Mark Andrews - Oklahoma

Position: TE

Height: 6‘5”

Weight: 256 lbs.

Year: RS Junior

Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ

Experience: 2-Year Starter

Measurables:

40yd dash: 4.67s

Broad jump: 113 in.

Vertical: 31 in.

3-cone: 7.34s

20yd. Shuttle: 4.38s

Bench Press: 17 reps

Career Notes:

In 2014, Andrews redshirted during his first year on campus, but made his impact immediately felt when he took the field for Oklahoma in 2015. Even though he only started one game as a redshirt freshman, he played in all thirteen of the Sooners’ contests. He was immediately recognized by the Associated Press as an All-Big 12 First Teamer.

In his sophomore season, Andrews kept up his level of play and received another bid to the All-Big 12 First Team. He also maintained an excellent academic record and was named to the All-Big 12 Academic First Team for the second consecutive season. He missed the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State for an unknown reason, but started in twelve of the Sooners’ thirteen games.

As a junior, Andrews kept up his impressive pace, averaging 15+ yards per catch for the third straight year. He finished his career with the most receiving yards by a tight end in Oklahoma’s history. For his efforts, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American First Team player as well as being named to the All Big-12 First team once more.

Injury Report:

Andrews suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of the second half of a 2017 game against Ohio State, but played out the rest of the season with no issue.

Career Stats: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/mark-andrews-1.html

Analysis:

Speed/Quickness 3.0/5.0: Andrews’s high yards-per-catch numbers and open field acrobatics made it seem like he was a lot faster and more agile than he really was. His ability to plant and change direction was more a result of flexible hips than nimble feet. He was quick enough to cut back on defenders in the open field and make guys miss once he had a head of steam going, but he was by no means the quickest guy on the field. His speed was adequate to keep separation from defenders once he got behind them down the field.

Route Running 2.5/5.0: Andrews’s routes were consistently round and he rarely made quick breaks inside or outside. The rounding of his routes allowed defenders to stick with him consistently. Against Big 12 talent, his inability to maintain separation led to a lot of contested passing windows. He could sell misdirection well and buy himself separation by baiting defenders to pick the opposite side to which he was breaking.

Hands 2.5/5.0: Andrews consistently preferred to make catches with his body. Mostly, he would extend his hands on high passes where he showed he could create a soft landing for the ball. He occasionally looked awkward when passes came on out routes and would clap his hands to catch the ball rather than bringing them up together. Sometimes he had strong contested catches and looked like the picture-perfect redzone target, and sometimes he left you to wonder how he could drop that pass.

YAC Ability 3.5/5.0: As a ballcarrier, Andrews’s flexibility and strength created extra yards in the open field. He could bend, spin, and cut around defenders and through contact for an extra three or four yards at any time. His transition from a catching to running was sometimes clunky. He often jumped before catching which slowed his ability to become a runner.

Blocking 2.0/5.0: Andrews’s blocking was inconsistent from possession to possession. He showed the strength, hip mobility, and footwork to be a great blocker, but he rarely put it all together to finish blocks. His hands often landed on the outsides of opponents’ shoulder pads. His pad level was consistently high and that in combination with sloppy hand placement left Andrews with no leverage on his worst plays. His strength was impressive and allowed him to cover up lapses in technique.

Summary: Andrews proved to be a versatile weapon in an effective Oklahoma offense. His sheer size made him a big target for Baker Mayfield on every play. Over the middle of the field, he took a lot of pressure off of his perimeter receivers as he drew a lot of attention from linebackers and safeties. In the run game, he was an effective blocker when he kept his pads low, but his pad level was often a problem. His athleticism was impressive in terms of his flexibility and strength, but he left a lot to be desired in the way of jumping ability.

Overall Grade 2.7/5.0

If drafted by the Packers:

With Jimmy Graham being recently added to the roster, Andrews would slide to third string on the depth chart behind Lance Kendricks (whose contract is up in 2019). He could grow into a second-string role, but it would take some early growth in his game. The Oklahoma alum needs to tighten up his breaks at the stem of routes, but he flashed the ability to manipulate defenders and create windows for himself. Aaron Rodgers could make the most of the windows Andrews creates to keep the chains moving for the Packers. If he falls to the third round, he’d be a nifty insurance policy to have around in the event Graham or Kendricks goes down this year. He could also be firm security in the likely case that Kendricks walks next year. Any earlier than the third, it’s hard to see Green Bay taking him considering the price tag they picked up on Graham.

Video:

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