NFL Draft Recap

As expected, both of Pitt's tight ends, Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham, were drafted. What wasn't so expected was seeing Dickerson fall so far:

In one of the bigger local storylines that unfolded throughout the day, Pitt tight end Dorin Dickerson, a West Allegheny High School product who is 6-4, 226, was selected by the Houston Texans with the 227th overall pick in the seventh, and final, round. On many mock drafts, and projections done by the many experts who track such things, Dickerson was thought to be a talent who would have been selected much earlier, possibly as soon as the late-second round.

"All I can do now is go out and make the team," Dickerson said. "Everything that happened in the draft is behind me."

I was surprised to see Dickerson fall that far, especially in light of not only the type of year he had, but because his workouts were incredible.

Dickerson was rated in the top ten of most draft lists I'd seen, while Byham was lower. Byham was drafted as the 15th TE, but Dickerson wasn't drafted until 18th.

In his conference call with the media, Dickerson sounded as if his flexibility will be key:

(on how he would describe himself as a player) "I'm a versatile H-back. I could line up in different positions. I could line up in the back field and I could line up at tight end. You'll see me moving around a lot in special teams. Anything the coaches ask me to do, I'm going to do. I'm going to try to compete and win."

RotoWorld calls him a tweener and cites that reason as to why he may have fallen.

And a Houston Chronicle blog says he will start out at WR - possibly as Andre Johnson's backup.

Onto Nate Byham - he talked about his run-blocking and toughness with the media:

On run blocking being his forte:
“That’s what I pride myself on. I like to bloody noses. I don’t shy away from contact. I’m going into the hole and I’m trying to hit somebody. I think that’s what makes me unique. There’s not too many tight ends these days that want to go in there and try to hurt somebody. I’m trying to inflict pain when I’m in there as a tight end. I’m not trying to get in someone’s way. I’m excited to be a part of the hard-nose offense.”

Byham joins quite a few former Pitt Panthers on the 49ers roster including Andy Lee, Scott McKillop, and Shawntae Spencer.

It's somewhat ironic that in a reduced role this year, his blocking may have been the thing that got him drafted. Without it, who knows? The Pitt tight ends coach calls him one of the best in the business:

Pitt tight end coach Brian Angelichio thinks that Byham, who is 6-foot-4 and 268 pounds, is a top option for any team that values a tight end who can help the run game.

“Obviously, when you put the film on, that’s one of his strengths. There are not many end-line blockers across the country. And Nate has shown the ability to do that as well as anybody in the country,” Angelichio said. “If you’re [an] NFL team, you’re obviously looking at him if you’re looking for an end-line blocker.”

And among the teams he worked out for, the 49ers weren't one of them.

Glad to see both get drafted. Still, to see Dorin fall so far was a bit of a shock. So much for those so-called NFL sources that said Dickerson was possibly going in the second round.