Blue White Illustrated

With time winding down in the 2021 recruiting cycle, Penn State added an- other quality tight end prospect in Khalil Dinkins. At 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, Dink- ins looks to be another oversized receiver prospect who is ready for a move to tight end. Will he be the next in a long line of outstanding pass catchers? Or will he end up on the other side of the ball, where his physical skills could make him an e:ective edge rusher? STRENGTHS PHYSICAL POTENTIAL Based on the movement skills he displays on 8lm, it's fair to say there aren't any 9aws in his physical ability, which is rare. Dinkins may not have electric change-of-direc- tion skills, but he can freely move in every direction and will gain more ex- plosiveness as he adds muscle mass. This will serve him well no matter where he lands on the depth chart. Of the two positions, tight end is actu- ally more of a projection based on his position and usage in high school. On o:ense, Dinkins was used primarily as a receiver and runner on jet sweeps. On defense, he 9ashed his abilities as an edge rusher, using his length, speed and size to create problems for tackles. EXPLOSIVE FIRST STEP No matter what the position, explosiveness is one of the most desirable traits a football player can have. It's especially true at tight end, where Dinkins' ability to get up to speed quickly will put stress on defenders. It also will give him an ad- vantage as a blocker if he can build up su;cient strength and tenacity to exe- cute his assignments. On his tape, Dinkins 9ashes high-end potential as a speed rusher who can get to the edge. While it takes much more than just speed to be an e:ective pass rusher, it's a powerful tool. And it's not just that Dinkins is quick. He combines his speed with a natural, 9uid movement style that allows him to get good angles to the quarterback. FRAME/POTENTIAL As a raw prospect, Dinkins is what you would expect from a Penn State football player: tall, long and athletic. One of the reasons he's pro- jected as a tight end and not a receiver is that he's already 221 pounds and looks skinny. That is usually a good signal that he has the chance to add 20-25 pounds. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT POSITIONAL DEVELOPMENT When it comes to his positional skills, Dinkins is a tough read. In high school, he operated in a fairly straightforward o:ense that did not require him to run a lot of routes, so it's hard to assess his skills in this area. Based on his size and long strides, you would not expect him to be the kind of player who creates separation at the top of his routes. He'll need to learn how to run great routes, and also how to block when he makes the switch to tight end. As a pass rusher, he relies mostly on his physical tools to win at the line of scrim- mage. While he does 9ash some very in- triguing skills, most of his rushes simply have no plan. He exhibits some rudi- mentary hand 8ghting but nothing that will help him at the collegiate level if he is to make the switch to edge defender. MASS No matter what position he plays at the college level, Dinkins will need to add a good amount of weight and strength in order to be competitive in the trenches. Most of his projected potential is based on being able to do what he does now at 245-255 pounds. He'll need to gain the necessary strength and power to play on the line of scrim- mage, at least in some capacity. FINISH LIKE YOU MEAN IT Strength is not the only key to making a living in the tackle box. Dinkins shows on 8lm that he's not afraid of contact, but he can im- prove his ability to 8nish plays with phys- icality. As a defensive end, he shows the ability to convert his speed into power and throw much larger linemen around when the opportunity presents itself. This is a rare skill that few speed-rushing edge defenders who are on the lighter side pos- sess. The ability to "punch above your weight" is the sort of skill that elite rush- ers have. But 9ashes will only get you so far. He'll need to develop a consistent dominance that isn't apparent on his 8lm. As a tight end, he'll need to consis- tently break tackles in space in order to maximize his usage in the passing game. Again, Dinkins 9ashes the ability to do so, but he needs to do it more o

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