Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes to enter NFL draft as a TE

After spending four seasons as a quarterback at Texas, Tyrone Swoopes said Saturday he plans to enter the NFL draft as a tight end.

“After the season, I spoke with some agents,” Swoopes told Orangebloods.com. “They all said that (moving to tight end) was the right move based on everything they were hearing (from scouts and league sources).

“I have the basic technique of route-running down – I have good hands; big hands. I don’t think getting the ball in them is difficult. I’ve been mainly focusing on seeing it in and tucking it in.

“I’ve been doing technique, blocking, footwork, I have great coaches.”

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This move isn’t totally out of the blue. Swoopes had talked with former Texas coach Charlie Strong about moving to tight end early in the 2016 season, but Swoopes said Strong was unresponsive to the idea.

Instead, Swoopes played backup to freshman Shane Buechele and his 6-foot-4, 249-pound frame was used primarily in short-yardage situations in what was dubbed the “18-wheeler package,” which referred to Swoopes number.

Swoopes’ best season as a quarterback came in 2014 when he threw for 2,409 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. However, poor decision-making and inaccuracy kept him from being a regular starter.

While Swoopes would not have made the NFL as a quarterback, his prospects are significantly better as a tight end.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday