Hunter Long

Summary

Hunter Long was drafted in the Round 3 (#81 Overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Boston College. In college, Long finished his career with 89 receptions for 1,297 yards and 9 touchdowns, highlighted by his 2020 season in which he led all tight ends nationally with 57 catches for 685 yards and 5 TDs. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors that same year, plus multiple All-America recognitions (2nd-team by various outlets) for his performance. As a pro as of the 2025 season, Long has rotated through a few teams (Dolphins, Rams, Jaguars) and logged limited-but-notable NFL production. He’s viewed as a tight end with a balanced skill set — including catching, route-running, and inline blocking — and generally regarded as a hard-working, team-first player.

Strengths

• Well-Rounded Skillset: Long has good RAS size composite and demonstrates solid body control and hands, allowing him to make catches over the middle and adjust to off-target throws.

• Willing Blocker: Unlike many modern “move” tight ends, Long has experience as an inline blocker (from his college years), which gives him versatility and value on run-heavy or balanced offenses.

• Reliable Route-Running: Long shows good understanding of leverage and positioning in zones, and can find soft spots in coverage. While his route-running isn’t flashy he tends to be fundamentally sound and shows off good spatial awareness.

• Good character and maturity: Coming from a strong collegiate program, Long has been described as professional, coachable, and understanding of multiple roles. These traits have boded well for his long-term viability even if he isn’t a star.

Weaknesses

• Limited Dynamic Ability: While athletic enough, Long doesn’t consistently create yards-after-catch like some of the more explosive tight ends.

• Struggles Against Speed: Long has struggled at times against elite edge rushers or fast/blitzing off-the-edge sets, limiting his reliability as a true three-down TE.

• Always the Bridesmaid…: Due to NFL team changes and competition, Long has not yet established himself as a consistent receiving threat. Sporadic targets and playing time have limited his chances to show full potential.

• Durability: Already considered a “replaceable” depth piece rather than a long-term starter, especially given fluctuations in usage and role, any hampering by injury can further vault him down the depth chart.

Outlook

Long projects most comfortably as a well-rounded, all-purpose tight end who is especially suited for offenses that value balanced packages, multiple tight-end sets, or run-first schemes where blocking from the TE is important. Looking forward, his outlook is moderate with upside as a stable TE2 / rotational TE / situational starter. If he lands in a stable system with a clear role, he could carve out a multi-year career as a reliable secondary receiving option and dependable blocker. For him to reach a higher ceiling — e.g. TE1-level usage — he’ll need consistent playing time, opportunities to be targeted, and likely some improvement in separation and YAC. Either way, his balanced skill set and character give him a legitimate shot to stick around in the league several years.