The NFL Draft is fast approaching. There are just three weeks before the first round begins. With that in mind, the mock drafts are being pushed out so fast there seem to be new versions every minute.
Iowa product Noah Fant is consistently ranked as one of the top two tight ends in the draft. The only other one put ahead of him is his teammate, T.J. Hockenson.
Fant is possibly the more gifted of the two when it comes to receiving, but he's behind in blocking. Therefore, the two have different offenses that would suit them well.
Fant has been all over the draft board. He's usually listed as someone who will go in the first or second round, but tends to leave mock drafts in the middle of the first.
With that in mind, what three teams would be the best fit for the 21-year-old?
3. Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins have been known for using their tight end. There's a problem with that though – they can't stay healthy.
When he isn't injured, Jordan Reed is an elite talent. He's proven to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL in the past and a ridiculous mismatch no matter who's guarding him.
He played in six games (started five) in 2017 and 13 games (started eight) in 2018.
The reason he doesn't always start is health. It's also the reason he doesn't always finish games. Reed may have appeared in 13 games last season, but he wasn't in the entire time. He has a tendency of getting knocked out for periods of time.
Due to all that, the position is an uncertainty. It's hard to count on Reed for a full season. If the injuries continue, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Redskins cut him before his contract was up in 2021.
Behind Reed is 35-year-old Vernon Davis. This is becoming a position of need for the Redskins. With a new “franchise” quarterback expected to come soon, getting him a shiny new weapon at tight end would be a good start.
This would be an especially good fit because Noah Fant wouldn't be expected to carry the entire load immediately. He would be able to be eased into it while polishing up some of the parts of his game that he still needs work on.
Even if/when Reed does get injured, there's enough left in the tank for Vernon Davis to help Fant.
Within a year, Fant could be the star tight end of the Washington offense. If Reed ends up staying healthy, the Redskins have proven they love a two-tight-end system. Reed and Fant together would cause so many headaches for opposing defenses.
2. New England Patriots
This one is pretty simple. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady clearly loves his tight ends. He's got a problem though – one of the greatest of all time at that position just retired. With Rob Gronkowski gone, the Patriots will need to start anew.
Of course, there's always the chance Gronkowski (who's still just 29) decides to come back. It wouldn't be wise for the Patriots to bank on that though.
It's hard to envision many spots better for Noah Fant. He'd enter the NFL with Tom Brady as his quarterback and Bill Belichick as his head coach.
If he's going to start immediately, this is the place for him. Having Brady as his quarterback would only help to highlight the positives of his game. Meanwhile, having Belichick as his coach would only help him learn and improve faster.
Fant has the skill set of someone that can come into the league and produce immediately. He also has the makeup of someone that could turn into one of the most dominant tight ends in the NFL.
Both of those traits will shine through bright with the Patriots.
The only semi-downfall here is the uncertainty. How much longer is Brady going to play? Once his time is done, will Fant have a good QB to throw him the ball?
Even worse, what if Belichick hangs it up with Brady too? The two major reasons this fit is perfect could be gone within the next two-or-three seasons.
1. Oakland Raiders
Everyone had been expecting a breakout season from Jared Cook every year for the last few seasons. Every offseason someone would write an article about how this was the year he'd put it all together.
People finally seemed to give up on that, then he had that breakout year with the Oakland Raiders.
He's gone now though, and the Raiders could use someone to fill his slot.
Not everyone will agree, but Oakland has a lot going for them. Say what you will about some of the moves Jon Gruden made, but he stock-piled draft picks and got Antonio Brown. It would be fun to see what he could do with a talent like Noah Fant at the tight end position.
Then there's quarterback Derek Carr. Again, this is a say what you will about him situation. Yes, Carr is far from perfect. He hasn't looked the same since his injury. He did, however, have a pretty solid season in 2018.
Even more impressive, Carr did that without much help when it came to targets.
He's still just 28 and could be entering his prime. Giving him solid weapons could help to return him to the monster he was once becoming.
Most importantly though, Fant would be put into a system for him to succeed. It wasn't a fluke that the Raiders were the team to get the breakout year from Cook. Gruden likes his tight ends, and so does Carr. It's a position that will usually see success and Noah Fant could absolutely flourish in that offense.
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