Jermaine Gresham may be the frist TE selected in the 2010 NFL Draft Ap Photo/Michael Conroy

For most NFL teams the position of Tight End is something of a luxury. They address the need when all their other needs have been addressed. The West Coast offense and players like Tony Gonzales and Kellen Winslow have changed that some, but generally speaking few Tight Ends are not drafted in the first few rounds.

Don’t get me wrong, TE is a skill position, but most teams are not focusing their offense through their TE. On top of that there are two different kinds of TE’s. The pass blocking, run blocking guy, and the good down the field can catch passes guy. Good NFL teams generally have one of each, and they rank the TE prospects on their ability to do either.

With that being said here is my top ten ranking of TE prospects for the 2010 draft:

1. Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma- The big question about him is how he has recovered from knee surgery. He missed the entire 2009 season because of it, but has the strength and size to create mis-matches for safeties and linebackers in the NFL.
2. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona- He had great size, soft hands, and is a threat in short to intermediate routes. He is also a superior blocker. He could be a first round pick.
3. Anthony McCoy, USC- He has to prove he is a hard worker, he had big stats at USC, but is more of a blocking tight end
4. Aaron Hernandez, Florida- His value is providing a match up nightmare against LB’s. He could also be moved to H-Back, since he runs, crisp clean routes
5. Ed Dickson, Oregon- Ed leaves Oregon with the school record for passes caught and yards at this position. He offers little help in the blocking game, but can help stretch a defense
6. Andrew Quarless, Penn State- He is a pass catching TE, but has worked on his blocking skills. He is another match up problem, but must prove his maturity
7. Jimmy Graham, Miami- A converted basketball player, Jimmy has tons of upside. He may be the next Tony Gonzales
8. Colin Peek, Alabama- He lacks the speed most NFL teams now covet at this position, but is a strong blocker. He may be the most complete TE prospect in this draft.
9. Nate Byham, Pittsburgh- He also lacks top end speed, but could be a solid backup TE.
10. Jeron Mastrud, Kansas State- This is a character guy, the son of a high school football coach. His value is in intelligence, solid hands, and decent blocking ability.

Related Links:

• 2010 NFL Draft Top Ten prospects by position
• Examiner.com’s top 50 prospect big board
• 2010 NFL Mock Drafts
• MTR Football.com