Brevyn Spann-Ford
Strengths:
· Smooth athlete with size. Has an extremely large catch radius; his tape shows him making all sorts of catches on balls thrown his way
· Great hands. He is a natural pass catcher. Looks comfortable split out wide.
· Basketball player. Consistently wins 1v1 battles and jump balls
· Good use of hands vs. jams/press coverage. Rarely allows players to get their hands into his chest and interrupt his route
Weaknesses:
· Straight-line speed. Doesn’t have the typical burst on film that most D1 players have
· Not extremely quick footed. Not as concerning for tight ends
· Will need to learn blocking techniques against much bigger players
From an athleticism/size standpoint, Spann-Ford absolutely stands out as a Division I prospect. He’s extremely athletic and smooth for a person of his size. From a pass-catching/athleticism standpoint, he checks all the boxes. Since he projects as a TE, he will need to learn blocking techniques and get used to taking on defensive lineman/linebackers. For a guy his size, his tape didn’t show as many blocking highlights as you’d expect. His speed also will need to be improved upon as that is an area he lacks.
Fleck likes to use tight ends as pass catchers, where Spann-Ford excels. Blocking can be taught, but athleticism cannot. Jason Witten has never been known has quick but has been a standout in the NFL for years. I think Spann-Ford will a mismatch for all teams down the road for the Gophers.
Strengths:
· Smooth athlete with size. Has an extremely large catch radius; his tape shows him making all sorts of catches on balls thrown his way
· Great hands. He is a natural pass catcher. Looks comfortable split out wide.
· Basketball player. Consistently wins 1v1 battles and jump balls
· Good use of hands vs. jams/press coverage. Rarely allows players to get their hands into his chest and interrupt his route
Weaknesses:
· Straight-line speed. Doesn’t have the typical burst on film that most D1 players have
· Not extremely quick footed. Not as concerning for tight ends
· Will need to learn blocking techniques against much bigger players
From an athleticism/size standpoint, Spann-Ford absolutely stands out as a Division I prospect. He’s extremely athletic and smooth for a person of his size. From a pass-catching/athleticism standpoint, he checks all the boxes. Since he projects as a TE, he will need to learn blocking techniques and get used to taking on defensive lineman/linebackers. For a guy his size, his tape didn’t show as many blocking highlights as you’d expect. His speed also will need to be improved upon as that is an area he lacks.
Fleck likes to use tight ends as pass catchers, where Spann-Ford excels. Blocking can be taught, but athleticism cannot. Jason Witten has never been known has quick but has been a standout in the NFL for years. I think Spann-Ford will a mismatch for all teams down the road for the Gophers.
