The Arizona Cardinals have drafted Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas with the No. 52 overall pick pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Niklas was ranked No. 4 on SB Nation's tight end rankings, behind Eric Ebron, Jace Amaro and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Niklas spent three years with Notre Dame, but saw very little time on offense in his freshman year, since he started his career as a linebacker. In 2012 he converted to tight end, played in 13 games and caught five passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Niklas got more playing time in 2013, catching 32 passes for 498 yards and five touchdowns.
Niklas has a prototypical build for the big receiving tight ends that the NFL has been into of late. He hasn't flashed a whole lot of that potential receiving ability, but he also didn't get a whole lot of playing time. He is a good blocker as well, which is where he'll likely see the field most as a rookie while he learns the game at the next level.
NFL Draft
Combine Results
Height: 6'7
Weight: 270
Bench press: 27
Vertical jump: 32
Broad jump: 9'6
20-yard shuttle: 4.55
3-cone drill: 7.57