John Bates, Boise State 6’6” – 259 Lbs. - Reese's Senior Bowl

By: Chip Turner

Okay, so this Boise State product was supposed to be an easy write-up. He’s primarily a blocking tight-end with good size for the tight end position in the NFL, right? So why is everyone tilting their heads this week during Senior Bowl practices and asking the same question: “Who the heck is John Bates?”

John Bates got the best of Christian Uphoff on Tuesday. Beat him in 1on1s and wins again here in 7on7 pic.twitter.com/XC9pGtHjEm

— Matt Holder (@MHolder95) January 29, 2021

Apparently, John Bates can do more than just block. He’s shown good hands and the ability to get open on seam routes. While he doesn’t seem particularly athletic, his background says otherwise; he was a three-sport star in high school. One of those sports was track, he was a back-to-back 110-meter hurdles champion in the state of Oregon. That leads to the question; is he really unathletic, or just extremely raw as a receiver?

John Bates is an effective run blocker. I like how he works to get his hands inside here even though he doesn’t quite land. Also, ignore the hip toss 4 seconds after the ball is snapped pic.twitter.com/MVkrSJ1ep4

— Matt Holder (@MHolder95) January 29, 2021

This weekend’s Senior Bowl gives Bates an opportunity to open eyes and potentially land on an NFL roster as a developmental tight end.

#NotreDame QB Ian Book□#BoiseState TE John Bates

As ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said, Bates' size and catch radius make him an attractive option in the redzone.

Bates continues to have a solid showing at the @seniorbowl. pic.twitter.com/QnwY3L2ExO

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) January 28, 2021