When the New York Giants brought in tight end CJ Conrad out of Kentucky as an undrafted free agent, most didn’t think he would have a major impact. In just his second day of mini-camp, he’s shown why he deserves to be competing against professional talent.
Some analysts believed that Conrad should have been taken in the first five rounds of the draft, but fell out of it entirely due to a lack of statistical production while with Kentucky. The reason being, he was their only threat and defenses game-planned around that idea.
Why did CJ Conrad fall out of the draft?
When Conrad was invited to attend the NFL Combine, he didn’t expect to be diagnosed with a heart ailment during pre-combine examinations. His stock plummeted after the ailment surfaced, knocking him out of the draft and potentially a career in the NFL.
Luckily, the issue proved to be non-serious, allowing him to further pursue his dream as an UDFA. The issue, however, was more about his numbers than the unfortunate discovery before the combine. Conrad sacrificed a ton of personal success while playing with the Wildcats. Although, he did catch 30 passes for 318 yards and three scores last year.
At 6-4, 248-pounds, CJ is a big tight end with the ability to block and receive. Lined up with Daniel Jones under center in 7v7 red-zone drills, Conrad secured two consecutive touchdowns, proving his worth alongside the Giants’ rookie quarterback.
Pat Shurmur is charting up CJ Conrad while the Giants do special teams. Conrad has had a fantastic practice from what I could see.
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) June 5, 2019
Bth New York Giants rookies are showing promise:
The two already seem to be developing unexpected chemistry in the red zone, something that could be beneficial down the line. The Giants, though, have several tight ends including Evan Engram, Rhett Ellison, and Scott Simonson on the roster, which will limit Conrad’s exposure to game-action.
I’m excited to see CJ perform during pre-season and see what he’s capable of in a live scenario. He certainly has the size and motivation to become an integral part of the offense, but can he defeat adversity and crawl his way onto the football field during the regular season? That’s the question I’m asking myself when I consider his translation.