2014 NFL Combine Preview: Five Tight Ends to Watch

4. Troy Niklas

School: Notre Dame
Watch to Watch: 40-time, Cone Drill, Gauntlet
2013 Stats: 37 catches, 573 yards, six touchdowns
Met with Chiefs: No

Looking for a potential mid-round steal in the draft? Look no further than Niklas, who could prove to have the highest ceiling in the draft with the right coaching.

Niklas was an outside linebacker when he arrived at Notre Dame, but was moved to tight end his sophomore year. The short amount of time at the position makes him very raw when it comes to technique, but the natural ability is there. There are some expectations he could have similar athleticism as Ebron and Amaro.

His size is also a potential nightmare for defenses. He’s listed somewhere between 6-6 and 6-7, 26- to 270 pounds. If a 6-7, 270 pound man with potential 4.6 speed is flying down the seem, then good luck the free safety who is going to have to defend and tackle him. That size and athleticism would also play well in the red zone.

It will be interesting to see how Niklas performs at the combine given his lack of experience as a tight end. But most important is seeing if the rumors of his athleticism are true. You can teach technique but you can’t teach 6-7, 270 pounds with 4.6 speed. However, a good showing at the combine may cause his stock to rise high enough that the Chiefs won’t have a shot at him in the third or fourth round.