12th Man Rising
FanSided

Tight ends the Seahawks could target in the 2020 NFL Draft

By Geoff Shull

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Tight end Thaddeus Moss #81 of the LSU Tigers rushes for a touchdown in the second quarter over the Oklahoma Sooners during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Tight end Thaddeus Moss #81 of the LSU Tigers rushes for a touchdown in the second quarter over the Oklahoma Sooners during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 13: Thaddeus Moss #81 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Clemson Tigers during the third quarter in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 13: Thaddeus Moss #81 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Clemson Tigers during the third quarter in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Seahawks need long look at Thaddeus Moss, Redshirt Sophomore, LSU

When Dissly went down from injury, there was one factor that was missed more than anything else from his on-field production, and that is his blocking ability. This is where our second draft possibility comes in.

Thaddeus Moss is the son of Hall-of-Fame receiver Randy Moss. While Randy made a name for himself in the receiving game, his son is another type of player as a whole. Thaddeus is an instant plug-and-play tight end; to me, he’s one of the best blockers in this year’s draft class.

His competitive toughness is out of this world. He simply is not intimidated by anyone in the trenches and rarely does he get overpowered. While he may not be the biggest tight (6’3”, 250lbs) he more than makes up for it with his fight and determination to get his opposing player in the dirt. He has impressive lateral agility and makes for a great lead blocker. This could open up more outside run options for Seattle next year, further expanding the playbook.

Over LSU’s title run, Moss set numerous records at LSU. He holds the all-time record for tight ends with receptions (42) and receiving yards (534) in a season. He proved to be a consistent threat on any given play for the team. He has above average hands and came down with a few phenomenal catches over this past year.

While his numbers were impressive, I was not as impressed as I had hoped for when I watched his film. He is not the most dynamic of athletes. Moss lacks finesse on his route running tree and appears to be restricted to stick routes. He doesn’t look to be quick, nor fast and has issues creating separation. If he is to become a factor in the passing game, there will need to be patience by the coaching staff and fans.

The player I see when looking at his film is Nick Boyle of the Baltimore Ravens. Both players are exceptional in run and pass blocking. Boyle, coming into this season, was regarded as the best blocking tight end in the league. Both players play with heavy enough bases to beat the bull rush and move laterally well enough to defeat the speed rushers. Boyle has seen his receiving game improve year after year, much in the way I would envision Moss at the next level to do. For now, Moss would be in the Seahawks lineup simply as a traditional inline blocker to keep Russell protected. He should thrive in this role from day one.

Player comparison: Nick Boyle

Round projection: 3rd round

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