Jace Amaro visiting with Atlanta Falcons
Texas Tech Red Raiders tight end Jace Amaro (22) celebrates his second touchdown catch in the first quarter against the Baylor Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons received excellent play from the tight end position over the past several seasons when future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez was locked in at the position, and his retirement has left the Falcons organization without a very reliable, talented weapon at a position that helps increase flexibility on offense.
According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan, the Falcons are evaluating potential heirs to the TE position for Gonzalez and are working out Texas Tech Red Raiders star tight end Jace Amaro. The Falcons will most likely take Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack, Greg Robinson, or Jake Matthews (all four are blue-chip prospects) with a top-six pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but a guy like Amaro would be an excellent option for the Falcons in the second round.
Amaro will likely end up getting selected in the first round, especially since there is a lot more emphasis on the tight end position in the draft and in the NFL overall these days. A better blocker and more consistent pass-catcher than Eric Ebron, Amaro is locked in as the second-best tight end in the draft class, and it isn’t a stretch to rank him over Ebron. It also isn’t a stretch to rank Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who excels as a blocker, over Amaro, but it’s clear to me that Amaro is worth a first-round pick and could be an impact player for the Falcons. Thomas Dimitroff is always looking for weapons, and there’s always a need for talented pass-catchers in a high-powered offense, especially the risk of injury always exists (the Falcons certainly witnessed that last season).