Michael Hoomanawanui Scouting Report

Michael Hoomanawanui is an interesting draft prospect. Unlike most of the tight end prospects the past few years, Hoomanawanui has the size to be a devastating blocker at the professional level. Because he's not an explosive pass catcher, teams will likely bypass him early in the draft, but he will be a valuable pick later in the draft for a team looking to improve their run blocking. He saw action as a freshman, but didn't record a single catch. During his sophomore and junior seasons, he caught 30 passes for 376 yards and had 4 touchdown receptions. Like most of the Illinois roster, Hoomanawanui had a slow 2009 season. He has just 10 catches for 114 yards as a senior. He isn't the type of tight end who will stretch the seam against opposing defenses, but he does do a nice job of blocking and then leaking out as a safety valve for the quarterback. Because of his size, he's also difficult to tackle once he's caught the ball and has a head of steam. Hoomanawanui is likely to slip into the sixth or even seventh round, but develop into a Jim Kleinsasser type of tight end in the pros. Michael Hoomanawanui looked very good during senior Bowl practices. He is not much of a threat as a receiver, but he is a huge mauling blocker at the tight end position. He will likely be drafted in the sixth or seventh round, but could be invaluable to an NFL team's running game.