Buchsbaum's top 10
(as of March 9)

1. Alge Crumpler
2. Antoine Harris
3. Todd Heap
4. Jabari Holloway
5. Brandon Manumaleuna
6. Shad Meier
7. Marcellus Rivers
8. Mike Roberg
9. Tony Stewart
10. Eddie Williams

Positives: Fine athlete. Well-coordinated. Good natural strength and power. At times shows explosive qualities as a blocker. Comes off the ball quickly and can get into his blocks. Has good hands and can run after the catch. Has a pretty high upside if he works really hard. Looked to be in excellent shape at the Combine and was the most impressive tight end who worked out by far.

Negatives: On the short side. Lacks the tight, defined body teams expect him to have and looks almost a little flabby at times. Does not always seem to be playing with a great sense of urgency. Inconsistent blocker. Will drop a few passes. Has had major knee surgery. The tight end was not a big part of North Carolina’s passing attack, and he did not always look like he was as well-conditioned as he should have been, but those are areas in which he can improve with work.

Summary: Assuming his old knee injury is not a hang-up, Crumpler can be a really good pro if he wants it badly enough. He is the type who should be a better pro than college player because he was underutilized in college.

Positives: Four-year starter at tight end. Really came on as a senior. Adequate size and playing speed. Improving receiver. Solid blocker who may not be overpowering, but he can stick and stay.

Negatives: Is not an overpowering, explosive blocker. Lacks great speed and skill as a receiver. Needs more upper-body strength as a blocker. Is not overly instinctive.

Summary: Not quite what pro teams are looking for, but if he continues to improve as much as he did as a senior, gets stronger and grasps the offense, he will be able to play in the NFL.

Positives: Very competitive. Wants the ball in the clutch. Has very good hands but was not as consistent catching the ball in 2000. Will make the tough catch. Outstanding football instincts and intelligence. Has a great feel for running routes and is his quarterback’s best friend. Very tenacious blocker. Seems to stay glued to his man.

Negatives: Is not as big and powerful as pro teams would like a tight end to be. Is not going to knock people off the line of scrimmage or dominate as a blocker, and he can’t handle a defensive end. Had too many drops for a player with his hands in 2000. Looks a little stiff at times. Is not an explosive athlete.

Summary: Is not nearly as explosive, athletic or fluid as Tony Gonzalez was in college, but he was almost as productive.

Positives: Powerfully built with long arms and huge hands. Appears to have good hands and overall athletic ability. Can adjust to balls thrown away from the frame of his body. Can be an effective blocker when he stays low and breaks down correctly.

Negatives: Not as tall and fast as you would like. Was not used much in the passing game. Not that quick. Tends to get upright and not keep a good base when blocking. Rarely works to finish his blocks.

Summary: Does not have good Combine numbers and may really fall in the draft. But he can become a solid pro if he learns to become more physical and a technically sound blocker.

Positives: Massive, wide body. Has good hands and very good athletic ability. Will flash cat-like quickness at times. Can turn and catch the ball. Light on his feet. Could be a good blocker if he wanted to be. Has the potential to play tight end, fullback or defensive tackle.

Negatives: Looks soft and plays a little soft. Is not a physical blocker despite his size. Rarely works to finish his blocks. Being overweight hurts his downfield pass-catching ability and ability to get off the line of scrimmage quickly. Had a very disappointing senior year.

Summary: Needs to tighten his body and toughen his mind to play at the next level. I would project him as a defender if he showed a little more ferocity. Defensive tackle might be his best pro position based solely on his size, how he is built and what he is capable of doing. He also would make a fine fullback if he decided he wanted to be a hard-nosed blocker.

Positives: Hard worker. Unselfish. Team player. Adequate-plus size and playing speed. Has large, soft hands. Catches the ball very well and shows some ability to separate as a receiver. Velcro-type blocker who has a knack for sticking on his blocks.

Negatives: Lacks power as a blocker. Can stick on his blocks but cannot drive his man off the line of scrimmage. Has not had a lot of production as a receiver. Injuries have set him back.

Summary: Could develop into a very solid player if he can stay healthy.

Positives: Good target with very good athletic ability. Appears to have soft hands and will make some tough catches. Runs well for a tight end.

Negatives: Is not much of a blocker and seems to think of himself as a wide receiver. Lacks strength and is not a good weightroom guy. Too slow to be a wide receiver on the next level and will have to really upgrade his blocking to even be an H-back. Lacks consistency. Is a little late coming off the line of scrimmage on a lot of plays. Seems to lose concentration and focus. Has not worked hard enough to improve.

Summary: Needs to grow up and learn what it takes, but he has the physical tools to play at the next level as an H-back type if he realizes he no longer is on scholarship.

Positives: Fine size. Big target. Good hands. Looked like he could run OK in the past and ran very well at the Combine when he got his weight down to 258. Had a very impressive Combine overall.

Negatives: May have gotten a little too bulky and heavy in the fall of 2000. Did not play to his timed speed in 2000. Lacks quickness off the line and when running his routes at a heavier weight, but he looked quick and athletic at the Combine. Does not play to his size when it comes to blocking. Seems to lack power and explosion in his lower body. Upper-body blocker who lacks playing strength.

Summary: Would be a high-round pick off what he did at the Combine and at workouts after getting in great shape, but he did not play that well during the season.

Positives: Nice size. Long arms and big hands. Can create some mismatches with his height and wingspan. Good all-around athlete. Will work. Pretty fluid, quick and agile. Generally catches the ball pretty well. Willing to block. Has some run-after-the-catch ability. Improves every year.

Negatives: Is not a really tough, physical blocker. Lacks some playing strength because of his body build (he is tall and cut high without a big, wide lower body and blocking base). Tends to do too much body-catching and will have a few balls bounce off his pads. Does not have deep speed.

Summary: Willing player with above-average size and ability for the position. Wants to get better. Should be able to make an NFL team and contribute and could eventually become a starter in the right situation.

Positives: Great body. Super size. Uses size to shield the defender from the ball. Physical receiver who knows how to push off and muscle people. Excellent jumper. Comes down with most jump balls. Very good at taking the ball away from the defender. Can pluck the ball with his hands. Very athletic for his size and will make some acrobatic catches. Strong runner after the catch. Is a deceptive runner who finds a way to get deep and to make some big plays.

Negatives: Blocks, but not with a lot of conviction. Lacks sustained speed. Is no burner. Has a difficult time getting separation at times. Will drop some passes because of lapses in concentration. May have a hard time reading and adjusting to coverages.

Summary: Is no speed demon, but he has great size and is a big, physical receiver with good ball skills and production. Williams has some quickness and a deceptive gait, so he is not just a possession receiver. Has the size to be an H-back, but I doubt his blocking is currently good enough for him to be a top H-back, and he can’t be a true tight end. However, with his size and strength, he could learn to block well enough to be a pass-catching H-back if he really wanted to.