Luke
Farrell.
Luke
Farrell.
Ohio St.· 6'5"· 251 lb· 4.79s 40
"A 6-5½, 251-pound Ohio State in-line tight end with only 34 career catches but four years of grown-man blocking tape and a 36½-inch vertical — a Day 3 Y-TE bet on the run game, not the passing chart."Pre-draft read
This tight end aligns primarily attached to the tackle, occasionally shifting as an H-back or wing. He engages 5-technique ends and second-level linebackers, demonstrating precise hand placement, a wide base, and effective combo-and-climb techniques in gap and inside-zone schemes. He exhibits above-average grip strength once engaged, and in pass protection, he maintains square leverage and rarely concedes the corner on chip-and-release reps.
As a route-runner, his repertoire is limited to vertical stems, flats, and short-crossers, functioning mostly on play-action leaks. He does not generate significant separation against man coverage from off-alignment. His hands are functional, but he occasionally double-catches in traffic. He offers a high floor as a run-blocker.
Best fit in a multiple pro-style system with a power run game, heavy play-action, occasional two-back sets, and plenty of snaps for in-line Y tight ends.
Rotational Year 1 Y/blocking specialist on base downs, developing into a long-term TE2 with significant run-blocking and special teams snaps.
Spread-to-pass Air Raid or Empty-heavy offense that rarely uses attached tight ends or values receiving volume above all else.
Farrell's value is tied to his blocking prowess and special teams contributions, making him a niche but valuable asset in the right power-run scheme.
New 49ers TE Luke Farrell: Blocking Breakdown
NFL-level blocking film breakdown highlighting the hand placement and run-fit technique that defines his game.
Ohio State: Tough, talented Luke Farrell can be NFL tight end for long time
Ohio State feature on the pre-draft profile, blocking work, and pro projection.
Luke Farrell 8-yard touchdown, Ohio State vs. Clemson
Red-zone touchdown catch vs. Clemson in the 2020 CFP semifinal — one of the rare high-leverage receiving reps on his college tape.
Farrell projects as a blocking-first, in-line Y tight end. A team acquiring him targets his immediate utility in scheme-specific run packages and pass protection, banking on his ability to execute crucial blocking assignments. His athletic profile, particularly his explosive testing results, hints at untapped potential in short-area quickness that could translate into a more dynamic role than his collegiate target share suggests.
As Ohio State's primary in-line Y for three seasons, Farrell focused on blocking within Ryan Day's spread offense, recording only 34 receptions in 43 games. His consistent role as a run-blocking specialist enabled him to grade out as one of the Big Ten's better tight ends in that capacity, rather than as a receiving threat.
Evaluators generally saw him as a Day 3 prospect. His limited receiving production and 9¼-inch hands were notable concerns, yet his strong athletic testing and consistent blocking provided a solid floor. The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him in the fifth round, valuing his positional fit for a run-heavy scheme.
- 01
Elite in-line run blocker
Three-year starter at Y in Ohio State's pro-style run game with real hand placement, a wide base and consistent combo-to-linebacker work.
- 02
Explosive athletic testing
36½-inch vertical and 4.33 short shuttle show more short-area burst and lower-body pop than his 4.82 forty implied.
- 03
Frame and length
6-5½, 251 pounds with 33-inch arms and a 78⅞-inch wingspan, ideal for an attached Y against strong-side ends.
- 04
Special-teams profile
Willing contributor on Ohio State's coverage and protection units, providing a path to a rookie 46-man role.
- 05
Pass-protection reliability
Stays square in pass sets and mirrors edge rushers effectively on chip-and-release assignments without giving up the corner.
- 01
Marginal receiving production
Only 34 career catches for 358 yards and five touchdowns in four seasons, raising questions about his receiving upside.
- 02
Below-average long speed
4.82 forty and 1.69 ten-yard split limits his vertical-seam projection, unlikely to threaten safeties deep.
- 03
Small hands for the position
9¼-inch hands (11th percentile) contribute to occasional double-catches and body-catches, capping contested-catch ability.
- 04
Limited route tree
Ohio State utilized him primarily for flats, drags, and vertical stems from an attached alignment, with little evidence of expanded route running.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.79sp50
- Vertical
- 36.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 118inp50
- Three-cone
- 7.14sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.33sp50
- Bench
- 22repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ohio State | 9 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| 2018 | Ohio State | 13 | 20 | 205 | 1 |
| 2019 | Ohio State | 14 | 7 | 119 | 2 |
| 2020 | Ohio State | 7 | 5 | 37 | 1 |
| Career | — | 43 | 34 | 380 | 4 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Long-career TE2/TE3 whose blocking floor and special-teams work keep him rostered without ever leading a room in targets.
Big-frame in-line Y who blocks at a starter level and adds enough red-zone receiving value to hold down a TE1/1B role.
Fringe roster tight end whose receiving limitations keep his snap count capped even when the blocking tape holds up.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Solid role hit. Blocking TE2 role through five seasons, 15-25 catches per year in Jacksonville. Signed with the Steelers as a blocking TE2 in 2024, still on the roster in 2025. Long-tenured blocking Y — Round-5 role value.
Pre-draft context. Luke Farrell arrived at Ohio State as a lightly recruited three-star tight end from Perry, Ohio, and grew into a four-year contributor who prioritized blocking over targets in a spread offense. At 6-5½, 251 pounds with 33-inch arms and a 78⅞-inch wingspan, he was the Buckeyes' primary in-line Y for three seasons — catching only 34 balls for 358 yards and five scores, but grading as one of the Big Ten's best run-blocking tight ends and starting for the CFP runners-up in 2020. His pro-day work flashed better athletic tools than the tape suggested: a 36½-inch vertical, 118-inch broad jump, 4.33 short shuttle and 22 bench reps, though a 4.82 forty and 9¼-inch hands capped the receiving projection. Consensus grades landed him firmly on Day 3 as a blocking-first Y with core special-teams value.
NFL fit — Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville was rebuilding with the first overall pick spent on Trevor Lawrence, and the offense needed a legitimate in-line body next to left tackle Cam Robinson. Farrell fit that role from day one: he played 15 games as a rookie behind Dan Arnold and James O'Shaughnessy, mostly on run downs and heavy personnel, and settled into the TE2/TE3 blocking role that would define his career in Duval. Later staff kept him in that job, and his snap counts stayed steady from 2022 through 2024 without the receiving line ever growing beyond spot targets.
Retrospective. Four years into his career, Farrell has become exactly what the pre-draft grade projected: a durable, well-respected Y-TE whose blocking floor keeps him on the field for every run-heavy grouping and whose receiving numbers stay in the single digits. He left Jacksonville for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 on a free-agent deal, joining a tight-end room behind George Kittle in a scheme that historically rewards attached blockers. The pick reads as a fifth-round hit — never a star, never a bust, exactly the long-career blocking specialist his college tape argued for.