Dustin Keller, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect

Tight End/ H-Back Senior Purdue Ht: 6’ 2" Wt: 242 lbs. Speed: 4.53 Strengths: Speed, Hands, Overall Athleticism Weaknesses: Size, Aggressiveness, Blocking, Route Running Scouting report by Daryl Breault

                A two year starter, Dustin Keller finished 2^nd in Boilermaker records books to Dave Young as Purdue’s most prolific pass catching tight end.  His career numbers of 142 catches for 1,882 yards and 16 TD’s is impressive, but well behind Young’s 180-2316-27 (Tim Stratton is Purdue’s all-time leader in catches among TE with 204).  Keller was also the first Boilermaker TE to win Team MVP since Young did in 1979, accomplishing that feat in 2007 as well as being named All-Big Ten Second Team. 

                Keller has intriguing physical qualities, he is very fast and will run away from most linebackers and even safeties, but has work to do in the route running and blocking department.  He probably won’t be considered a complete TE by any means, and right now he is certainly a work-in-progress.  Not one tight end has proven worthy of a 1^st round grade this year, and no matter how high Keller’s stock rises right now, his value is about as a 3^rd round pick until he makes serious progress as a blocker. 

                Athletically, Keller can be a field-stretcher with deceptive quickness.  Once his route running improves, Keller can be an asset in the pass game as he has big hands, solid vertical, and the ability to separate using size and suddenness.  He can be explosive after the catch and shows the 2^nd gear to eat up cushion and break away after the catch.  His intangibles are excellent and he displays excellent power and upper body strength as well as the heart to play through injuries (37 catches with a torn shoulder over 8 games in 2006).

                Keller’s game is rather contradicting.  While he is sudden and explosive, he is much better when asked to run in a straight line and can be prone to taking false steps.  He has big hands, long arms and good vision to find soft spots, but he does not extend well enough, allows too many passes into the bread basket and drops some easy catches.  He can leap over defenders and displays solid body control, but does not time his leaps well enough.  And despite his excellent weight room strength and work habits, he is terribly lazy when it comes to blocking, something he would be really good at even at his size if he just put a little effort into it. 

                Despite Keller’s many accomplishments, he appears to be more athlete at this point than football player.  He is far more interested in numbers and catching the ball than he is in doing the dirty work expected of a TE and may have a little prima donna lurking deep inside, waiting to come out at the first sign of green.  That said, no one questions his work ethic or competitiveness and he does not have a reputation as yet.  At heart, Keller may only be guilty of still feeling like a receiver.  He has to get a lot tougher and hopefully a good position coach will be able to light his fire in the blocking department.

                I look at Keller and I do come away with the feeling that he could possibility emerge as an excellent pass catching tight end.  He has the strength to become at least adequate as a blocker; a lack of desire is holding him back more than anything else.  He is a solid pass catcher with great hands and with more improvement on concentration and technique, he could emerge as one of the top tight ends in pro football.  Keller is a gamble on potential, but with experience he should develop into a solid pass catcher and compliment to a physical blocking tight end, but his ultimate future could be as an H-back.

At the NFL Scouting Combine Keller really turned some heads and emerged as a possible first or second round NFL Draft prospect. He ran a very nice 4.53 forty and benched 225 pounds 26 times. He also recorded a 38 inch vertical jump, a 6.88 time in the 3-cone drill and his broad jump of 10.11 was the 11th best for the entire combine. On March 9th 2008, Keller (6-2 3/8, 238): Had a 41-inch vertical jump, 3.94 short shuttle, and looked very quick and fluid in the position drills