After waiving goodbye to former tight end Jesse James, many wondered how the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to replace him.
After forgoing after agency, the Steelers selected Michigan TE Zach Gentry in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Gentry’s path to the NFL was a little different than most prospects, at least for the tight end position. Gentry was a top ten ranked quarterback in his class and was recruited as such, yet when he showed up to Ann Arbor, Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh converted him to a tight end.
Gentry’s size (6-8, 265 lbs) is nearly identical to the fellow Big Ten tight end he is filling in for. Gentry’s numbers don’t fill up the stat sheet (third team all-conference in 2018, just 30+ catches and 2 touchdowns) yet the Steelers are hopeful to turn what many consider a project, into a viable red zone threat in the future.