Wisconsin Badgers Draft Profile: TE Jake Ferguson

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin had plenty of changeovers within its offense in the last four seasons, but the one constant for the program was that tight end Jake Ferguson, no matter the injury, would be suited up and ready to make a play.

Leading the Badgers in catches as a senior and junior, Ferguson finished his Wisconsin career with a catch in 47 consecutive games, establishing a new school record for what was the FBS’ second-longest active streak. A two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, the Madison native is one of the most consistent pass catchers in the draft at his position.

BadgerBlitz takes a closer look at Ferguson’s NFL profile.

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At the NFL Scouting Combine, Ferguson ran a 4.81 40-yard dash (9th out of 12), 15 reps on the bench (10 of 10), 31.5-inch vertical (11 of 13), 9-10 on the broad jump (5 of 10), 7.03 on the 3-cone (tied second of eight) and 4.48 in the 20-yard shuttle (8 of 10). At Wisconsin’s Pro Day, Ferguson improved his 40-yard dash to 4.71 and increased his vertical jump to 34-5. His 40 time would have put him sixth at the Combine while his new jump would have tied him for third.

At the Combine, Ferguson measured 6-5 and 244 pounds, had 32 5/8 arms, and 9 1/2 hands.

There is no debate on Ferguson’s ability as a pass catcher. After healing and improving his body during his redshirt season, Ferguson has had a place within the offense for four seasons and finished with an average of 11.4 yards per catch (145 receptions for 1,618 yards) and 13 touchdowns). While having good size to line up in a three-point stance, Ferguson is versatile and can play in the slot or even off the line of scrimmage.

His intelligence and understanding of defensive concepts allowed him to find soft spots in the defense and create matchups where he can take advantage of his height. Countless UW quarterbacks have relied on his presence to bail them out of pressures and move the chains, whether it is passes into the flat, getting himself open when a play breaks down or making a difficult catch in the traffic. He’s not a big-play threat but he gives himself an opportunity to make a catch on every route with his instincts and ability to find the defense’s weak spot.

Drops were a non-issue for Ferguson last season, as the senior was saddled with only one on his 61 targets. Ferguson’s height, body control, and leaping ability allow him to catch the ball at the highest point and secure it. He had better defenders put on him as he developed but still finished last season catching 56.5 percent of contested catches (5-for-9), according to Pro Football Focus.

Ferguson can get off the line of scrimmage well and having solid straight-line speed allows him to stretch the defense. He’s drawn linebacker coverage and his skillset plays into the matchup when it comes to intermediate passes with his ability with the routes in UW’s system. Still, his success is the work he does in the red zone. Twelve of his 13 collegiate touchdowns came inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, as he averaged 10.1 yards per touchdown catch. Having sturdy hands and his ability to fight through contact and make catches that range from easy to acrobatic is an asset for an offense.

Here are some of the strengths NFL.com listed for Ferguson.

· Holds school record for consecutive games with a catch.

· Clever release stems and skilled hand usage to slip pressure.

· Routes were more crisp in 2021.

· Speed to threaten seam vertically and hops to snare at the high point.

· Outstanding catch focus no matter the traffic jam.

· Certified tough guy, catching through very heavy contact.

· Makes instant adjustments to the football.

· Lateral quickness as zone blocker.

· Adequate effort to sustain blocks in space.

While he has made massive strides under the coaching of Mickey Turner, a former blocking tight end with the Badgers, Ferguson is not a great blocker. His extension and burst off the line are good at the college level, but Ferguson’s ability to manhandle defenders and his flexibility will be limited against the speed he’ll see at the professional level or the larger defenders in the trenches. Improvement with his blocking angles, pad level, and overall strength must improve to finish blocks.

While Ferguson handled UW’s playbook, an NFL playbook will push him to be more intricate and detailed with his route assignments. Ferguson will have to show he’s capable of handling more.

One thing that separates Ferguson from the top-tier tight ends is speed. He doesn’t have a reception longer than 36 yards, so he’s not going to burn defenses with his breakaway speed and yards after the catch. That lack of top-end speed might limit him on a smaller roster because of his special teams upside.

Overall, Ferguson is something of a throw-back to a previous era of offensive football. There certainly is still a place for his more straightforward athleticism and game. However, he doesn’t quite have the dynamic athleticism to be a true mismatch or be flexed across the offensive formation. Teams that value a more traditional tight end would likely have him graded much more highly than those looking for a “hybrid” tight end.

Here are some of his weaknesses for Ferguson by NFL.com.

· Lacks desired physicality as in-line blocker.

· Needs to add core strength and determination.

· Defensive ends play through him too easily.

· Average burst off the line and into his routes.

· Average leverage at the breakpoint.

· Would benefit by settling in space more quickly.

He’s not an elite tight end like Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts was as a rookie last year (No.4 overall pick), but Ferguson is a traditional pro-style tight end that can impact the passing game in a multitude of ways. However, Ferguson’s poor testing numbers might scare some teams off. Ferguson is ranked No.96 by Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings, No.115 by the Sporting News, No.116 by Yahoo, No.120 overall by Bleacher Report, and No.166 by CBS, which has him going to Philadelphia in the fifth round.

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