Raiders 7-round Mock Draft: QB arrives, massive Day 2 trade and more
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Tight End. . 208. 208. AJ Barner. player. . AJ Barner. 485.
Another position where a starter isn’t necessarily a need but depth certainly might be is tight end. The Raiders have Michael Mayer and brought in Harrison Bryant but may look for some additional young talent to round out the group. In steps an intriguing prospect in Michigan’s AJ Barner who has plenty of upside that overshadows his meager production.
Barner measures in at 6-6 and 251lbs and tested well but was not one of the highest performers at the Michigan pro day. Most of his events ended up in the 60-75th percentile which is good but not great but he does have great size and an incredibly long wingspan in the 93rd percentile which helps when it comes to beating press coverage or blocking.
The former Indiana transfer has soft hands and smooth route running ability and his size makes him a great jump ball threat down in the red zone. He is not afraid to mix it up in the run game and was asked to do so a lot in Michigan’s run-heavy offense. We could see him filling out a bit and embracing his role as a blocking tight end while using that massive wingspan to keep defenders at bay.
Again, this is not a major need but will be a great addition to the tight end room.