The New Orleans Saints selected Adam Trautman, tight end, out of Dayton. He was the 105th pick in the third round and was the fifth tight end drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Flyer fans are going to party like it is 1977, which is the last year that a Dayton Flyer was selected in the NFL Draft. As I’m sure you remember, that was Bill Westbeld, an Offensive Tackle taken in the 11th round. With a lot to live up to, Trautman put up solid numbers as their tight end and flashed big-time athleticism during his college career. In 2019 he hauled in 70 catches for 916 yards and 14 touchdowns. Both his receptions and touchdowns were good enough for Dayton school records. His college dominator rating is 38.1% which is the percentage of Dayton’s receiving yards and touchdowns he accounted for. That puts him in the 97th percentile for his position.
Adam Trautman is 6’5” and 255 pounds. He played four seasons with Dayton’s pro-style offense and will be 23 years old at the beginning of the 2020 NFL Season. Trautman did not have any injuries of note in his college career. A two-sport athlete at Dayton, he was a relief pitcher for the baseball team and he came into Dayton as a quarterback and quickly transitioned into a tight end.
The knock-on Trautman is that he did not go up against elite NFL caliber defensemen, but what stood out in his film is that he was easily the best player on the field in every game he played. Flashing solid route-running skills, good hands, and the ability to high point the ball; Trautman could turn into a productive NFL tight end. He will need to show his ability to separate against NFL defenses, but he appears to have the raw ability to make an impact within his first couple of years.
Trautman doesn’t jump off the page with his athleticism, he ran a 4.80-sec. 40-yard dash at the combine. He did however have a 6.78-sec. time in the 3-cone drill which gives the impression that he can be a shifty change of direction route runner. He was able to get separation and make a lot of contested catches against the relatively easy competition. Assuming he can translate that to the NFL, he should be able to slot into a productive offensive role in the NFL.
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New Orleans feels like a wonderful fit for Adam Trautman. Getting to spend any amount of seasons with Drew Brees is a plus for your development as a player. With Jared Cook to learn from in what is likely his curtain call in the NFL, Trautman should be in line for some very quick and big work with the Saints. Brees likes to throw the ball and uses his tight ends well. On an uptempo offense with a ton of passing volume, Trautman is in line for a fun rookie year.
In what is an underwhelming tight end class, Trautman can be looked at as one of the better prospects. He should be going towards the end of round three in dynasty rookie drafts. You can upgrade him a bit in tight end premium leagues. Trautman was a catching machine in college and wasn’t relied upon for blocking. That said, give him a couple of years to blossom and to adjust to the speed and size of NFL defenses.
