Tampa Bay selects Drake Dunsmore, TE, Northwestern

With the 233rd overall pick in 2012 (7th round, pick 26), Tampa Bay selected Drake Dunsmore, TE, Northwestern.  Dunsmore is 6'2" and weighed 241 lbs at the 2012 Combine.  He is from Lenexa, KS (Saint Thomas Aquinas HS).  Dunsmore was also a 2012 John Mackey Award Candidate.

From Northwestern Athletic Department site:

The 2011 Scouting Report: One of the Big Ten's top returning tight ends and one of the league's most dynamic multi-skill players ... Named to the John Mackey Award preseason watch list for a second consecutive year ... Named to the Big Ten preseason second-team by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele's ... Possesses a terrific skill set: good route runner, great hands, excellent ball skills, and with his added strength and weight, a solid blocker ... Talented all-around athlete ... Sat out the past two spring seasons to rehab from injuries ... Adds another dimension to NU's passing game.

NFLDraftScout:

04/23/12 - Dunsmore probably will be selected later in the draft. More of a receiver than a blocker, he caught 143 passes and scored 14 touchdowns at Northwestern. NFL teams are increasingly looking for tight ends with receiving skills, so Dunsmore has received interest from several NFL teams and worked out for a handful, including the Chiefs, Patriots, Bears and Rams. “I’ve kind of tried to keep a level head about it,” he said. “My main focus is just to be on a team into camp in August. People have said I’ll get drafted. Some said I won’t get drafted. There are so many different things out there. I’m trying not to ride that roller coaster. “This has been a great experience, because until the last couple of years I didn’t anticipate it. I got the late start in football. It was my dad’s family rule: No football until high school. He got into the game late. He didn’t start playing ball until his senior year of high school out in Iowa. “But it’s worked out. When you’re younger, you can develop bad habits. There’s potential for bad coaching. Football is a game that once you’re fully developed physically, you can pick it up pretty quickly.” - Adam Teicher, The Kansas City Star

Combine:

Dunsmore is an intriguing offensive weapon from Northwestern, a college tight end who shows the frame and skill set to be used in a variety of ways at the next level. Much like Chris Cooley in Washington, or the development of Aaron Hernandez this year in New England, Dunsmore has the ability to be a threat from various spots on the field and be a reliable short-yardage option to pick up first downs and create mismatches.

Drake Dunsmore's college statistics at cfbstats.com.


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