The San Diego Chargers have been graced for more than a decade by a transcendent tight end, Antonio Gates.
Gates has gone above and beyond in terms of being an asset to his team. Number 85 will always be remembered for ways in which he helped the Chargers win games. However, Gates has one more challenge before he should call it quits- to mold the next San Diego tight end.
Related Story: Mike McCoy's Fate
Drafted out of Arkansas with the 35th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Hunter Henry was widely regarded as the top tight end prospect in this year’s draft. At 6’5, 250 lbs, and a 4.66 40-yard dash, Henry has the intangibles to be a nightmare matchup.
Yet, Henry is not one of those “modern” tight ends who run routes as a pass catcher far more than blocking in the run or pass game. Henry has been projected as a Heath Miller-type of player in some aspects. The young tight end does most everything well and is always looking to help his team win games.
Henry’s run blocking at Arkansas was key in their prolific running attack. He is able to reach the second level as a blocker and provide an edge or a running lane while sustaining the block. In terms of the passing game, Henry is an absolute stud.
In 2015, Henry garnered 51 receptions, 739 yards, and three touchdowns. Now these are not eye-popping statistics, but take into account that Henry did this without recording a single drop. Overall, summing up Henry’s last two seasons, he caught 98 percent of all catchable passes thrown his way.
must read: Bosa's Learning Curve
If Henry is able to learn from Antonio Gates and mirror even a little bit of what Gates does in the passing game, Henry will have been a steal in the second round. Once Henry works on finding the soft spots within the defense while running routes, he will be a complete tight end given his reliable hands. The Chargers have found their heir apparent to Antonio Gates, and in my opinion, there is no better alternative than Hunter Henry.