Schuylar Oordt 6'6" 261TE, Northern Iowa
Rankings: 20th-ranked tight end by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as a player who should make an NFL training camp.
NFLDraftScout: 11th-ranked tight end, #238 player overall, with a 6th-7th round grade.
Scout.com rated Oordt 15th at tight end and 251st overall, with a late-round draft grade.
Biography/honors:
2010: All-Missouri Valley Conference honorable mention. Team captain. Eight starts in 12 games. 24 receptions for 405 yards (16.9 avg) and 3 TDs.
2009: Second team All-Missouri Valley Conference. Three starts in 11 games. 18 receptions for 358 yards (19.9 avg) and 5 TDs.
2008: Four starts in 15 games. 12 receptions for 233 yards (19.4 avg) and 3 TDs.
2007: One start in 13 games. 12 receptions for 233 yards (19.4 avg) and a TD.
2006: Redshirted.
Major: Marketing with emphasis on management.
Injuries:
None reported.
NFL Combine Stats:
4.67 40
4.25 short shuttle (5th-best TE)
6.83 3-cone drill (3rd-best)
36” vertical leap (4th-best)
9'11” broad jump (3rd-best)
18 bench presses
Combine TE averages (2010): 4.73 40, 7.03 3-cone, 35" vertical, 9'6" broad jump
Positives: Sensational athlete with ideal measurables. Can create mismatches with his speed up the seam. Moves fluidly with good quickness and speed. Finds the open spot in the defense. Consistently creates mismatches in the secondary. Catches well in full stride. Soft hands. Catches well over the shoulder. Tracks the ball well, can run away from man coverage; could be a big-play threat. Tough player and strong runner after the catch. Great character. Actively involved in community service.
Negatives: Will be 24 at start of rookie season. Skinny, needs to get stronger and play with more confidence. Not a factor in the running game because of his narrow base and lack of power. Has only run basic routes. Poor instincts and feel for the game. Shies in a crowd. Terrible at gauntlet drills at the Combine, dropping some passes and letting every pass get into his body. Doesn't catch balls well outside of his frame. Isn't elusive runner after the catch. Plays tight end like the converted wide receiver he is. Unlikely to ever become a starting in-line TE.
Compares to: Let's say fellow NFL rookie Julius Thomas, a 4th-round draft pick of the Broncos. Very similar player in size and Combine numbers, also converted (though from basketball) to the position and very raw at it.
Fun Facts: Oordt raised $13,000 in a T-shirt drive (money he was apparently allowed to keep, which hopefully doesn't interest the NCAA) at NIU to buy a helper dog for a local teen afflicted by blindness and brain trauma. Oordt's also a dog lover and owns a rescue greyhound. Article
RamView: First things first: Rams + Northern Iowa players = Gold. A good thing, too, because if not for that, I'd be wondering how the hell many tight end projects the Rams think they can fit on their roster. Like Fendi Onobun last year, Oordt's a better athlete than a football player; maybe if the Rams pick up enough of these guys, one will stick. Who's next, Michael Phelps? Oordt's at least a better buy off the undrafted rack than Onobun was as a 5th-rounder. Very natural to wonder, though, if those two very smart, very athletic, high-character tight end prospects won't be competing for a practice-squad slot at some point. One of a thousand situations at Rams Park that will be interesting to monitor in August.
Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2011 Draft Guide, NFLDraftScout.com, Northern Iowa Athletics website, Sports Illustrated, Waterloo-Cedar Falls (IA) Courier
Photo: The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
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