College football is almost upon us, which means the 2016 NFL Draft will be here before you know it. Those of us at Scouts Inc. -- myself, Kevin Weidl and Steve Muench -- spent the summer scouring tape and ranking the top players at each position from a draft perspective.
Below is our preseason evaluation of the best tight ends in the 2016 draft.
Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.
Top 5 tight ends
1. Nick Vannett, Ohio State Buckeyes: Vannett will never be an elite deep threat at the TE position, but he has some deceptive ability when working the seam. A precise, strong and determined route runner, the fifth-year senior is not easily re-routed by linebackers. He possesses the size (6-6, 260), athleticism and experience to play as both an in-line and flexed-out tight end in the NFL.