Michael Egnew, Senior, Tight End, Missouri
Overview:
It took some time for Michael Egnew to work his way into the regular rotation at Missouri. That is not uncommon for tight ends at Missouri who are often stuck behind some very talented players. Egnew spent most of his true freshman campaign in 2008 making an impact on special teams, but did record a few catches. As a sophomore in 2009, Egnew again only made a few catches. However, later in the season, he began to show his flexibility and moved out to a wide receiver spot on occasion.
That would be a just a glimpse of what was to come in 2010 when Egnew finally made it into the starting lineup. During the 2010 campaign he caught 90 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns. The beginning of 2011 has not gone too well for Egnew. The Missouri passing attack has yet to really getting rolling like they are used to and Egnew has been limited in his catches.
Final Projection:
Egnew flirted with entering the 2011 NFL Draft, but ultimately opted to return to Missouri for his senior season. Proving that he can do it for two years will certainly boost his draft stock. Proving that he can block occasionally would help Egnew as well. That is not what he does at Missouri, but he has the size and strength to be more than a just a dominate pass catching tight end and that could make him a first round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft.
1/5/12 Update:
Egnew had a decent senior season for Missouri, catching 50 passes for 523 yards and three touchdowns. Those are not great numbers for a Tigers tight end, but with a rushing quarterback and a ground game that could move effectively, Egnew did not got too many opportunities to catch the ball. The good news is that Egnew is still a great pass catcher and he got more practice blocking than most Mizzou tight ends. He will not be a first round draft choice, but Egnew could work his way into a second round selection with some good workouts.
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