Tip Reiman, TE Illinois: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Reiman was a two-star tight end/outside linebacker recruit from O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in the class of 2020

Illinois tight end Tip Reiman has throwback size and run blocking capabilities. He doesn’t have the dynamic agility and route running to be a high end receiving threat, but he should still go on early Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Tip Reiman, TE Illinois: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior tight end from Rapid City, S.D.

Background: Reiman was a two-star tight end/outside linebacker recruit from O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in the class of 2020. He was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. Reiman did not receive a star rating or grade from 247Sports, On3.com, or ESPN. He joined Illinois as a walk-on. Reiman was a part of the Class 11AAA State Champion O'Gorman team in 2019. He also competed in track and field. Reiman was born on Sept. 17, 2001.

Injuries & Off-Field: Completed a mission to Africa in the summer of 2023

Awards: 2023 Team Captain

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, punt coverage, and field goal units, lines up in-line, in the slot, and at H back, strength distributed throughout frame, large and powerful hands, explosive and powerful athlete, natural hands catcher, mixes tempo early in route, top speed to challenge linebackers up the seam, explosiveness and speed to overtake off-man coverage, starting to develop that feel for holes in zone, speed and burst make him a YAC threat, handful for DBs to tackle alone, motor runs hot, frame is excellent for in-line blocking, plays into his size as a blocker, active blocker who attacks the defender, collapsed Adisa Isaac top open off-tackle runs (2023), saw the power and nastiness as a blocker vs. Penn State (2023), clears out linebackers and lean edge rushers

Cons: Arm length and wingspan are average, penalized three times in 2022, limited usage in college, not a natural separator, some stiffness in hips when trying to sharply change direction, average agility at best, sharp momentum shifts test his balance, lots of slipping on comeback-style routes, route running and route tree are developmental, some extra steps at the top of his routes, early contact can derail his routes, not going to make defenders miss in space, limited broken tackles, base becomes narrow as a blocker, footwork/base and body positioning in pass pro need work, pad level gets high when blocking, hand usage and hand replacement need work, lunged into or fell off a few blocks vs. Toledo (2023)

Overview: Reiman has special teams experience on the kick return, punt coverage, and field goal units and primarily aligns in-line, in the slot, and at H back. He boasts a large, powerful frame with well-distributed muscle. Reiman has massive 10.5-inch hands to accompany his closer to average 32 7/8-inch arms and 79.5-inch wingspan. He is an explosive and powerful athlete with good enough top speed to challenge linebackers up the seam. The redshirt junior can overtake off-man coverage and make defensive backs regret underestimating his ability to get behind them. He is a natural hands catcher who has a rare understanding of mixing tempo early in his route to manipulate coverages. Reiman is starting to develop a feel for holes in zone coverage, but his route running is still developmental. He has the speed and burst to create yards after the catch, and his frame makes him a chore for defensive backs to bring down one-on-one, although he didn’t break a ton of tackles in college. The former walk-on offers Day 1 help as a run blocker. He plays to his size as an in-line blocker, attacking defenders. Reiman overpowered Adisa Isaac and Penn State’s edge rushers several times in 2023, creating tons of space for outside runs. He also comes with a mean streak that leads to some nice finishes. Reiman is even capable of driving linebackers and some edge rushers downfield, away from the line of scrimmage. He still has several flaws as a blocker. His base becomes too narrow, which allows defenders to work around him more easily. Reiman’s awareness and body positioning in pass protection leads to him surrendering pressures. His pad level as a blocker is higher than ideal, and his hand usage and hand replacement need work. While his blocking tape against Penn State was exciting, he really struggled against Toledo to open the 2023 season. Despite his speed, Reiman doesn’t naturally separate consistently. Stiffness in his hips prevents him from changing directions sharply and gives defenders time to close on his routes. His agility is not a strong point as sharp changes in momentum lead to him stumbling. Reiman’s route running skills are far from polished as he needs to show much more creativity and precision when executing plays. He only ran a limited route tree at Illinois. The South Dakota native lets early contact derail his routes too often. He isn’t a dynamic athlete who makes defenders miss after the catch.

Overall, Reiman deals with some stiffness and is still developing as a route runner, but he has the build and core athletic traits to outperform many of the tight ends who will go ahead of him in the 2024 NFL Draft. Reiman’s frame and competitive blocking style are becoming increasingly rare among tight ends with legitimate speed and receiving upside. He could see a good number of snaps as a rookie if he lands in the right system.

Role & Scheme Fit: Late Fourth to Early Fifth

Round Projection: In-line Y tight end with slot versatility

Size: 6'4 7/8", 271 lbs. (NFL Combine)

Submitted: 03-09-24