Evaluating TCU tight end Pro Wells’ NFL Draft destinations

TCU tight end Pro Wells made a habit of catching passes in the red zone throughout his career with the Horned Frogs. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound prospect and former JUCO standout will be looking to make his name a reality as he prepares for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Wells broke out during his junior season in 2019, catching five touchdown passes and filling a hybrid tight end/wide receiver role in the Y-slot. A second-team All-Big 12 honoree that season, Wells returned as a redshirt junior in 2020, hauling in three touchdown receptions to lead the Horned Frogs. The St. Petersburg, Florida native finished with 30 catches for 391 yards and eight scores over his final two seasons.

Wells split reps at the tight end position with Artayvious Lynn and Carter Ware over the last three seasons, but Wells was the most active of the trio in the passing game. Wells averaged one touchdown for every 3.75 receptions in his TCU career, with the majority of those scores coming in the red zone. Tight ends have typically taken a back seat in the Horned Frog offense over the last several years, and although TCU’s transition to a more run-heavy attack cut into Wells’ workload, the talented pass-catcher made the most of his time.

Will Wells hear his name called during the 2021 NFL Draft? Several seven-round mocks including one from Fan Nation’s Roy Countryman have Wells pegged as a late-round pick. Countryman has Wells going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round. Drafttek.com also lists Wells as a seventh-round prospect headed to the Washington Football Team with the 243rd pick. Pro Football Network’s AJ Schulte placed Wells earlier in the seventh round to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 231st overall selection.

Fresh off their Super Bowl victory, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are running it back, with Gronk signing a one-year, $10 million extension while Brady also inked a new deal. Should Tampa Bay cut Cameron Brate or former first-rounder OJ Howard, Wells could slide in as a TE3 or TE4 via a late-round selection. All three players are capable pass catchers, with Gronkowski being the best blocker of the three, and Wells could provide Tampa Bay with long-term depth. He’d also have a group of solid veteran players to learn from.

Washington saw veteran Logan Thomas emerge near the end of the 2020-21 season. One year removed from releasing injury-plagued veteran Jordan Reed, Washington could snag Wells with a late-round pick to provide depth should the team not bring back former fifth-rounder Jeremy Sprinkle, who will hit free agency this spring. Washington will have reserve tight ends Marcus Baugh and Temarrick Hemingway for one more season.

Cincinnati lost starter CJ Uzomah to a torn Achilles last season, paving the way for Drew Sample to become a top target for Heisman winner Joe Burrow before he went down with a devastating knee injury. Uzomah has one year remaining on his deal, while reserve tight end and fullback Cethan Carter signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency. Should the Bengals move on from Uzomah after the 2021-22 season, Cincinnati could draft Wells late and develop him as a depth piece.

Wells will have a chance to raise his draft stock Friday, when TCU hosts its Pro Day for NFL scouts. Regardless of whether or not Wells hears his name called in the draft, his abilities as a red-zone target and yards-after-catch tight end could make him a valuable late-round steal for teams needing a playmaker over the middle of the field. TCU relied more on Lynn and Ware for blocking, particularly at the line of scrimmage and out of the backfield, meaning Wells will need to show he can block well enough to become a polished NFL tight end. But with teams spreading the ball around and playing more up-tempo offense, Wells is a great fit for the modern game.