Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas Drafted by Arizona Cardinals

Dec 28, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Troy Niklas (85) carries the ball as Rutgers Scarlet Knights cornerback Gareef Glashen (2) and safety Lorenzo Waters (21) and defensive back Nadir Barnwell (14) defend in the fourth quarter of the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Notre Dame won 29-16. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals have selected Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas with the 52nd pick in the NFL Draft.

Niklas had just 32 receptions for 498 yards and five touchdowns in 2013. He may just be realizing his potential as a receiver and shows flashes of being an exceptional pass catcher.

Niklas is an extremely large target for his quarterbacks, and an under-utilized one by the Irish last season. Tommy Rees seemed afraid to throw to him at times, not wanting to risk an interception in the middle. He checked in at 6-6 and 270-pounds.

He is an exceptional blocker and is able to pass block as well as lead block for a runner. Niklas will likely be used more often as an in-line tight end who chip blocks and runs short routes.

He shows a natural ability to catch the ball and is extremely difficult to take down once he gets moving. Niklas is able to shed tackles with ease and run over smaller defensive backs.

Niklas is a work in progress and it might be a few years before he truly develops into an outstanding player. He is an average receiver right now, but is still getting used to the position. He was a two-way player in high school, playing offensive line and defensive line before switching to tight end when he got to Notre Dame.

Niklas will have a great coach for developing his skills as a catcher and route runner with Bruce Arians. The Cardinals really needed a blocking tight end and Niklas fits that mold. This is a bit high for a player who hasn’t shown much versatility yet, considering the dual nature of the position.

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