Charlie Kolar - TE - Iowa State
Welcome to the rookie profile for Charlie Kolar. Kolar is one of the most productive tight ends we have seen in college football since 2019. Based on production he’s top of this year’s TE class after compiling over 2000 yards over the past 3 seasons. Since 2019 he has received first-team All-Big 12 honours (2019-2021). We’ll likely see Kolar picked up on day 3 of this year’s draft and will prove to be great value if selected in the later rounds.
Measurables
Height: 6′ 6.5″
Weight: 252 lbs
Age: 23
40-yard dash: DNP
3-cone drill: DNP
20-yard shuttle: DNP
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
Bench Press: DNP
College Stats
Notable Headlines
Kolar committed to football and Iowa State despite a last-minute pursuit from Oklahoma. He spent his high school career juggling football and basketball, where he was a Norman North team basketball teammate of NBA All-Star Trae Young.
Kolar opted to redshirt his freshman season, throughout his redshirt freshman season he totalled 11 receptions for 137 yards and scored 3 touchdowns on the year. He was named to the second-team All-Big 12. In Kolar’s redshirt sophomore year, he pulled in 51 receptions for 697 yards and 7 scores and was named to the first team All-Big 12.
In 2020, Kolar considered declaring for the NFL Draft but chose to return for his redshirt junior year. And for a second straight year, he was named to the first-team All-Big 12 after closing the season with 44 receptions for 591 yards and 7 touchdowns. In the past season, we’ve seen career highs in receptions and yards (62 grabs for 756 yards) whilst contributing with 6 touchdowns on the year, for the third year straight he was named in the first-team All-Big 12 and has accepted an invite for this year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl. The honors continued as he won the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the top academic-athletic in college football.
Scouting Report
Positives
Kolar is a deadly red zone playmaker with soft, reliable hands and hasn’t dropped a single target in the end zone across 4 seasons (33 targets). He’s a big target for Quarterbacks and has good vertical, timing, and hand-eye skills for jump ball plays, a part of his game that makes up for his lack of pace. He also has good side-line awareness and makes sure that he gets his feet in bounds.
Due to his soft hands, he can show moments of very good body control and tracking which allows him to make catches that are outside of his frame. Although Kolar is not regarded as a supreme athlete he uses his best asset, his size, making up for his lack of athleticism compared to others in this year’s draft class. He also arguably has the best hands and playmaking abilities in this year’s tight end class.
A traditional tight end that brings an aggressive attitude to the game both as a receiver and a blocker, although his best attributes are his catching abilities he is also very good at bullying smaller defenders. Against smaller defenders, he uses his size and strength to attain superior leverage, and with his aggressive style of play he can bring in passes amidst contact.
Negatives
Kolar has noticeable athletic limitations such as his explosiveness which can often make him look static. Whilst he is a good blocker, he can sometimes have issues sustaining blocks at the second tier. He has above-average route-running skills however he lacks the speed or a burst of pace which means he won’t be as much of a threat against tougher NFL defenses.
Kolar’s high-cut frame and limited amount of power prevent him from becoming a quality blocking tight end with his frame making him more of an obstacle as opposed to a consistent blocking threat. Often seen lacking coordination and will often get knocked off balance with little effort and at times gets a poor angle on his targets. It’s no secret that Kolar has accomplished himself on the college stage however the main question scouts will be asking themselves is – Without the blocking prowess to fall on, will he be able to carry on his collegiate success and stats into the NFL?
Pre Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital- Round 5
Landing Spots
New York Giants seems a likely option as I don’t see them keeping Kyle Rudolph after he only managed 50% of the Giants’ offensive snaps. Kolar’s ability to split the seams and get vertical whilst he has good spatial awareness will be valuable to a team that will be looking to add a tight end. Another potential landing spot could be the Atlanta Falcons if they lose Hayden Hurst in the off-season and Kolar would be a great replacement to play the TE2 role.
Post Draft Analysis
Baltimore Ravens- Round 4, Pick 23
Fantasy Impact
The impact here doesn’t take an awful lot of analyzing. The Ravens have one of the best tight ends in football and unless Mark Andrews goes down injured then Kolar could become a good streaming option.
Looking further ahead, Mark Andrew is still only 26 whilst Charlie Kolar enters the NFL as a 23-year-old rookie. At this moment in time, it’s worthwhile to avoid targeting shares in Kolar unless you are in a really deep league where he could prove a good stash and stream option.
Check out the rest of the draft kit. And, as always, if you want something more specific to your league- reach out! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Image Credit: Scott Wachter – USA TODAY Sports
