MOBILE, Ala. — Former Boise State tight end John Bates drew high praise for his performance in practice on Thursday, leading up to the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
The highlight of his day came during the 11-on-11 portion of practice. Bates came wide open on a seam route and caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from former Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book.
On the very next play, coaches set the ball at the 20-yard line again, and once again Book found Bates, this time out in the left flat, for a first down.
"He's a big target," said ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. "[He had] thirty-four catches in 19 games the past two years. He's not a speed guy but he's got a great catch radius and he's a guy that you would love to target in the red zone."
Oddly, that is a particular part of the field where Bates didn't see many opportunities during his time at Boise State. Of his 47 career receptions, only two came inside the red zone.
He also only had two career touchdown catches, one a 24-yard reception against UConn as a sophomore, and the other a 28-yard grab against Air Force as a junior.
Bates has the measurables and versatility that would seem intriguing to NFL teams. Earlier in the week, he checked in at 6-foot 5 5/8-inches and 259 pounds.
During practice he has lined up as a traditional in-line tight end in addition to lining up at fullback and splitting out as a pass-catcher, three things he proved he was more than capable of handling throughout his collegiate playing career.
Bates declared for the 2021 NFL Draft back on Dec. 23. And just last Friday he learned of his opportunity in Mobile, an invitation that is significant for this draft day hopes. Of the 13 previous Boise State alumni to play in the Senior Bowl, 12 were drafted. The only exception is Kellen Moore, the winningest quarterback in college football history, in 2012.
If Bates is able to cash in on those odds, he could be the first Boise State tight end to hear his name called at the NFL draft since Derek Schouman in 2007.
The Senior Bowl showcase wraps up on Saturday with the annual exhibition game. It will be televised live on the NFL Network at 12:30 p.m. MT.
