Pros and cons of Carolina Panthers picking Texas football’s Ja'Tavion Sanders in NFL draft
The Carolina Panthers selected Ja'Tavion Sanders with the first pick of the fourth round of the NFL draft on Saturday.
He was the 101st overall pick. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Sanders becomes the first tight end drafted out of Texas since Geoff Swaim in 2015.
What Sanders brings to Panthers in 2024 NFL draft
Once a five-star recruit out of Denton Ryan, Sanders arrived at Texas in 2021 with questions about whether his future was at tight end or on the defensive line. He ended up setting the single-season tight end records at Texas for receiving yards (682 in 2023) and catches (54 in 2022).
NFL.com ranked Sanders as the No. 2 tight end in this draft class.
Sanders strengths, weaknesses at Texas
On its list of pros and cons for Sanders, NFL.com complemented his size and ability to outrun linebackers. The website opined that Sanders will need to get stronger and better at blocking.
Sanders was compared by NFL.com to Cleveland tight end David Njoku.
Sanders stats with Texas
During his junior year, Sanders averaged 15.2 yards per catch. He had 100-yard receiving performances at Alabama on Sept. 9 and against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game. Sanders also turned five catches into 110 yards during a trip to play Baylor.
Sanders was a first-team honoree on the Big 12's all-conference team in both 2022 and 2023.