Elijah Arroyo put up decent numbers in his junior season at Miami. Although the stats don’t jump off the page, he still accounted for 35 receptions, 590 yards, and seven touchdowns. He served as a safety valve for Cam Ward all season and could offer some underrated potential to a team looking for his skill set.
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Arroyo is described as a high-ceiling prospect. He stretches the field vertically out of the tight-end position, has sticky hands, and has a high IQ. If he can develop correctly, he could be a matchup problem for years to come. But his declaration for the draft may go largely overlooked, as most teams have him projected to go in the 4th or 5th round.
Let’s take a look at some landing spots that Arroyo could end up at. He may not burst onto the scene with any team, but he could be a late-round steal for someone taking a swing for the fences.
3) Denver Broncos
The Broncos own a pick in the middle of the fourth round that would be perfect to spend on Arroyo. They have been long searching for a productive tight end. Arroyo could offer that same upside that the Broncos always covet when it comes to drafting tight ends.
Think of some of the upside guys they’ve taken in recent seasons. Greg Dulcich, Albert Okwuegbunam, and such. All later-round picks that offered some sort of upside, they just never developed. You can add Adam Trautman to that list too.
2) Miami Dolphins
What’s better than not having to move from the town you played college football in? The Dolphins would welcome Arroyo with open arms as they have been looking for their vertical threat in the tight end game to add another wrinkle to their high-scoring offense. With mid-round picks in both the fourth and fifth rounds, Miami could take a chance on Arroyo.
He would fit seamlessly into the Dolphins offense in the same way Mike Gesicki did for years. Jonnu Smith had an excellent run for them this year, but anyone watching saw it was mostly via screens and plays at the line of scrimmage. Arroyo would give Tua a third downfield option in a big body.
1) Cleveland Browns
If Arroyo is going to be a third-day pick, the Browns are in the best position to nab him first. They own the second pick of the fourth round and should consider drafting the Canes product. After all, David Njoku has become a luxury the team shouldn’t be trying to afford in a few seasons.
This would be the perfect landing spot for Arroyo. There would be no pressure to come in and instantly perform, and he would get to learn behind one of the best tight ends in the game. It’s the one position Cleveland has a decent history within the draft. Let’s see if they reignite that flame.
