Ben Sinnott scouting report: Exploring the Kansas State tight end's strengths and weaknesses

Once a former zero-star recruit in 2019, Ben Sinnott originally committed to South Dakota but didn’t see the field until he enrolled at K-State the following season. 2022 was when he finally started getting extended, catching 31 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns. However, he basically put up 1.5 times those numbers his final year with the Wildcats (49-676-6) and made first-team All-Big 12.

Ben Sinnott scouting report

Blocking:

• Used in a variety of ways, playing in-line, the slot, wing and fullback
• His natural leverage advantage and powerful lower half allow Sinnott to help dig out C-gap defenders on combos with the tackle
• K-State shifted him into an offset I-formation and used him as a lead-blocker a few times, where he was able to get under the pads of linebackers and ride them out of the lane
• Was regularly asked to work out to the corner and clear the way on QB keeps or sweeps, with the light feet to secure targets in space
• Frequently sifting underneath the O-line, Sinnott shows the ability not to get hung up with bodies in the backfield, but rather to stay tight to the backs of his teammates and wrap around onto force defenders, while the QB reads the unblocked edge defender get too far up the field
• With his wide base and sticky hands, Sinnott can be relied upon to contribute in pass-pro against edge rushers a few times per game from in-line or wing alignment
• Received PFF run- and pass-blocking grades well above 70 last season (76.1 and 72.8 respectively)

Releases & route-running:

• Has some pretty snappy hips for more of a tall fullback build, to where he can gain separation on dig routes
• Navigates around traffic at a very efficient level and you see him fluidly adjust the steepness of his angles on the fly on deep crossers
• Even if he gets knocked off track a little bit, Sinnott stays focused on getting back to his landmarks and maintaining a place in the pattern
• He shows an excellent understanding of how to widen windows for himself with the way he stems and bends vertical routes between the hashes
• Works to depth and then offers a swift turn back to the quarterback to eat against zone coverage, whether he’s splitting linebackers or curling up in front of deep safeties
• Realizes when to slow his pace a little bit to take advantage of the space between the second and third levels in shell coverage
• Had an average depth of target of over 10 yards each of the past two seasons, yet passer ratings of 127.7 and 105.3 respectively when targeted

Approaching the catch & YAC:

• Has continued to work on tight overhand positions on targets above the belt – only dropped two of 50 catchable targets in 2023
• Because of that more compact build, it’s tough to affect the catch-point unless you wrap around him – 66.7% contested catch rate in 2022
• Plus then he has the strong hands to swallow the ball when he has to work to his quarterback with defenders driving on the throw
• Makes some challenging catches where he has to elevate for the ball and snatch it at full extension and pull it into his body
• When he catches the ball on the run, you see Sinnott drag along tacklers and force more people to join the party
• Displays great awareness for pursuit angles and finds solutions in the open field, hitting a well-timed spin move occasionally
• Has more quicks and wiggle to him as a runner than defenders might anticipate – forced 14 missed tackles and gained 31 first downs across his 48 receptions last season

Weaknesses:

• Only having 32.5-inch arms limits his reach as a blocker and his catch-radius
• Earned just a 58.8 PFF run-blocking grade in 2022 and while he did significantly improve on that last season, edge defenders can establish first meaningful contact thanks to their length and take control of reps, along with his punch lacking some striking power
• Long, speedy edge rushers can turn the corner on him in pass protection and I wouldn’t want to leave him one-on-one with guys from wide alignments
• Sinnott is quick at getting through his breaks, but the acceleration out of them leaves you wanting a little more
• May be able to gain a step on trailing defenders as a vertical threat, but he’s not going to split safeties or pull away defensive backs with his long speed

I just outlined Sinnott as one of “my guys” as one of my favorite tight ends/H-backs to watch over the past two seasons. I understand why the scouting community may be underrating him, considering he lacks top-end speed and the length you typically like to see from in-line options.

His athletic profile mirrors Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson. I believe he could do a lot of the same damage in the short to intermediate range. His jumps were in the 94th and 97th percentile respectively, and he was tied for the second-fastest three-cone drill among all players at the combine (4.82). I value him as a mid-day two selection.

Grade: Early third round