It has been more than a month since the release of my "too early" Big Board for the 2016 NFL draft, a ranking that includes 2015 underclassmen. I'll go a little deeper for each position group, so you'll get an idea of more than 100 of the top NFL prospects for 2016. It goes without saying that these rankings are preliminary, as I have countless hours of evaluation still ahead for the 2016 class.
A couple of important notes about the rankings below:
• I've split them into seniors and underclassmen; it's important to have a baseline number of seniors because they are certain to be a part of the 2016 NFL draft process (if they so choose).
• I won't go too heavy into actual scouting reports, as those are still works in progress.
With those parameters in mind, here's an early look at the top tight end prospects in the 2016 draft class.
Top 5 senior tight ends
1. Nick Vannett, Ohio State Buckeyes: Jeff Heuerman is the name many were more familiar with last season, and while he ended up with the Denver Broncos in the draft, Vannett actually had more catches in 2014, including a key TD in the championship game against Oregon. The Buckeyes don't need a lot out of this position given how well they run the ball, but Vannett will get his share of targets.