2020 NFL Draft profile: Michigan tight end Sean McKeon

Sean McKeon came from a high school offense that did not throw the ball a ton, so to get the call from Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines was welcome news for the tight end prospect. Throughout his time in Ann Arbor, he was a solid contributor in the passing game and now finds himself in consideration for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here is McKeon’s background and what he brings to the table as a prospect heading into the draft.

Info

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 242 pounds

School: Michigan

Position: Tight end

Projected: 7th round/UDFA

Combine Results: 18 bench press reps

Player Comparison: Tommy Sweeney

Strengths

• Has a good tight end frame with more room to add strength
• Notable technical improvements made throughout his career, namely as a blocker both inside and in the open field
• Soft hands and has a solid catch radius and flashed the ability to snatch receptions away from his body
• Hand-eye coordination is good in most situations and does not hear footsteps from defenders...takes steps to secure the catch when contact comes
• Yards per catch went from 8.7 to 18.1 this season, showcasing an ability to be a bit more of a weapon down the field

Weaknesses

• Solid overall athlete, though may need to fill out and physically develop more if he is to crack a roster at the next level
• Won’t be much of a matchup tight end at the next level
• His blocks can lose steam down the field as he works to finish down the field
• His routes can sometimes leave a bit desired in that he drifts through them and has a tendency to run them standing straight up
• Production fell off after his 31-catch sophomore season, though he did deal with some injuries...had 27 grabs the last two years combined (14 in 2018, 13 in 2019)

Overview

McKeon projects best as an in-line “Y” receiver at the next level and someone who has a chance to crack a roster as a third/developmental tight end on the depth chart. He is a willing-enough blocker and improved there in his time in Ann Arbor, but will need to add more strength to his frame to hold up in this area at the next level. There is not a lot of explosion, burst or separation to his game and his opportunities mostly come when he is working in the soft spots on the defense, though he has extremely soft hands and is a player that is capable of cashing in on opportunities he gets in the passing game. He was a solid college tight end, but without the athletic traits or ability to flex out wide, this is probably a prospect that waits things out until late on day three and potentially for undrafted free agency.