TE — Mike Gesicki 6.82
Scout- Jason Feiner
College: Penn State
Height: 6'6"
weight: 250 lbs
40-Time: 4.54
Bench Press: 22
Athleticism
Q.A.B. 7.00 Gesicki is a tight end prospect with phenomenal athletic ability, which can come across as surprising considering his 250 pound frame. He has great body control and good quickness in and out of his routes. He blew up the combine recording the best times and numbers in his position group and coming in second in the bench press lifting an impressive 22 reps.
Flexibility 6.00 Gesicki plays with good flexibility, but he could use better pad level and bending ability. He doesn’t always keep his knees bent and his long strides make it harder for him to break down and change direction.
C.O.D. 6.50 He has the ability to break in and out of his route without losing much speed effectively and plant his foot in the ground and drive toward the ball. His long strides limit his quickness and impact his COD
Explosion 7.00 Gesicki is an explosive athlete, but he doesn’t always translate it to the game. He recorded a 41.5" Vert and a 10"9" broad jump at 6'6" and 250 pounds. He is a smooth and fluid athlete, but needs to translate some of his explosive ability to the field rather than just on the stats sheet during individual workouts.
Deep Speed 7.50 Gesicki has sneaky build up speed and is a mismatch for cover linebackers. He ran a 4.54 forty yard-dash and can gain separation in the second and third levels.
Receiving Skills
Quicks Off LOS 7.00 Gesicki is a fluid athlete with a smooth release. He is quick off the line and utilizes a good first step with the ability to move into his route quickly.
Route Running 7.00 He is a fluid route runner that works to improve in each opportunity presented. He has the ability to run more complex routes in the route tree and is capable of running the seem without hesitation. Gesicki does an excellent job of changing his route speeds to hide his route intention.
Separation 7.00 He is a mismatch for cover linebackers, and he is too large for corners and smaller defensive backs. Gesicki has the speed and length to gain separation in the second and third levels. His long strides cause him to lose quickness when running shallow routes across the middle. He struggles to gain separation in this part of the field.
Hands 8.00 Gesicki’s ball skills are evident. He has strong hands with the ability to extend his arms and create a rare catch radius. He has the talent to make adjustments in the air. Gesicki can catch the ball in traffic and uses his body efficiently so that he is in the best position to make a play on the ball.
Yards After Contact 6.50 Gesicki is a bid bodied TE with the ability to run through weak tackles and smaller defenders. He doesn’t play with a very physical attitude and his play strength is sub-par
Ball Security 8.00 Gesicki has the best ball skills of all the TE prospects. He doesn’t fumble and rarely drops a pass. He can occasionally let the ball hang away from his body, but it has not affected him negatively yet. He will need to secure the ball when he is in The NFL.
Blocking
In-Line Runs 5.00 Gesicki is a liability in the run game. He is not a physical blocker and gets beat too often against athletic ends. He doesn’t play with power and wont sustain a block for more than a few seconds.
Motion Runs 5.00 Gesicki is not a physical blocker and doesn’t last more than a few seconds when engaged. A physical and quick defender will usually beat Gesicki to the point of attack.
Blocking In Space 6.00 Gesicki has the ability to stop smaller defenders, but he still will occasionally get beat to the point of attack.
Pass Blocking 4.00 Gesicki doesn’t pass block and there is no reason to believe that he would be capable in any situation. If he were used as an H-back in pass blocking situations he would get beat to the quarterback. It would be a misuse of his athletic ability.
Situational Awareness 6.00 Gesicki is a smart and instinctive player and he will attempt to block a defender in the area of the ball carrier.
Competitiveness
Toughness 7.00 Gesicki is a tough player with excellent athleticism, but poor playing strength. He is not very physical and will need to develop the physicality putting his game. He gets bullied in the run game and is an inefficient blocker.
Production 7.00 Gesicki is an athletic prospect who has been one of the better TE options at the collegiate level. He finished near the top in his position group for receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Consistency/Motor 8.00 Gesicki has a high motor and gives maximal effort on each play. He will do everything he can to catch the ball if he is targeted. He isn’t reliable as a blocker and will need to work on his technique and consistency when run blocking.
Intelligence
Instincts 7.50 He is a smart player with good instincts. He can find a body to block in space, and usually knows his assignment when down blocking into the line.
Learn/Retain 8.00 Gesicki has the ability to run complex routes in the route tree, and he knows how to manipulate his body to shield a defender form the ball.
Versatility 7.00 Gesicki is a good receiving threat with the versatility and route knowledge to play outside, in the slot or tight on the line.
Strengths
Mike Gesicki is a smooth and fluid athlete with great build up speed. He is a dangerous mismatch for cover linebackers and smaller defensive backs with the ability to run complex routes. He puts effort into his route tree and can change speeds to mask his intentions. His long and athletic TE who knows how to use his body to shield defenders from the ball. He has the ability to gain separation in the second and third levels of the defense. Gesicki has outstanding ball skills. He has strong hands with a rare catch radius. Gesicki has the talent to twist his body in mid air and make difficult catches seem routine. He uses his body to get into position in order to make difficult receptions.
Weaknesses
Although Gesicki is an excellent athlete, his long strides affect his quickness and create an inability to generate separation close to the line. He is not a physical player and lacks play strength. He has struggle against jams and fails to release when under press coverage. He takes a passive approach to blocking. He is a liability when blocking in the line and can rarely sustain blocks for more than a few seconds against strong and speedy edge rushers.
Big Picture
The big-bodied tight end is an excellent athlete who has the potential to develop into a dangerous receiving threat in the NFL. He has the ability to run complex routes while using his sneaky build up speed to separate from defenders in the second and third levels, but his long strides limit his quickness and in and out his breaks. He has an inability to separate close to the line of scrimmage. He has excellent ball skills and strong hands with the ability to shield defenders from the ball and torque his body to play the ball in good position. He is a passive blocker and is a liability in the blocking game. His issues as a blocker may limit the teams that are interested in his play making ability, but he may turn into one of the next great receiving TE’s. He is worth a chance in the second or third rounds, as his potential as a pass catcher is too great to pass up.
