Former Michigan tight end Zach Gentry left Ann Arbor with one season of eligibility left on the table.
His decision seemed to pay off.
After coming to Michigan as a big-time quarterback recruit, Gentry switched to tight end and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round with the No. 141 overall pick.
“He’s a good football player," Pittsburgh tight ends coach James Daniel told reporters. "Long frame. He’s a guy that we’re excited about getting in here and getting to work with."
One of Gentry’s best skills is his ability to get downfield. In 2018, his yards per reception of 16.1 was tied for ninth among tight ends with at least 25 targets. Where he struggled was in consistently catching the ball. His drop rate of 13.5 percent was 63rd amongst that same group of tight ends.
Also, his pass blocking grade dropped in 2018 from 67.4 to 63.5, according to Pro Football Focus.
“With his size and background at Michigan, teams might be tempted to play him as a combination tight end with run-blocking duties, but he’s much better suited in space than in the trenches,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote before the draft. “Gentry runs pretty well and moves fluidly as a route-runner, but his hands and focus can be maddening. He showed flashes of what he could do with a more capable quarterback last year.”
Due to his weaknesses at Michigan, some draft analysts thought he would not be selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. He struggled at the NFL Combine, running a 4.9-second 40-yard dash along with having a 29.5 vertical jump, 110-inch broad jump, 7.4 second three-cone drill and 12 bench press reps, all of which ranked towards the bottom at his position.
However, the Steelers took a chance on him.
The Steelers met with Gentry, watched him work out at the NFL Combine, had dinner with him in Ann Arbor before U-M’s pro day and then closely examined him at the pro day.
“That was one of the teams I talked to the most,” Gentry told reporters. “You never really fully expect it, but it turned out to be what happened.”
Gentry knows he has areas he needs to focus on and is working to improve them.
“I’m about 267 [pounds] right now,” he said. “I’ve worked a lot in the offseason to build on my frame a little bit and make myself stronger. I feel really comfortable with my body right now. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what they have to say in Pittsburgh.”
Gentry won’t have to be a Pro Bowl tight end right away and the Steelers are fine waiting on him to continue to develop.
“He was a quarterback, so I’d say he’s probably a little more adept at the receiving end of it,” Daniel said. “He’s got some adjusting to do to become a good blocker, I think, but the kid is excited about it and willing.”
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