Tennessee Vols; Luke Stocker wants to become latest tight end to reach NFL

Written by  John Glennon

FRANKLIN — If pedigree counts for anything, then NFL scouts should be rubbing their hands together in anticipation at the sight of University of Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker.
After all, three of his Volunteer predecessors at the same position — Buffalo's David Martin, Dallas' Jason Witten and Kansas City's Brad Cottam — are holding down NFL roster spots, with Witten having recently earned his seventh straight trip to the Pro Bowl.
Stocker hopes to take some steps toward the next level himself in the coming weeks as he's currently preparing for Saturday's Senior Bowl and next month's NFL Combine.
"I know (next) week at the Senior Bowl is a huge opportunity for myself to play against the best of the best, in front of a bunch of NFL scouts from every team around," said Stocker, a projected early- to middle-round selection who's working out at the D1 Sports Training facility.
"I want to do well in the Senior Bowl, do well in the Combine and put my best foot forward. At the end of the day, all the other stuff will take care of itself, and I'll (be drafted) where I'm supposed to be."
The 6-foot-6, 253-pound Stocker is familiar with the line of successful tight ends who have rolled through Knoxville over the past decade, having been compared with Witten since even before Stocker played his first game for the Volunteers.
"The day I committed to Tennessee, (former Vols Coach Phillip Fulmer) said he was looking forward to me being the next Jason Witten," Stocker said. "At that point, I started looking back and researching what Jason Witten did and the things he accomplished and where he's at."
Stocker and Witten have since formed a friendship, as they worked out with each other a bit last summer and have tentative plans to do the same again this summer.
Even Stocker's stats as a senior were very comparable with what his decorated predecessor produced during his last season with the Vols. Stocker posted 39 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns during the 2010 season, adding a five-catch, one-touchdown performance in the Music City Bowl. That compares favorably with Witten's 39 catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns in 2002.
But one former Vol believes Stocker actually compares more favorably with Cottam, a Memphis native picked by Kansas City in the third round of the 2008 draft. Cottam totaled 16 catches in his first 24 NFL games, but a neck injury suffered in 2009 sidelined him for the entire 2010 season.
"What I see from Stocker more than anything is not so much Jason Witten, but really more of Cottam," said ex-Tennessee defensive back Charles Davis, now an analyst for the NFL Network. "He's got a longer build. He's not as fast (as Witten) and as shifty in and out of breaks. But he's crafty, he understands how to play the game; he's a true-effort guy, and he will block you.
"Witten is a truly different animal. I see more of Cottam (in Stocker), but that's not a bad thing because the last time I checked, Cottam would have been the starter for the Chiefs this year before the injury hit and (rookie Tony Moeaki) got in on things."
Stocker knows that before he can find out what kind of player he is on the NFL level, he needs to get there. That's why the coming weeks are so critical for him.
"I think there are three things that will be real important for me to show — run-blocking, getting open in man-to-man coverage and pass protection," Stocker said. "You can break down all the schemes you want, but at the end of the day, that's pretty much the three things you'll do as a tight end.
"To show the scouts and coaches that I can do all three of those things should create a really good niche for me to be the complete tight end that I see myself being."