The Kansas City Chiefs took most of the season to get stable production from pass catchers. The team’s tight end and wide receiver rooms rallied in recent weeks, but many of the top contributors become free agents after the season. Kansas City needs to add depth through the 2025 NFL draft.
Clemson Tigers standout Jake Briningstool is a tall, lean tight end who does most of his damage deploying from the slot. He accelerates off the line to stretch defenses up the seam. Briningstool stacks linebackers and uses his size to tower over defensive backs when facing man coverage.
Briningstool stems his vertical routes outside before breaking across the defender’s face with a swim move. Despite his tall frame, Briningstool sinks his hips enough at the top of the stem to snap off routes and create separation at the intermediate level.
He quickly finds holes between the defense’s second and third levels and lingers in open windows to provide his quarterback an option late in the play.
#Clemson TE Jake Briningstool continues to be a reliable target for QB Cade Klubnik and has a knack for finding soft spots in zone coverage.
Good speed for his size (6-6, 240) and is used both as an in-line player and flexed out WR. Has 7 catches, 104 yards and a TD catch. pic.twitter.com/amNWvSe1bW
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) October 12, 2024
Briningstool uses his size and long arms to box out defenders on red zone targets and slants. He doesn’t have the density to dominate at the catch point but still makes some impressive contested catches. Briningstool tracks the ball well and is comfortable making catches with defenders in his air space.
Briningstool creates yards after the catch with his speed but lacks the mass and twitch to break many tackles. His lean frame also creates issues as a blocker. Defensive linemen displace Briningstool, and he struggles to sustain blocks against more powerful players. NFL teams shouldn’t expect much from him as an in-line blocker.
