Detroit Lions Draft 2017: Day Three Options to Consider
By Ash Thompson
Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, Arkansas
Sprinkle got a git card for a store as part of his bowl game gift bag. He tried to take more than the gift card was for in merchandise, and was charged with shoplifting. There is Jeremy Sprinkle’s downside. This is a prospect that will require stellar interviews to even be taken on draft day.
Sprinkle is a skilled blocker, and catches the ball well. He is a 6’5″ 252 lb tight end from a system that actually does ask their tight ends to block. Sprinkle also lined up in a three-point stance on a regular basis.
His transition to the pro game will be an easy one, for what he can actually do. He was used in college exactly the way that the 2015 Lions wanted to use Brandon Pettigrew. He sells the block, and slides into the flat before making teams pay with his RAC abilities.
Sprinkle does not have the breakaway athleticism of some tight ends in this class, but I would put him among the most likely to play for a decade. He needs a bit of time in an NFL strength and conditioning program. He will likely put on 10-15 lbs of muscle over his first couple seasons in the league.
Sprinkle may be tall, but he is not an explosive leaper. His hands will make him a viable red zone target for the team that selects him. Sprinkle could be a day three steal in the 2017 NFL draft.