Who is Crockett Gilmore?
As we progress through the NFL season, this series will evolve from primarily featuring rookies to lesser-known players who may find themselves with opportunities to emerge. This week’s featured player, Crockett Gillmore, qualifies in both categories. Selected by the Ravens in the third round (#99 overall) in the 2014 draft, the tight end from Colorado State (CSU) is one of my favorite deep sleepers in dynasty.
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As is the case with many tight ends, including Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas, Gillmore did not spend his full time as an undergraduate developing as a tight end. In high school, Gillmore starred in basketball, football, track and wrestling. Though he entered CSU as a tight end, team needs forced him to switch to defensive end before his freshman season began. After playing both defensive end (26 sacks) and wide receiver (over 1,000 receiving yards) in high school, the transition wasn’t difficult for Gillmore. The 6’6”, 250 pound recruit from Texas played in eleven games, recording eleven tackles (eight solo), a sack and a fumble recovery.
Switching back to tight end just a week before the 2011 season began (again to fill a void due to injury) Gillmore proceeded to start all twelve games (and win selection to second-team all-conference) with a team-leading 45 receptions, 468 yards receiving and four touchdowns as well as a 27-yard touchdown pass. As a junior in 2012, Gillmore only caught 19 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns as he missed time due to injury and was called upon to block primarily. The stat sheet was much improved last season as he caught 47 passes for 577 yards and two touchdowns before catching five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in the Senior Bowl and receiving a plethora of accolades.
At the 2014 Combine, Gillmore displayed his track abilities with some impressive results. Though his 40 yard dash was a relatively disappointing 4.89 (thirteenth overall among tight ends), he placed ninth in the 3-cone drill, eighth in the 20-yard shuttle, fourth in the vertical jump, and tied for third with a ten foot broad jump. Though he does not have the explosive athleticism of a Colt Lyerla, he is nonetheless a solid athlete with a big frame.
On the field, CSU took advantage of that frame which along with his long arms and big hands made Gillmore a target with a significant catch radius. After bulking up during his collegiate career (from 215 as a freshman to his current 250), he has demonstrated the ability to win jump balls, run through contact, and generally be a physical presence as both a pass-catcher and blocker. The latter is likely the primary reason Baltimore selected Gillmore on the second day of the draft, with some scouts ranking Gillmore as the top blocking tight end in this draft class.
Critics of Gillmore’s fantasy relevance most frequently point to his blocking strength, surmising he was selected early and will be on the field but primarily to block. There is likely truth to this initially, but this gives him on-field experience nonetheless. Gillmore needs to polish his route running, though he has reportedly improved in this area throughout the preseason, and doesn’t have good burst off the line. Additionally, there are questions surrounding his ability to stay healthy though he did not miss many games due to injury at CSU and has added 35 pounds to his previously very lean frame.
A strong preseason has assuaged many of these concerns, though his use leaned heavily toward blocking over pass-catching. Teammate and fellow tight end Dennis Pitta indicated Gillmore has shown he is a tough and physical player, even that he is a “great blocker” off the line. He also demonstrated he won’t get pushed around by veterans, scuffling with 300 pound defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan among other players on defense.
That Gillmore received significant playing time on the first team offense and against the Ravens’ first team defense in the preseason speaks volumes about how the team feels about its tight end situation. Though he has been projected since the draft to be the number three tight end on the depth chart, number two Owen Daniels spent most of July and August on the sidelines with leg soreness. Head coach John Harbaugh seemed to be less than impressed with Daniels’ inability to play due to “soreness,” legitimate as it may be given the player’s age and injury history.
Though the veteran Daniels is off to a solid start with 62 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns through two weeks, it is reasonable to anticipate he will miss some time as he hasn’t played a full 16 game season since 2008. If and when he is unavailable, Gillmore has already shown he can step in to offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s two-tight end sets. Already a better blocker than Daniels, Gillmore’s hands and catch radius could prove to be very effective in single coverage with enough time on the field.
The current regime (Kubiak) hand-picked Gillmore and selected him early while neither Pitta nor Daniels played more than five games last season. He should have an opportunity to play as early as this season and there are no other tight ends currently on the roster who will be under 30 years old in 2015. The combination of the likelihood of playing time, a tight-end friendly system, the team’s investment and his strong hands and size are very intriguing for dynasty.
Gillmore has not been on the fantasy radar despite being selected as a high draft pick, and the recent play of Daniels will likely cause the rookie to continue to go unnoticed in our community. If you are in a tight-end premium and/or deep league (more than 300 players rostered), make a roster spot available for him. Temper expectations for this year, but the former four sport star could become a solid option in tight-end premium leagues down the road.
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