Jack-of-All Traits: Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State

First Round Mock’s William Yanish puts a big grade on Kansas State tight end (TE) Ben Sinnott and thinks the Raiders (or a team with a similar situation) would be a great fit for this prospect.

Tight end is one of the most complex and byzantine positions in all sports.

• Block like a tackle
• Catch and run like a wide receiver (WR).

There are different types of tight ends too.

1. The “Y” TE: Traditional style TE that is usually lined up at the end of the offensive line (OL) as an extra blocker, or serves as a pass-catcher on throwing downs.

2. The “FLEX” TE: the pass catchers of the bunch. Whether they are lined up at the line of scrimmage to take advantage of match-ups, or split-out lined up with wide receivers (WRs), they are the most dangerous type of TE.

3. The “H-back” TE: a hybrid TE/fullback (FB) that serves in the running and short-passing game. H-backs typically line up between the end of the OL and the closest WR, but a few steps behind the line of scrimmage in the “slot” position.

What if I told you that Kansas State TE/FB Ben Sinnott could be all of those things?

A team can pretty much do anything with this prospect. Heck, put him in motion as a decoy to throw some misdirection shade at the linebackers (LB).

Background

Sinnott has been making some noise on his way to the 2024 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound prospect posted a 4.68 forty-yard dash and 40-inch vertical at the NFL Combine last month.

Sinnott was nearly honored with two different awards at two different positions (full back and tight end)

He won the 2023 Lowman Trophy (the Nation’s top FB)

2023 Mackey Award finalist (Nation’s top TE)

It was pretty obvious that he was the best player on this Kansas State team, and it wasn’t particularly close.

In 2023, his stat line read:

49 catches, 676 yards, and six touchdowns.

However, that doesn’t nearly explain his role in this offense.

The Yanish Report

Low center of gravity on a solid base. Strong, sturdy, athletic frame. Glides on his feet. Understands leverage. Blocking is a work in progress. STRONG. Squares up in pass-protection. Sporadically misses blocks. Lacks burst to consistently create separation. Vice-grip like hands, blocking. Pillow soft hands, catching. Good catch-radius. Lurks under zone coverage. Keeps legs churning, driving defenders back, gnashing holes for runners. Plays a vital role in this offense. Keen awareness. Red-zone threat. Excellent safety-valve. Football IQ is off the charts. Technical. Cerebral.

For the win

Sinnott is a versatile, pro-ready prospect.

He has taken advantage of every opportunity that has presented itself.

Sinnott has some hellacious potential lurking beneath the surface. There is one problem, however. He just isn’t overly physical. Look, I get it. Less pop, less pain, and fewer injuries. Longer career, more money. Right.

This is the kind of player that young, growing quarterbacks (QB) covet. By year two, his role as a starter should be cemented, putting him a bit ahead of the two to three years most TEs take to develop.

Matching him with one of the young QB-TE combos would be an excellent chance for development. Something like what the Packers did with QB Jordan Love, along with TEs Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft would work well.

The Las Vegas Raiders with current starting QB Aidan O’Connell and last year’s second-round choice TE Michael Mayer would make a great landing spot. The exploitable mismatches would be thick along that front.

With his off-season trends, there isn’t any reason that he won’t be taken on day two of the draft.

Sinnott is a top-three TE in this draft and on the edge of being an elite prospect.

My BIG three questions

1. What kind of ceiling does he possess if has more playing time?

2. Can he clean up footwork and cuts?

3. Will he be able to clean up the missed blocks?

My 2024 NFL Draft Value (updated value): Second-Round

2022 Game film evidence Memphis (Jersey No. 34)

Oklahoma

Texas

TCU

2023 Game film evidence Memphis (Jersey No. 34)

Missouri

Texas

Kansas

William Yanish III is a lifelong football fan. He’s from the little town of Crawford, Colorado. Along the way, he’s lived in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Brookings, Oregon. Quarterback Joe Montana was his idol growing up. A little bit of CTE from life’s adventures killed his dreams as a football player. Now, he is an aspiring writer and Draft Analyst at FirstRoundMock.com. He’s a fanatic with a dream, which is coming true.