Boston College tight end Tommy Sweeney (89) celebrates a touchdown against Purdue in 2018. (Associated Press)
INDIANAPOLIS – Boston College’s Tommy Sweeney isn’t going to proclaim himself the best tight end in the draft. He’s too humble for that. But he does know that whatever team wants him will get a player with multiple abilities.
And a willingness to try anything.
“I think (I’m) a versatile tight end,” he said Friday at the NFL combine. “Everybody gets in line for that. I can get in the backfield, whatever you want me to do. Be 250, be 270, whatever it may be.”
The Browns might be in the market for a young tight end, which could make Sweeney an intriguing option during the NFL Draft in April.
The Browns have 10 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, including No. 17 overall. The Browns have their starting quarterback, but still have many areas of need. While at the NFL combine, cleveland.com is profiling players who could address those needs at various points in the draft.
Who: Boston College tight end Tommy Sweeney.
Size: 6-5, 260.
What he's done: Sweeney was All-ACC first-team last season as a senior. He finished his college career with 99 catches for 1,281 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the Golden Eagles in receptions (36), receiving yards (512) and receiving touchdowns (four) as a junior.
How the Browns could get him: Sweeney is a mid-round prospect, according to numerous draft analysts. He might be a player the Browns target with their extra pick in the third round.
Why the Browns should want him: David Njoku is clearly the Browns' starter at tight end, but GM John Dorsey was clear on Thursday at the NFL combine: Njoku's blocking must improve.
“I know one thing I’d like to see, I’ll say it right now: improve your run blocking,” Dorsey said. “Everything else from a pass-catching standpoint, I think David has got all the elements to be a really nice pass-catching tight end. So I challenge him here today, you know what, improve your run blocking.”
Sweeney is more of a throwback tight end, with a block-first mentality. That could make him valuable to the Browns, as well as the ability to get him in the middle rounds.
“I think I’m really good blocker,” Sweeney said. “I think I can block pretty well. BC ran the football a lot. I was in a lot of the schemes.”
“I just try to be a well-rounded tight end. Not do one thing or the other thing. Just kind of do them all pretty well. Not give away tendencies.”
There’s also the rest of the tight end depth chart to consider.
Darren Fells will be 33 when the season begins. The Browns can release him before the new league year and only suffer a $1.4 million cap hit. Seth DeValve is on the final year of his rookie contract and struggled to get on the field last season. Orson Charles, used more as a fullback last season, is a restricted free agent.
According to Pro Football Focus, Njoku’s run blocking (65.2) graded higher than Fells (55.9), DeValve (58.7) and Charles (46.6).
Why they may not want him: Sweeney doesn't have the burst at the line of scrimmage that Dorsey – or most NFL coaches – would like. Also, it's unlikely that he would bring more in the passing game than Fells or DeValve.
Boston College tight end Tommy Sweeney (89) catches a pass for a touchdown during the Quick Lane Bowl in 2016. (Associated Press)
Here's what else Sweeney had to say Friday:
On what he wants teams to know about him: "That I'm smart, tough and competitive. Those three. That I'm willing to do whatever they ask me, whether its play inside, play outside, I just want to do it all."
On what he wants teams to see at the combine: "Even if you don't check all the boxes, show that, at 250 pounds, I can run and move side to side pretty well."
On how the tight end position has changed: "You even look at a guy like Rob Gronkowski, people see him catching the ball all the time, but he's an old-fashioned tight end. He blocks. He's an unbelievable blocker. He's out in front at the point of attack and everything. So it has (changed) a little bit. But if anything, you see all of these receiving tight ends. It's kind of added to it. I don't think it's taken away from the old-fashioned tight ends. I just think it's made it an expanded role. There's more roles to fill."
On preparing for the combine vs. preparing for a game: "It's definitely different. In a game, you have a week to prepare for a team. You prepare for one defense you're playing against, or whatever it may be. Here, it's you, and you're doing your own thing. You're really going off a lifetime of work. It's just different. You're not really playing football. You're not going against an opponent. You're going against yourself."
On how he would feel about playing behind an established starter: "(Combine players) have never played at the NFL level before, in order to be able to learn from a guy that's established, who's been successful, knows what to do, knows how to do it, even if you're just watching him, I think it's huge and very beneficial."
OTHER PROFILES
Why the Browns should draft Ole Miss offensive lineman Greg Little.
Why the Browns should draft Northern Illinois offensive lineman Max Scharping.
Why the Browns should draft Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur.
Why the Browns should draft Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew.
Why the Browns should draft Iowa State wide receiver Hakeem Butler.
Want more Browns? Subscribe to our Browns YouTube channel for interviews, analysis and more.
Get the best Browns news and perspective in your inbox at lunch time every weekday. Sign up for our Browns newsletter.
Go inside the Browns every week with cleveland.com's Orange and Brown Podcast, featuring Mary Kay Cabot, Dan Labbe and Scott Patsko. Listen and subscribe here.
Ad Choices