off from the late Round 1 buzz Musgrave has received in recent weeks. However, if LA elects to go in a different direction with their first round pick, an option like Musgrave could very much be in play in the second or third round, where I think it’s much likelier that he will be selected.
Payne Durham, Purdue
Measurables: 6’5”, 255 lbs
Likely draft range: Early Day 3
After a high school career as a lacrosse player, Durham switched to football as a senior and earned the attention of Purdue, where he’s blossomed into one of the better college tight ends in the country over the past five seasons.
If you’re looking for a premier blocker, Durham is the closest thing in Mobile. Both in-line and as a lead blocker, the Boilermaker is a hole opener in the run game, something the Chargers sorely lack at the position. That mass, however, affects his receiving abilities: a lumbering mover with poor hip sink, Durham is more of a soft spot finder than a man-to-man beater.
Durham is going to enter the league as a TE2 and primarily serve as an extra blocker while teams work on a way to get him opportunities as a receiver. That could be an attractive proposition for LA if they continue with the personnel currently on the roster and address other needs early. Durham would be the best blocking tight end on the roster and allow Gerald Everett and/or Donald Parham Jr. to primarily run routes, where they’re at their best.
