NFL Draft 2014 Prospect Profile: Jace Amaro, Tight End, Texas Tech

Oct 12, 2013; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Jace Amaro (22) rushes after catching a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second half at Jones AT

Jace Amaro – Tight End – Texas Tech
Ht: 6’ 5’’
Wt. 260

Receiving through 12 games (with national ranks)
98 Receptions (5th)
1240 Yards (8th)
7 TD (T50)

Projected Round: 1 (Top 15)

Jace Amaro is one of the most intriguing offensive prospects in this class. He has had a phenomenal season. He has shown the ability to stretch the field on every play and has some of the most reliable hands in all of college football. In what could have been his last regular season game as a Red Raider, Amaro collected 83 yards on 6 receptions and hauled in a 4th quarter touchdown in the loss to Texas.

Amaro is only a junior and has been a little flippy-floppy on whether or not he will be entering the draft. Despite being one of the nation’s top players, he was not named as a finalist for the John Mackey Award, the award is given to the nation’s top tight end. Amaro took to Twitter to post his frustration.

• “In the end it will all make sense. Thank you for making my decision for next year that much easier.”

Many people are looking at that as an indicator that he may come back for a senior season and attempt to win the award, while others are looking at it as a clear sign of frustration with college football and think he will be heading to the NFL.

Positives:

Amaro is only a tight end by title. He has the speed and hands of a wide receiver. He has the ability to stretch the field vertically and also make short catches. He lined up as the slot receiver much of the season in Texas Tech’s vertical offense.

He has tons of experience in running different routes. He shows that he can be a threat no matter where he is positioned. He has the speed to be a tough mismatch against any defense. He won’t burn any defensive backs, but he has the ability to run after the catch.

His hands are his greatest asset. If the ball is anywhere near him he has the ability to come down with it. He has great body control and can win any jump ball battle.

Negatives:

He is not the best route runner. He sometimes fattens his routes and doesn’t have much burst. He tends to come off the line a little slow at times. If he can learn how to control his lower body better when running routes, he will improve his receiving game greatly.

His blocking is an area in need of improvement. He has the size to be great, but he often times comes up to stiff. He needs to take better angles towards the defender. Too often he is left standing with a defender running around him. He has shown potential as a blocker, but is too inconsistent at this point. With more experience and technique work, he can develop this part of his game.

Conclusion:

I have Jace Amaro ranked as my number one tight end prospect. He is a huge mismatch against defenses. His ability to line up anywhere in the passing game is a great asset to NFL offenses. If he was more consistent as a blocker he would no doubt be the best offensive weapon in this class. He has had an outstanding season and I expect him to continue his success into the future.