The Washington Commanders have drafted Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott with the No. 53 overall pick.
Sinnott (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) was Mel Kiper Jr.'s best available tight end in Day 2. A four-year contributor for Kansas State, Sinnott caught 82 passes for 1,138 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a Third Team All-American and First Team All-Big 12 selection.
"Athletic F tight end with an ability to add value in the passing game and handle some blocking duties in space," wrote NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "The former walk-on has added 40 pounds to his frame without losing his speed or agility. He's an adequate route runner with the quickness to compete against man coverage on all three levels and get additional yards after the catch."
The Commanders have already addressed the tight end position in free agency, adding veteran Zach Ertz to a room that already featured young talents in John Bates, Cole Turner and Armani Rogers.
But the Commanders had the chance to bring in more young talent by taking a tight end listed as a fullback because of his ability as a blocker. That doesn't mean that Sinnott is lacking as a receiver, though. He recorded 10 touchdowns in his last two seasons and became the first tight end in KSU history since 1996 to record multiple touchdowns in a game.
First-round pick Jayden Daniels already had reliable targets in Ertz, Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but the Commanders are making sure their young quarterback will be surrounded with as much talent as possible during his rookie year.
