Broncos add TE Noah Fant in 1st round

The Denver Broncos selected tight end Noah Fant out of Iowa with the 20th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Denver traded down with the Pittsburgh Steelers from No. 10 overall and grabbed one of the premier offensive weapons in this year's draft.

Fant and T.J. Hockenson - who was selected eighth overall by the Detroit Lions - become the first two tight ends from the same school to be drafted together in the first round of the same draft.

The Iowa product immediately upgrades a weak spot on the Broncos' roster. Jeff Heuerman and Jake Butt currently sit atop the team's depth chart.

Prospect profile

School: Iowa
Height: 6-5
Weight: 252 lbs

Strengths

• Elite athlete for position
• Good size with long arms and large catch radius
• Top-tier speed to run away from defenders on deep patterns and after catch
• Uses length to separate at top of routes
• Excellent burst off line of scrimmage and out of breaks
• Tracks ball very well
• Able to drive defenders when locked in while run-blocking

Weaknesses

• Struggles with drops in traffic and while defenders are closing in
• Doesn't use body well to catch in traffic despite good size
• Often late out of his stance after snap
• Could be more physical running routes - some defenders knock him out of position easily

Bottom line

Fant is the very definition of an offensive mismatch in today's NFL. He's simply too fast for linebackers and too big for safeties in coverage, which will have offensive coordinators salivating. His incredible athleticism, speed, and ball-tracking abilities could reap instant rewards in Year 1. Down the line, he has every opportunity to become a premier offensive weapon in the NFL.