Is Stephen Sullivan’s best football ahead of him?

Stephen Sullivan, TE

School: Louisiana State University | Conference: SEC

College Experience: Senior | Age: 23

Height / Weight: 6’5” / 248 lbs

Projected Draft Status: 4th - 6th Round

Player Comparison: Jeremy Sprinkle

College Statistics

Player Overview

In some ways, Stephen Sullivan has already accomplished a lot. He’s persevered through tough times as a child to be the first college graduate in his family. Football gave him a chance to do that. After putting up decent stats at WR for LSU, he was moved to TE under Joe Brady in his senior year. Despite LSU’s exceptional offense this past season, Sullivan did not put up big numbers. He played inline, in the slot, and out wide, but ceded targets to Thaddeus Moss. But Sullivan’s physical gifts, like his 85-inch wingspan, should give him the chance to contribute in the NFL.

Strengths

· Good length and athleticism for the position.

· Shows excellent hands making tough catches in traffic.

· A willing blocker, and relatively effective when he’s moving forward.

Weaknesses

· Slight build makes it hard to imagine him playing inline.

· Although he has moments, he’s not an effective inline blocker.

· Needs to improve his suddenness and precision as a route runner.

· Limited experience playing TE and little production.

Let’s go to the video tape

How He Fits On The Redskins

Even though two TEs were signed in free agency, there doesn’t appear to be a clear starter on the roster. While Sullivan doesn’t project to come in and start, he could compete against the TEs currently on the roster. Given that he has not played the position for long, it is arguable that he has a higher ceiling than other players at the position. But he is do incredibly raw that there is a question about whether the team can wait on a player like him to develop. That patience could be rewarded if Sullivan develops into a dependable pass catcher and consistent blocker.