As they have with every 2024 Commanders draft pick that has come on the show, Grant & Danny led off Wednesday’s interview with tight end Ben Sinnott by playing the audio of his draft call with Adam Peters and Dan Quinn.
Sinnott’s comp, at least from Adam Peters, was that he reminds him a lot of Kyle Juszcyzk – and to be fair, Ben WAS a fullback that won the Lowman Trophy that Barstool awards to the best in the nation – but that as a playmaking tight end? Yeah, sign Grant & Danny up.
“Through the process I've kind of heard a little bit of everything how people view me, but I think how the front office and the coaches with the Commanders view me is perfect,” Sinnott said. “I just think I'm a play-making tight end but have the ability to be an h-back or get in the backfield and be a fullback. I think the versatility brings a lot of value to what this organization is gonna do, so I'm super excited for that.”
Oh, and about that comp to Juszczyk and maybe George Kittle?
“It’s crazy to even be in conversation or have anyone even think to compare you to guys of that caliber. It means everything,” Sinnott said. “Hearing that, and the trust that he has for me, it's super inspiring, and it gives me a lot of confidence going forward.”
Great start, and yes, he was hoping it was the Commanders who called his name.
“Seeing the new staff come on – obviously Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, coach Kingsbury, I created a great relationship with coach Raih...it's like I felt very comfortable and confident in the people who were leading the team and the organization,” Sinnott said. “It's just a bunch of like-minded people who wanna win and want the best out of their players and organizations.
Just the fit and the people and how I kind of gel with them through my conversations and over this pre-draft period has been awesome, so I'm really looking forward to it.”
Sinnott can’t wait to just ‘put somebody in the dirt,’ as he put it, but he had 49 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns last year, and was PFF’s highest-graded TE/FB in the red zone, so maybe he can do that AND find some paydirt?
“A tight end in the red zone, you gotta be a big athletic target, able to create mismatches with the smaller DBs, and I had such good chemistry with my quarterback and my offense coordinator put me in positions to make plays,” Sinnott said. “When that opportunity came, I just took advantage of them and was a good athlete and created those mismatches, so it was just taking advantage of the opportunities and building that trust with quarterback and the offensive coordinator, and trying to make plays when it really counts in that red zone. I’m pumped now to do it on the highest stage and show everybody what kind of player I am.”
And of course, G&D played the usual get to know you game where they found out Sinnott 1, 2, and 3, but here’s what he says he does best and most needs to work on:
“I think something I do really well is just I play with a lot of toughness, a lot of grit. I'm not afraid to stick my head in there, make a block, hit a guy,” he said. “And I just think continuing to create more consistency with your fundamentals, separation at the top of your route, is something that I've kind of been trying to improve, especially during this pre-draft process. I feel like I've even improved since then, so I think I have a lot of room to grow, and feel like my best football still ahead.”
And when he gets to Ashburn, he can’t wait to work again with Jayden Daniels, who he worked out with a little this winter, and a legendary TE in Zach Ertz.
“Fast forwarding to when I'm there, just leaning on guys that are in my position room. Zach Ertz reached out right away and said he's excited to get to work, and just even having those veteran guys already reaching out and wanting to help, definitely gonna pick those brains of all the guys in my tight end room,” he said. “And all the veterans who've been there, done that, know how the league works and what it takes to be successful, I’m just really looking forward to just seeing what my teammates have to say. The hardest part is just gonna be adjusting; I'm from Iowa, never been to the DC area, so just gotta really get my bearings and learn how the NFL works, and just pick the brains of my veteran teammates and do exactly what they do.”
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