Oklahoma Sooners Football - 2018 NFL Draft Profile: Mark Andrews

After countless evaluations and mock drafts, the week of the actual 2018 NFL Draft is finally here. Several Oklahoma Sooners figure to hear their names called by the week’s end, including 2017 John Mackey Award winner Mark Andrews. Andrews is widely considered one of the top tight ends in this year’s draft class, and after being named a unanimous All-American, he appears ready for the next challenge in his football career.

Mark Andrews’ Story

Andrews was a four-star recruit coming out of high school who was known for his exceptional prowess as a receiver given his stout body and 6’5” frame. The Scottsdale, Arizona native redshirted in 2014 before becoming one of Baker Mayfield’s go-to targets in the red zone in 2015. In his debut season, Andrews recorded 19 receptions for 318 yards and seven touchdowns. His catch-to-TD ratio was outrageous, and from then on all of Sooner Nation knew the future for this budding tight end would be bright.

It’s also worth noting that Andrews was born with Type 1 diabetes. It’s something that he has learned to adapt to over time, and he doesn’t let it hold him back from performing on the field and doing what he loves most.

By the end of his Sooner career, Andrews accumulated 112 catches for 1,765 yards and 22 touchdowns. His total yardage puts him atop the program’s all-time list for receiving yards by a tight end, and as I mentioned earlier, he brought home the award for the nation’s best tight end.

NFL Combine Results

40-Yard Dash: 4.67 seconds

Bench: 17 reps

Vertical: 31 inches

Broad Jump: 113 inches

3-Cone Drill: 7.34 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.38 seconds

60-Yard Shuttle: 12.39 seconds

NFL scouts have compared Andrews to Los Angeles Chargers’ Hunter Henry and New Orleans Saints’ Coby Fleener. Stature-wise, Andrews already has the physical tools of an NFL player. Also, he’s more experienced as a receiver than most tight ends at this stage by virtue of playing in Oklahoma’s offense where he was a primary target for three seasons. Andrews has enough speed, quickness and, and he can burn a defender or two with some deceptive shiftiness. In the league, I expect whatever team that drafts him will often put Andrews in the slot — much like his time at Oklahoma.

Draft Projections

Soon after the conclusion of the season, some mock drafts had Mark Andrews going in the first round, but after further evaluation of Andrews as a blocker, his draft stock cooled off. Pro Football Focus ranks Andrews as the third-best tight end, USA Today lists him as the fourth-best tight end prospect, and Walter Football put Andrews at No. 7 in their rankings. Even with so much inconsistency with the rankings, it looks like Andrews could very likely find a new home on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Mark Andrews Highlights

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