Michigan Football: Zach Gentry could boost NFL draft stock by returning

Zach Gentry, a tight end for Michigan football is still trying to decide if he will declare for the NFL draft or return for his senior season.

When it comes to Michigan football, there are a few players that have some important decisions to make following the Peach Bowl — decisions that concern entering the NFL draft.

The two guys on defense are corners Lavert Hill and David Long. Both have impressed that past two seasons for Michigan football but it remains to be seen how the NFL views them. The same could be said for tight end Zach Gentry, who also has a difficult decision to make.

Gentry is a redshirt junior, meaning he has already been part of the Michigan football program for four years. He came to the Wolverines as a quarterback, however, the 6-foot-8, athletic freak was soon moved to tight end.

Gentry was actually one of Jim Harbaugh‘s first commits. He was committed to Texas and flipped to Michigan. His transition to tight end was a bit slow. He didn’t play much in 2016 and finally started to get a regular role in 2017 when he had over 300 yards receiving. Now, he’s considering a move to the NFL according to Nick Baumgardner of the Detroit Free Press.

Gentry caught 17 passes as a redshirt sophomore and this past season, he hauled in 30 for 475 yards and two touchdowns. At times, he looks like he can’t be stopped and at others, he fades away into the background.

The Ohio State game was not a good look for Gentry. He dropped a couple of key passes. One was on a jump ball in the end zone early in the game. Michigan had to settle for a field goal because Gentry couldn’t bring down the fade. He also dropped a key third-down conversion in the third quarter. The ball was underthrown by Shea Patterson but elite tight ends make that catch.

And Gentry just isn’t an elite tight end — yet.

He could be though. His potential is insane and if he returned to Michigan football for another season, he could easily be a first or second-round pick. In this draft though, I doubt he gets picked until the third day.

For one, he is still too raw. 47 receptions in two seasons isn’t a ton of production. Gentry also isn’t a great blocker. He might be ready to play in the NFL, however, his role would need to be very limited. His route running still needs a lot of work and he needs to be more consistent catching the football.

Of course, Michigan also needs to throw to Gentry more and maybe that is his concern. I mean, the dude is 6-8 and runs like a 4.5 in the 40. Basically, he’s a mismatch whenever he is on the field, yet how many times do the Wolverines throw to him? A few times a game at most.

Why? It doesn’t make sense. So when Gentry got a draft grade from the draft advisory board, maybe he thought he would be better developed by an NFL team next season instead of Michigan.

Say he was picked in the fourth round, he would still get a decent contract and get a chance to focus on football full time. Then in a few years, hopefully, he could earn a huge second contract.

That’s not a bad thought. But at the end of the day, Gentry should return. For one, he could improve his stock for another season and two, he could help the Wolverines have one of the best offenses in the nation. If that happens, he will certainly get noticed even more and then, teams may draft Gentry on what he can do, not based on what they hope he can do.

And trust me, that’s a huge difference. Gentry won’t be a fool if he elects for the NFL after this season, but if he wants to be a first or second-round pick, he should wait one more year.