5th Round (#162)
Ben Braunecker – TE – Harvard
Strengths: Has the size and athleticism for the position. Quality hands catcher and can make something happen after the catch. Can be a load to bring down, especially for smaller defensive backs.
Good route runner who understands how to maximize his athleticism to win man coverage matchups. Has good field vision and can find soft spots in zone coverage. Solid blocker who demonstrates excellent fundamentals and technique.
Weaknesses: Will need to add some strength before he’s ready to block on a consistent basis in the NFL. Coming from the FCS and has very little experience against top tier competition.
The Fit: To be honest, I’m a little stumped on why the media isn’t higher on Braunecker. After watching his film, I came away with almost nothing but positives. The only drawback I could find on him was the fact he was playing against FCS talent, so there’s a big leap to be made. However, even calculating for that, I gave him a late-2nd round grade. That’s some tremendous value.
There are a lot of fans who argue the Chiefs are set at TE for now…I disagree. To be honest, I haven’t seen near enough from O’Shaughnessy to give him the nod of approval. And that goes almost triple for Brian Parker. Even Demetrius Harris still has a good bit to prove before this team should be standing pat at the position. I would prefer a veteran option be added, but in lieu of that, a guy like Braunecker seems like an ideal fit.
Next: 5th Round continued