PHOTO CREDIT: Courtland Richards, SeniorBowl.com
Jerell Adams, TE South Carolina
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 224 lbs
Hands: 8 7/8’’
Wingspan: 81 7/8’’
40 yard dash: 4.74 (unofficial)
NFL Comparison: Ladarius Green, Travis Kelce

Scouting Notes: Like many TEs who’ve gone on to be successful in the NFL, Adams played basketball before moving over to football full-time and he brought plenty of athleticism with him. Tall and lanky, Adams can stretch the field due to his quickness — for a big man– and nimble footwork. His long arms allow him to high-point the ball over defenders, and Adams uses evasive spin moves and jukes with ease to get maximum yardage after the catch. Though sufficiently mobile, Adams isn’t very agile and doesn’t adjust well to balls that aren’t well thrown. His hands can be a little wooden at times too, at least on film.

However, at the Senior Bowl, Adams was head-and-shoulders above all other 2016 TE participants by our evaluation and is in the running with Clive Walford, Crockett Gillmore and Ladarius Green as the best TE we’ve evaluated in Mobile since the 2012 draft season. Adams showed a distinct ability to get open and didn’t let a ball touch the ground all week. His size is imposing as an ex-basketballer and he can use it to box defenders out and separate with size more than with quicks.

Fantasy Outlook: This year’s TE class is fairly weak, so Adams could go as high as the 3rd round. Even so, I don’t see him making much of an impact his first year — TEs rarely do. He’ll need to gain some muscle to be an effective blocker in the next level, and that will probably take at least a year. His ability to stretch the field could gain him sporadic opportunities though, and he could become a nice red-zone target on a receiver-needy team. Adams should only be drafted in dynasty leagues as a work in progress.

From the South Carolina Athletic Department:

* Two-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
* 2015 Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete Representative
2015: Carolina’s second-leading receiver with 28 receptions for 421 yards (15.0 yards per catch)… second on the team with three touchdown catches… had TD receptions against Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee… had his career-best game against The Citadel when he caught six passes for 105 yards… invited to play in the Senior Bowl following his senior season… a four-year letterwinner who finished his career with 66 catches for 977 yards and seven scores… played in 47 games, making 15 starts… a two-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll… named the recipient of the prestigious Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Studen