Film Room: Could Kylen Granson Be The Panthers’ Long-Term Answer at TE?

The Carolina Panthers have made no secret of wanting to add to their tight end room this offseason, after struggling to get much production out of the position in 2020. They made their first step in that direction last week in free agency with the signing of Dan Arnold from the Cardinals on a two-year deal.

However, Arnold is more of a rotation piece than a clear-cut starter and with Ian Thomas entering the final year of his contract the Panthers could well look to add further at the position. If they do, there are a number of avenues they could go down in the draft such as bringing in a blocking specialist to replace Manhertz or an underneath route-runner to compliment Arnold but, given the long-term nature of what the Panthers are trying to build, they could also bring in somebody who they hope can develop into a feature tight end. 

If they do take this approach, one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft is SMU’s Kylen Granson. We were fortunate enough to speak to him last week as he prepares for his pro day and have taken a look at the tape to see how he would fit in what the Panthers are building on offense.

One thing the Panthers seem to really value in their tight ends is the ability to stretch the field vertically down the seam, creating opportunities for big plays and opening up space for the likes of Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore over the middle. Granson certainly has the speed to do this and in general is a fluid athlete who offers the potential to create mismatches against linebackers and even many safeties (please note, Granson wears #83):

 

 

This is something that Granson spoke about regarding the strengths of his game:

“Just as that hybrid deal. People describe me as a bigger wide receiver or a faster tight end. I’ve got the speed of a receiver but the size, the weight and ability to block of a tight end.” said Granson.

Of course, there is more to being an effective part of the passing game than simply being fast, and the ability to catch the ball is also fairly important. Fortunately, Granson does really well in this regard as well. He shows an ability to make catches away from his frame:

 

He adjusts well to inaccurate passes:

 

And is able to make plays both through contact:

 

And at the catch point:

 

Granson might not be somebody who is going to make his money on fades in the red zone (though the Panthers now have Dan Arnold for that), but he uses his body well to create space for receptions even against tight coverage. 

Ideally, however, players will be able to create consistent enough separation to not have to consistently generate receptions at the catch point. This is an area where Granson both shows some really encouraging signs and has some room for further development. On the encouraging side, he shows signs of understanding how to manipulate leverage to create separation at the line:

 

And this speed release, if something he can show consistently, opens the door to a huge amount of potential both through his ability to create quick separation and the way in which the threat of this can be used to create separation down the field:

 

Where there is more uncertainty, however, is in his ability to create separation as a route runner at the head of routes underneath, as this wasn’t a consistent feature of what he was asked to do in SMU’s offense. Granson certainly flashes the core athletic traits to do this well, and the Panthers’ coaches should be better placed than anybody to judge his potential in this regard after having worked with him at the Senior Bowl, but this isn’t something that can just be taken for granted. 

As a route runner then, Granson has a lot of potential, and it is certainly hard to find fault with his tape, but how he is able to develop in terms of the little subtleties as a route runner will be an important factor in determining just how good he can be. Turning routes like this:

 

Into routes like this one by Dan Arnold (#85):

 

Can make a lot of difference. 

After the catch, Granson might not be mistaken for Shady McCoy anytime soon, but he is consistently able to add yardage helped by the way he is able to adjust to run vertical immediately after the catch:

 

As a receiver, Granson should be able to offer an immediate vertical threat as well as somebody who can work into gaps in zone at different levels of the field and offer a reliable target who is able to add value both at the catch point and after the catch.

If he is able to continue to develop as a route runner, however, then he shows all the traits needs to be able to offer a match-up nightmare for defenses in man coverage, the type of which the Panthers haven’t had since Greg Olsen’s 2016 season. 

Of course, playing tight end isn’t just about running routes and catching the ball, and how Granson is able to impact the game as a blocker will likely be a major determining factor in how much he is able to see the field early. This is something he is aware of, and as a smaller tight end (he is listed at 6’3 and 235lbs) is something he will need to prove to teams that he can do at a high level:

“I know after my first year playing at SMU, coming into my Senior year, the big question mark for me was my blocking … That was really the main thing I heard about my game that they were concerned about.” explained Granson.

On tape, there are certainly promising signs but also things that he needs to improve on. On the positive side, he shows a nice understanding of leverage, looking to direct the defender away from the ball carrier with his footwork:

 

And on the whole sets a nice wide base with pretty good knee bend:

 

In terms of areas to improve, Granson talked about the take-aways he had about where to work on his game following the Senior Bowl week with the Panthers’ coaches:

“The smaller details as far as hand placement and head placement when it comes to the interior blocking.” detailed Granson.

On tape, there are definitely ways in which his hand usage could improve, but there are also some positives as well. Overall, he locates his hands fairly consistently to the frame of the defender:

 

And works well to reset his hands if his initial punch doesn’t land perfectly:

 

However, he would benefit from extending his hands more consistently, as this allows defenders to crowd him somewhat and make it hard for him to sustain blocks or drive through defenders without risking losing control:

 

His biggest issue in this regard is his habit of dropping his hands to his sides just before he engages, which both makes it easier for defenders to strike to his frame unimpeded:

 

But can also lead to him grabbing at the outside of defenders’ shoulders rather than being able to get hand placement inside:

 

The other thing that can limit him at times as a blocker his is somewhat upright posture, which allowed defenders to drive him upwards and negate his power. This was most evident when he was used as a fullback, and while he isn’t going to be mistaken for an offensive lineman anytime soon, improving his knee bend should help to eliminate plays such as the following:

 

 

 

Granson didn’t see a huge number of snaps during the Senior Bowl game itself, but he was pleased with the improvements he was able to make as a blocker from where he was a Senior to the end of the Senior Bowl week:

“I feel like between my Senior year of play and what the coaches got to see at the Senior Bowl I really helped myself out in that category. Really showed that I can block also despite being considered being undersized.” said Granson.

Overall, as a blocker, Granson certainly doesn’t lack for enthusiasm and there are promising aspects of his technique to like on tape, but it will be important that he takes the progress he has made since his Senior season and carries it into OTAs and training camp in order to see extended playing time early. 

Like the vast majority of tight end prospects, Granson will need to continue to develop in the NFL. Importantly, however, his game is not just a collection of traits, and as both a receiver and a blocker he shows technical prowess to go with his natural talent. If he can continue to build upon that then his ceiling is as high as any tight end in this class not called Kyle Pitts, and his versatility would certainly suit a Panthers’ offense that looks to manipulate matchups as much as possible:

“I can be spread out, I can be in line, I can be a fullback. Just like a swiss army knife I can do it all really.” commented Granson.

For the Panthers, Granson would be a logical player to target to develop behind the likes of Ian Thomas and Dan Arnold, who could then step into a much larger role down the road. Finding a feature tight end isn’t easy, and many of the best around the NFL are players who were drafted in the middle rounds and were able to develop early in their careers without being asked to the ‘the guy’ right away. 

If the Panthers’ coaches liked what they saw in Granson during their week at the Senior Bowl, then he would certainly make a lot of sense should he still be on the board to start day three. 

(Top photo via Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)