2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott.

#34 BEN SINNOTT, TE, KANSAS STATE – (SENIOR) 6037, 250 POUNDS

SENIOR BOWL INVITE

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Possesses the height, size, and athleticism you want in an NFL tight end
— Has the speed and burst to attack all areas of the field as a receiver
— Can work down the seam and up the sideline against coverage
— Big body and leaping ability help him win combative catches
— Has played in-line, in the slot, out wide, and lined up at H-Back in the backfield
— Has some shake to his game as a route runner to separate from coverage
— Operates well in the screen game as well as on check-down routes
— Size and movement skills make him a threat after the catch
— Willing blocker that does well in space as a lead blocker at fullback
— Will body up linebackers and defensive ends as an in-line blocker

THE BAD

— Could stand to add more functional strength to improve as a blocker
— Will lunge into blocks, leading to whiffs
— Doesn’t break as many tackles as you’d like to see at his size
— Can stand to sustain blocks longer and maintain his fits
— Will get overwhelmed by defensive linemen at the point of attack

BIO

— Senior prospect from Waterloo, IA
— Born June 14, 2002 (age 21)
— Cousin played volleyball at Northern Iowa, while another cousin was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers
— Went to the same high school as K-State head coach Chris Klieman
— Was a six-sport athlete, also participating in baseball, golf, tennis, track and hockey
— Set the career goals record at his school while also setting the record for minutes in the penalty box in hockey
— Originally committed to play at South Dakota, but flipped to play at Kansas State as a walk-on
— Bought a big Blackstone Grill with his NIL money to meal prep throughout the week
— Didn’t see any game action in 2020 and redshirted
— Played in 12 games in 2021 and had two catches for 15 yards and three carries for 12 yards and a touchdown
— Started all 14 games in 2022 and hauled in 31 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns
— Started 12 games in 2023 and had 49 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns
— Marketing major
— 2× First-team All-Big 12 (2022-23) 3x First Team Academic All-Big 12 (2021-23)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Ben Sinnott grew up as your quintessential multi-sport athlete, going above and beyond playing six different sports in his youth. This exposure to multiple sports helped develop Sinnott into a well-rounded athlete. Standing nearly 6-4, 250 pounds, Sinnott is a big athlete who is a fluid mover in space. He possesses the hand-eye coordination to make catches as a receiver and get down and dirty as a run blocker.

When you plug in the tape on Sinnott, you see an athletic tight end with good size to fit the NFL game. He is a skilled pass catcher who can run routes from in-line, in the slot, out wide, or from the backfield, possessing the quickness to get in and out of his breaks as a route runner. Take a look at this play against Kansas where Sinnott lines up in a trips formation and gives the defender in coverage a head fake as he runs into the end zone, getting him to bite as he breaks back inside to make the catch in the back of the end zone for the score with the defender contesting the pass.

Sinnott’s big frame aids in his ability to make contested catches in traffic. He can body up a smaller defender and climb the ladder to make the catch above the rim. Here’s a good example against Baylor. Sinnott runs a wheel route up the sideline from the line of scrimmage, getting hands on the defender before high-pointing the ball in the air for the touchdown.

As mentioned above, Sinnott is a fluid mover in space who runs routes well for a 250-pound tight end. Check out this deep in-breaking route against Texas, where Sinnott lines up on the line of scrimmage and runs upfield, finding the soft spot in the zone coverage as he breaks inside to make the catch in Longhorns’ territory, taking the ball inside the 10-yard line.

Sinnott’s athleticism also shows up as a runner after the catch, being able to catch the ball near the line of scrimmage and make plays in space. Here are a couple of examples against Texas where he catches a short screen pass as well as a Texas route near the line of scrimmage, catching both passes with room to run as he picks up yards after the catch to move the sticks for the first down on both plays.

Sinnott has the size and athleticism to line up in the slot and act as a pumped-up slot receiver, using his body to box out opposing defensive backs and linebackers over whom he has a clear size advantage to make possession catches. Check out the two plays below against Kansas and Texas as Sinnott runs a curl route back to the football from the slot, making the catch with defenders on his back and picking up additional yards after the catch in the second clip.

Sinnott has also shown his prowess as a blocker from multiple positions on the field, having the size to play in-line like a traditional tight end and the skill set to make blocks from the backfield as a lead blocker at fullback. Check out the clip below where Sinnott lines up at the H-Back position and makes a key block on the edge rusher at the top of the screen, keeping him from crashing in as the runner takes the handoff and gets into the second level of the defense for the successful run.

However, when it comes to blocking base defensive ends, Sinnott lacks the pure strength to hold his own consistently. He also needs to improve his technique as a blocker. He has a bad tendency of dropping his head and lunging into blocks, not getting into his fits with his hands, which leads to whiffed attempts like the two below against Texas.

CONCLUSION

Ben Sinnott in a versatile chest piece at tight end, having the size, athleticism, and skill set to play in-line, in the backfield, and split out as a receiver in an offense. He is a capable pass catcher who can stretch the field, run routes, and pick up yards after the catch while also being a competent blocker both at the line of scrimmage and lead blocking up the hole as a traditional fullback. he needs to get functionally stronger to handle defensive ends at the line as well as improve his blocking mechanics, but there’s a lot to like about Sinnott, who is still growing into the player he can be at the next level.

When coming up with a pro comparison for Sinnott, Foster Moreau came to mind as a player with nearly identical measurables and similar athletic testing. He is a big-boded tight end who is also capable of receiving and blocking. Moreau was drafted in the fourth round by the Raiders out of LSU and now plays for the Saints. He can play in-line or in the slot and has seen extensive work as a blocker at both the college and NFL levels.

I foresee Sinnott having a similar impact at the next level as a potential starter or quality backup at worst as he continues to refine his craft. The Steelers appear set at tight end, but Sinnott is an enticing prospect thanks to his versatility of playing both fullback and in-line tight end at his size. He would likely command one of their fourth-round picks and would be worth the investment should Pittsburgh fill other roster holes in free agency before the draft.

Projection: Late Day 2/Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.7- Potential Starter/Quality Backup (3rd Round)
Games Watched: at Texas (2023), at Kansas (2023), at Baylor (2022)