PRZ Next Northeast: Five Big, Offensive Hybrids That Impressed
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The line between Wide Receiver and Tight End is getting blurrier with each passing Friday night, Saturday afternoon and NFL Sunday. Staying with the times, the athletes even down to the middle school level, are also starting to change too.…
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Continue ReadingThe line between Wide Receiver and Tight End is getting blurrier with each passing Friday night, Saturday afternoon and NFL Sunday. Staying with the times, the athletes even down to the middle school level, are also starting to change too. At the PRZ Next Northeast Camp we had over 150 athletes take the field, but these five big Tight End/Wide Receiver hybrid athletes, were impressive. Time will tell with their development
-Living just over the New York border, Geraci is a very promising prospect that will be attending traditional New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep for high school
-Measured in at 6-foot-4 and 12, and tipped the scales at 187-pounds. His length and size were on display throughout the camp and was a tough matchup for some of the smaller Defensive Backs
-Moved significantly better than I thought he would. Has improved his speed and overall athleticism since I first saw him as a sixth-grader. Geraci ran the forty in 5.06 and was clocked at a 4.81 in the shuttle
Highlights
-The Pennsylvania native was one of the kids I was excited to see come through the doors at the PRZ Next Northeast camp in New Jersey. Loved his highlights when we first covered him in September, he’s only gotten better
-Measured in at 6-foot-1 and 189-solid pounds, making him the shortest player in this write up. Which, in reality, is crazy to think about, considering we’re talking about class of 2027 (eighth-grade) prospects
-Watching him move around, I drew instant comparisons to former NFL Tight End and Super Bowl Champion, Kevin Boss. Nearly every aspect of their game was similar from running to catching and even their physical appearance to an extent
Highlights
-Like JT Geraci JT Geraci 6’5″ | 225 lbs | TE Don Bosco Prep | 2027 State NJ above, another New Yorker earned some recognition as a big body hybrid-type in Long Island’s Jax Prokop
-Looks the part at a 6-foot-2 and 185-pounds with long arms (claims a 6-foot-5 wingspan) that helped him get his fingertips on passes that may have been overthrown, or too high, for many other Wideouts
-Prokop moved decently but there is room for improvement here–specifically in route running. Rounded his routes and didn’t get in and out of his breaks easily. That said, he still made a lot of catches. He’s a tall target and can become a Quarterback’s best friends with his frame creating a nice window to throw to
Highlights
-The kid right here is different. Jermaine Smith Jr. out of Pennsylvania, was every bit of the 6-foot-4 and 195-pounds he was verified at during check-in. As soon as he walked through the doors at camp, he had every coach turning their head
-Was clocked at 4.88 in the forty a 7.66 in the L-Drill, showing that he moved excellent despite his size, body structure and only being in eighth-grade
-I don’t know what position Smith Jr. will be playing going forward because he’s an athletic freak. Could see him staying at Wide Receiver if he continues to get that speed down even more. Thinking a big-bodied athlete that could be a nightmare in the red zone. Then again, if he’s this big and athletic already, could be a nightmare to scheme against as a Tight End. I also can’t rule out moving him to an Edge/Defensive End. Imagine an eighth-grade Offensive Tackle having to handle him without help
-One of the prospect who benefitted the most from coming up from Virginia to the PRZ Next Northeast Camp, because he earned a spot on the National Watchlist with his performance
-Watched him closely on a number of reps because I wanted to see him play in person, as I was on the fence about him being on the National Watchlist ahead of the camp
-Measured in at 6-foot-2 and 181-pounds and looked even bigger than that. He was well-put together and ran some very smooth routes. He’s another prospect where I lean more towards being a Tight End than a Wide Receiver because of his mass already, but his high school career and development will be crucial here