Chiefs Draft: Late round wonders
By Laddie Morse
TE Temarrick Hemingway, 6-5, 244
I don’t think South Carolina, where tight end Temarrick Hemingway went to school, knew any other routes to send him out on other than a hook pattern or a slant over the middle. That may well be the reason why Hemingway only had one touchdown in 2015. However, every time I watch him play I keep seeing Kelvin Benjamin’s rookie season appear before my eyes. A rookie season when when Benjamin caught over 1,000 yards worth of passes from Cam Newton in 2014.
In fact, Benjamin’s physical traits are only one pound different from Hemingway’s. Benjamin goes 6-foot-5 and weighs 243.
It makes me wonder why Temarrick Hemingway isn’t getting the press or attention he should be getting. Perhaps that’s the difference between attending Florida State, where Benjamin went, and attending South Carolina, Hemingway’s school.
In any event, Hemingway has a good move off the line of scrimmage and most linebackers will have problems keeping up with him because for a man who is 6-foot-5, he’s quick and shifty and hard to keep up with from the slot. Which, is where South Carolina had Hemingway lining up most of the time. While Kelvin Benjamin’s 40 yard dash time was 4.61, Temarrick Hemingway’s 40 time is 4.71 and he is quite capable of losing linebackers off the line of scrimmage.
CBS Sports ranks Temarrick Hemingway as the 160th best overall prospect. DraftTek ranks Hemingway at #212. However, DraftTek has Hemingway moving up from their last ranking… 999 slots. Which basically means he wasn’t ranked previously but more importantly means… he’s moving up fast and who knows where he’ll be by draft day.
My Take on Temarrick Hemingway
I don’t see Temarrick Hemingway serving exclusively as a tight end in the NFL which, makes him perfect for the Chiefs. Andy Reid likes to mix his receivers and tight ends up to cause some mismatches and Hemingway could help blur those lines and force defenses to place players out of position.
I can envision Andy Reid in the Red Zone going to an all tight end set with 6-foot-5 Travis Kelce, 6-foot-7 Demetrius Harris and 6-foot-5 Temarrick Hemingway… and then maybe running De’Anthony Thomas out of the backfield…. causing every defensive coach in the league to simultaneously go into a coma.
The question is: does Temarrick Hemingway have big league talent? I can see it. I’d say yes. Maybe he’d be viewed as a developmental TE/WR at first but those kinds of guys are hard to come by and Andy Reid knows how to use them. So, if Hemingway is there in the 5th, 6th or 7th rounds, I’m hoping the Chiefs at least consider him.
What do you say Addict fans? Are you interested in any of these late round wonders? Or, do you have a late round wonder up your own sleeve?