Matt Kalil dazzles at Combine, Ladarius Green emerges as potential playmaker

Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green is on a mission to increase his draft stock, and he did it by jumping off the page today when testing at the Combine.

Green ran the second fastest forty time among the tight ends after posting a 4.53 at 6’6 and 238 pounds.

Other measurables include: 34.5 inch vertical jump, 124 inch broad jump, 10 1/8 inch hands, and a 4.47 20-yard shuttle time.

As more NFL teams begin utilizing tight end’s to exploit match-up problems in the middle of the filed, a huge demand for pass catching tight ends out of college is beginning to gain steam.

Last season the New England Patriots utilized tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowksi heavily — using double tight end sets nearly exclusively to pick up yardage.

Hernandez finished with 79 receptions for 910 yards and seven touchdowns, while Gronkowski set new NFL records for receiving touchdowns (17) and receiving yards (1,327) for a tight end.

The Saints had a tight end of their own that set the league on fire. Jimmy Graham hauled in 99 passes from quarterback Drew Brees for a near record 1,310 passing yards and eleven touchdowns.

Green is a huge target, fantastic receiver, and a heck of a route runner. He has flaws, primarily his blocking ability, but he could prove quite the threat in an NFL offense considering his tremendous pass catching ability.

Should Green continue to show well prior to the draft then it’s possible he could be in the discussion as a potential first round pick for many teams looking to “copy cat” the successes of the Saints and Patriots.