2014 NFL Draft Profile: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE Washington
By Adam Carlson
Dec 27, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Huskies tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (88) is defended by BYU Cougars linebacker Uani
Austin Seferian-Jenkins drew some pretty crazy comparisons to NFL players as a tight end at Washington. We’ve heard him compared to guys like Aaron Hernandez (on the football field, of course…not the crazy off the field stuff), Mercedes Lewis and even Vernon Davis. At one time, Seferian-Jenkins was considered the best tight end in the draft and a lock to be an early first round selection…but then his stock started dropping.
He does come with some baggage of his own. He was arrested for a DUI in March of 2013 and plead guilty to those charges. He suffered a broken pinkie finger prior to his 2013 campaign and he is also still recovering from a stress fracture in his foot that could be a bit of a red flag as well. He had said in an a talk with Pro Football Talk that he expects to be healed up by the the time of the combine’s medical re-checks on April 26th.
Despite those problems, Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a huge target at 6’6″ tall and weighing in at 262 pounds. He was a multi-sport athlete at Washington, playing both basketball and football. He could be a very dynamic weapon for a team looking for a red-zone threat or a receiving tight end.
Here are his statistics over 3 years at Washington:
Oct 19, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (88) looks on during the second half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
38 games played
146 receptions
1840 receiving yards
12.6 yards per catch
21 touchdowns
Strengths
- Incredible catch radius
- Strong route runner
- Sturdy frame – hard to tackle
- Concentrates well on catches
Weaknesses
- Somewhat poor blocker
- Off-field legal issues
- Not a speedster
- Injury concerns
Fit For The Vikings
With the release of John Carlson, Minnesota may be looking for a tight end to complement Kyle Rudolph.
My Take
If Austin Seferian-Jenkins is available with the Vikings pick at #40, they have to consider him. Offensive weapons like him are rare in the NFL and helping out Matt Cassel or a rookie QB should be something the team is thinking about.