Noah Gray, TE, Duke – NFL Draft Player Profile

The top tight ends in the 2021 NFL Draft deserve plenty of attention, and with good reason. However, the depth tier is just as important for teams looking to find developmental options, without sacrificing early draft capital. The depth tier is sizable, but that’s just because there are plenty of names worth knowing. One of those names worth knowing on the NFL Draft stage is Duke tight end Noah Gray.

Noah Gray 2021 NFL Draft Profile

• Position: Tight End
• School: Duke
• Current Year: Senior
• Height: 6’3 5/8″
• Weight: 240 pounds
• Wingspan: 78 1/8″
• Arm: 31 1/2″
• Hand: 9 3/8″

Tony Pauline’s Noah Gray Scouting Report

Positives: One-time highly rated tight end who is smooth releasing off the line of scrimmage, runs solid routes, and separates from opponents out of breaks. Displays good awareness, finds the soft spot in the defense, and extends his hands to make the reception away from his frame.

Smooth, fluid, and nicely adjusts to the errant throw. Competes to make the catch in a crowd, uses his frame to shield away defenders, and takes a pounding but holds on the ball. Possesses terrific eye/hand coordination.

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Negatives: Displays little in the way of blocking strength and cannot control opponents or hold his ground. Plays to one speed and does not show a deep burst. Does not always come away with the difficult reception. Coming off a disappointing season.

Analysis: Gray was graded by several scouts as a potential Day 2 pick entering the season, yet he didn’t possess the skill or upside to justify such a ranking. He’s a solid pass-catching move tight end with growth potential who could line up as a No. 2 on Sundays.

Noah Gray Player Profile

Even if he wasn’t a top-tier prospect, it was clear a long time ago that Noah Gray would play collegiately. By his senior year in high school, Gray was 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. He cemented a reputation for himself as one of the best athletes in his area. A Leominster, Massachusetts product, Gray played quarterback and tight end, and he was also involved in basketball.

Gray was a three-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class and the third-best recruit in the state of Massachusetts. Gray had offers from New Hampshire, Toledo, Temple, and Army. However, when he was presented with an opportunity to play in the Power Five, he took the chance. Gray signed with David Cutcliffe and the Duke Blue Devils, intent on chasing a dream to play in the NFL.

Noah Gray’s career as a Duke tight end

For his first two seasons, Gray caught passes from future NFL quarterback Daniel Jones. The Duke tight end saw action as a true freshman, and although it wasn’t much, he flashed versatility and red zone ability. He caught five passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns and returned the next year as an ascending weapon on offense.

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Gray saw an uptick in production as a true sophomore. Although he wasn’t yet a full-time starter, he became a consistent contributor. Gray caught 20 passes for 234 yards and a score. He played in all 13 games and started one contest against the Pittsburgh Panthers. In that game, Gray notched new career-highs in catches and yardage output, with five receptions for 48 yards, respectively.

Gray’s final two seasons with the Duke Blue Devils

Jones left for the draft after the 2018 season. Thus, the Blue Devils’ passing attack was left in the hands of Quentin Harris. The unit wasn’t as prolific under Harris. However, Gray continued to improve his production. He caught over 50 passes in 2019, amassing 51 catches for 392 yards and three touchdowns. He proved himself to be a valuable security blanket for the offense, and in the process, he earned second-team All-ACC honors.

In 2020, the Blue Devils brought in former Clemson quarterback Chase Brice in an attempt to bring life back to their passing attack. That experiment failed, but Gray again put up decent production. With another new signal-caller, Gray accounted for 29 catches, 285 yards, and two touchdowns.

Over his career, he caught 105 passes for 948 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 9.0 yards per catch. He also caught at least one touchdown in every season. Following the 2020 campaign season, Gray accepted an invite to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Analyzing Noah Gray’s 2021 NFL Draft profile

Noah Gray is an interesting player. He’s clearly not at the caliber of higher-ranked tight ends in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he brings some solid traits to the table. First and foremost, Gray is versatile. At Duke, he lined up in the slot, inline, and at fullback, and he also went through motion a lot. He’s also a willing blocker. Although he doesn’t quite have the play strength necessary to dominate, he’s fairly assignment sound, and he brings good energy.

