Chicago Bears rookie tight end Adam Shaheen is a major project
He still has plenty of upside, but Chicago Bears rookie tight end Adam Shaheen is a major work in progress.
I am not going to lie, I was a big fan of the Chicago Bears‘ second-round selection of tight end Adam Shaheen in the 2017 NFL Draft. Shaheen got on my radar during the draft process because he was a particular favorite of Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com.
Jeremiah raved again and again about Shaheen’s combination of size, speed and athleticism at the tight end position. I knew that I had to check him and I was immediately hooked. Shaheen is a converted basketball player who dominated on the gridiron last season. In 2016, Shaheen caught 57 passes for 867 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was an incredible red zone weapon and also showed the speed to catch a short pass and take it to the house.
Unfortunately, all of this came at the Division II level. Shaheen absolutely dominated in college, but doing it at Ashland University certainly takes away some of the prospect shine. However, it does not change the fact that Shaheen is a 6-foot-6, 270-pound tight end with plus speed and athleticism. The upside is certainly there.
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Despite his obvious upside, Shaheen is clearly not ready to be a major contributor at the NFL level. I have been all aboard the Shaheen hype train since the Bears drafted him, but we are two weeks into the preseason and he is clearly not ready to be a major contributor in the NFL.
Shaheen’s blocking was an issue through the draft process and he has not improved in that area. He constantly gets dominated at the point of attack and does not yet show good technique while blocking. Shaheen certainly has the size and power to be a strong blocking tight end, but he is not there yet.
His receiving upside is obvious, but Shaheen is still raw in that department as well. His route running ability is less than desirable at the moment and Shaheen has not shown the ability to create any separation. At this point, I do not expect Shaheen to be anything more than a guy who takes an occasional snap in three tight end sets as a rookie. But that’s okay.
The Chicago Bears knew Shaheen was raw. The guy not only comes from the Division II level, he was a full-time basketball player just three years ago. Now, he is playing in the NFL with the greatest football players in the world.
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I am willing to buy low on Shaheen stock as I believe in his talent. That being said, he will not be a major contributor for the Chicago Bears in 2017.