Luke Musgrave: The Top Tight End in a Loaded Class

First Round Mock’s Garrett Hearl is sold on Oregon State Tight-end (TE) Luke Musgrave and ranks him No. 1 at the position in this year’s draft class.

The Oregon State University Tight End turned heads at the Senior Bowl this February. Luke Musgrave should expect to hear his name before any other Tight End in the 2023 NFL Draft.

After falling down some boards while playing in only two games this past season due to a knee injury, Musgrave has shot back up recently. At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Executive Director of the Senior Bowl Jim Nagy said he would not be shocked if Luke Musgrave ran in the 4.4s (40-yard-dash-time).

That kind of speed and size combination does not go unnoticed.

He has not played college football for Oregon State since September 10, 2022. That is a lot of time away from football. Still, Musgrave looked fresh in Mobile, Alabama at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Musgrave played well in the Senior Bowl scrimmage and was running sharp, clean routes in practices. Really showing off how well he had rehabbed.

Natural Born Ability

Why should this Oregon State prospect be the top TE on your favorite NFL team’s draft board?

Let’s begin by looking at his background…

Musgrave was saying at the Senior Bowl about how he grew up playing quarterback (QB) and wide receiver (WR) – – and it shows up on tape.

Musgrave has the natural twitch of a WR and uses his eyes and head to manipulate DBs like a QB. He is an elite athlete playing TE with the speed to abuse mismatches on both linebackers and safeties. Musgrave is just a natural football player with the instincts to make the right play and be in the right positions.

In the run game, Musgrave is really good from a technique standpoint. He gets low and drives through the shoulder pads of the defender, which is something that will translate very well to the next level. With that, he is not the overpowering blocker as some NFL TEs.

Adding more muscle will be vital in the run game.

Musgrave is very reliable in pass protection. He was often in position to pickup blocks in 1-on 1s – – and did so with ease.

Coaches raved about Musgrave’s reliability. That is something that cannot be coached.

Heading to the Next Level

Musgrave comes into this draft with the softest hands of any player in the class, including at WR.

This Oregon State prospect can run any route you ask from the position, including deep routes. He can run routes from a spread formation or from a three-point stance next to a tackle. Musgrave never takes a play off, a mentality instilled in him from a young age.

Musgrave’s dad, Doug Musgrave, played QB for the University of Oregon for two years. Musgrave’s uncle is the former Offensive Coordinator of the Denver Broncos, Bill Musgrave. Luke Musgrave has the football family, which is something that will benefit him at the highest level.

Grade – Top 15 | Expectation – Late Round 1

I feel Musgrave is a top-15 player in this class. He is a 3-down TE. He’s reliable as a blocker. Musgrave has the natural instincts and feel of the great NFL TEs.

If his medical reports are clear, I expect Musgrave to be making a huge impact for a team from his first day at training camp; with his character, work ethic, and football IQ.

When you see NFL re-drafts 10 years from now, Musgrave is going to be toward the top of them.

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Garrett Hearl is an aspiring NFL Draft Writer with a unique passion and love for scouting and player evaluation. Continuously wanting to learn more about football than he knew yesterday, he is currently attending Michigan State University where he is working to a degree in Journalism and Sports Journalism. Garrett lives for watching game film, learning more about the game, and is driven by his ultimate goals. Garrett writes for FirstRoundMock.com and he can be found on Twitter @garrett2hearl.