Juszczyk Catches Kiper's Eye

Senior Kyle Juszczyk may have made his mark for the Crimson as Harvard’s all-time leader in receptions (125), receiving yards (1,576), and touchdowns (22) for a tight end, but he is catching NFL scouts’ eye at a different position—fullback.

Interest in the two-time All-American is growing after a compelling performance at the Senior Bowl, an annual showcase for the nation’s top draft prospects, last week in Mobile, A.L. ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. was impressed enough to list Juszczyk as his fifth-best fullback prospect for April’s NFL Draft.

Juszczyk is projected to be a 5th to 7th round pick. If he is not drafted, he is expected to make his way as an undrafted free agent. The three-time All-Ivy League tight end hopes to join fellow Crimson alums Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05, Matt Birk ’98, and Desmond Bryant ’09 in the pros.

Juszczyk, listed at 6’3”, is considered by many scouts to be too short to play tight end in the NFL, but is well suited to transition to the fullback or halfback position. Although Juszczyk faces the dual challenges of learning a new position and facing off against a higher level of competition throughout the draft process, scouts remain interested. They believe that his physicality and toughness when blocking are skills that will translate well to the next level. Further, he has prior experience running the ball, as he led his high school team in both rushing and receiving during his senior season at Cloverleaf High School in Medina, Ohio.

For now, Juszczyk will wait to see if his Senior Bowl performance was enough to earn him an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in February, where he can further his case to impress teams and earn a shot at being drafted.