The NFL Draft is such a spectacle within the sport. It’s the one event next to the NFL schedule release that gets fans ready for football even if the official kickoff is months away. The 2010 NFL Draft is by far a memorable one. That was the draft class that introduced us to Earl Thomas, Tim Tebow, and Antonio Brown. In the second round of that draft, the New England Patriots drafted a tight end named Rob Gronkowski out of Arizona. I don’t know what it is, but the Patriots have a way of finding gems later in the draft. After all, look at the quarterback they selected back in 2000 back in the sixth round with the 199th pick! Now, back to Rob. After 11 seasons and the second time, the veteran tight end has announced he’s calling it a career.
I’ve seen some great tight ends. Antonio Gates and Jason Witten are a few. Then, there are the Hall of Famers: Shannon Sharpe and Tony Gonzalez. Gronk is one of the three greatest tight ends I’ve had the privilege of watching and analyzing. When he was drafted, as expected it took him some time to get acclimated to things within the offensive system. Once he adjusted, he was such a nightmare for any defense with the task of defending him. Gronk is 6’6 and weighs about 265 pounds. As a pass-catcher, he did what most wide receivers did. He would be lined up wide on the perimeter and each time I saw that it meant one thing. He’s getting the ball. Of course, he would play inside as your traditional tight end. It didn’t matter where he was, I always saw a productive football player. Gronk was always what I called the “ultimate mismatch”. As a receiver, he did the things that tight ends were coached to do. His release was phenomenal, and he always positioned himself to make a play. If there was ever the definition of a safety valve, it was number 87. This was the one target I saw Brady so in sync with since his days with Randy Moss. Gronk also had a wide catch radius. Anything thrown in his direction was hittinghis hands. With the ball in his hands, he moved as quickly as a receiver in space. Another aspect of the game that made him so special was his ability to block. Gronk had no issues putting his hands down in the dirt and imposing his will on defenders in run blocking. In some situations, he was used as an additional offensive lineman. He had great body control for a man of his size. Gronk was a strong guy who was excellent at using his body to keep a distance between the football and the defender.
The best I ever saw Gronk look was back in 2014. That was his peak. For years, he was the undisputed best tight end in the league. After winning another Super Bowl in 2019, Gronk decided to call it a career. When Tom announced he was signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the veteran tight end would get traded by the Patriots and he’d be reunited with the only quarterback he’s ever played with. What a career he had. 11 seasons, four Super Bowl rings, and 92 touchdowns. He’s bound for Canton five years from now. Congrats to an all-time great.