As a receiver, Gray offers utility as well. At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, he has enough size and length to reach for passes, and he also has decent body control. Gray also brings good acceleration in open space, as well as decent speed. Overall, he’s an above-average athlete, and he has enough explosiveness to get a few yards upfield even amidst congestion.

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Gray compounds his natural receiving ability with flashes of route nuance. Gray can be more consistent in this area, and perhaps a more clear-cut receiving role will help him in the NFL. Nevertheless, Gray put some good reps on tape as a route runner. He’s fairly smooth, but also offers exceptional flashes of lateral twitch and agility off his stems. He also has the wherewithal at times to use his head and his eyes as a tool to mislead defenders.

What are the concerns with Gray?

Gray will have to refine his route running at the next level, but that issue extends from his other areas of concern. Gray needs to be a crisp route runner in the NFL because he doesn’t have top-tier traits. He has some good athletic qualities, but he’s not a dominant vertical athlete, and he doesn’t have great play strength or authority at the catch point.

Gray can be a good seam buster, but he’s not the tight end who’s going to be a cheat code in contested situations. Additionally, he’s easily impacted by contact when running routes. He’ll need to continue building strength in order to help him peel off more consistently.

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Gray might have room to add more weight to his frame. However, in the process, he runs the risk of sapping his athleticism, therefore making his quickness less of a weapon. Additionally, the Duke tight end needs to improve his ability as a yards-after-catch threat. He has enough burst to elongate space, but he’s not incredibly dense, and he doesn’t offer much in the way of contact balance. In a contact-heavy NFL, that doesn’t bode well for Gray’s chances, at least in a premier role.

Senior Bowl Performance

Noah Gray had a nice one-handed catch during the Senior Bowl which caused some excitement in the crowd. However, as it turns out, that one-handed catch overshadowed a less consistent effort from play-to-play over the course of the week. While Gray hauled in that tough catch, he also failed to capitalize on easier opportunities. Furthermore, his blocking failed to inspire. For a player who projects into a more versatile role, that’s not ideal. Tony has more on Gray, from the Duke tight end’s summary in the American Team Practice Report.

“As I mentioned during the week, according to scouts Gray entered the season ranked as the top senior tight end prospect in the nation and a potential Day 2 selection. He looked more like a late-round pick last week based on my American Team Senior Bowl practice observations. Gray dropped too many passes he should’ve held on to. He was also demolished during blocking drills time and time again.”

Noah Gray’s best fits in the 2021 NFL Draft

Noah Gray’s route running and solid athletic foundation gives him a decent floor as a 2021 NFL Draft prospect. However, he’s simply decent in a lot of areas, and those kinds of prospects don’t always do much at the professional level. To maximize his best athletic traits, Gray will have to turn his route running flashes into more consistent modes. Otherwise, he may be capped off as a depth tight end.

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Nevertheless, if Gray can further sharpen his route running and learn to couple his head fakes with sharp cuts, he can be a contributor on offense. He has enough quickness and burst to make the most of opportunities when schemed into space.

Although he’s not very elusive or balanced through contact, he’s a fairly reliable target who can serve a purpose as a chain mover. His willingness to play different roles also compounds his mid-to-late round appeal.

Where does Gray fall on the draft board?

For now, Gray is a Day 3 pick. He could go anywhere from Round 4 to Round 7, depending on how teams view his athletic upside. I see him as more of a mid-to-late Day 3 selection, but he has potential, and he didn’t exactly play in a prolific passing offense. Thus, his skills might have been diluted in college.

Gray’s athletic testing at the Duke pro day helped his case. There, Gray logged a Relative Athletic Score of 7.72. Beyond that score, he put up a 4.57 40-yard dash, a 35-inch vertical, and an excellent 6.83 three-cone time.

Later in the draft, plenty of teams might be in the market for Gray. With his versatility, he’s a fairly universal fit. Teams could stack him with an earlier tight end selection, or they could add him to an already solid tight end room, as rotational depth.

The Duke tight end has relatively less clarity surrounding his projection. His professional production might end up mirroring his production at the collegiate level. However, there’s always a need for multifaceted tight ends with measured upside, and on Day 3, Gray profiles well in that regard.

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