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Charlie Kolar NFL Draft Profile
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Charlie Kolar Scouting ReportCharlie has elite length. He serves well both as a blocker and as a receiver. He can his hands on defenders quickly and anchor at the line. As a pass catcher, he can use his massive catch radius to extend for high and inaccurate passes. His large frame allows him to box out defenders. His size affords him long strides, which can cover good amounts of ground in space. His size is his best assest and he uses it well. Charlie has solid body control and ball tracking ability. He also has good concentration and coordination in contested-catch situations. Kolar uses his frame and physicality to attain superior leverage against smaller players. And with his toughness, he can haul in passes amidst contact. Charlie's concentration and hand strength allows him to haul in tough passes while imbalanced, but he also shows flashes of zone awareness. He sits in zones and maintains his spacing, and has good sideline awareness as well. In off-script situations, Kolar works to the sideline well and actively seeks to keep his feet in-bounds. And although he’s far from an elite route runner, Kolar has shown he can employ modest head fakes on occasion. Charlie is an above-average blocker. He gets up out of his stance fairly quickly and has decent knee bend. He attains proper leverage and anchors defenders with extensions. He’s a high-effort, assignment-sound blocker, who at least provides a baseline utility. |
Areas for ImprovementKolar's explosiveness is pedestrian, and he doesn’t stretch the field or create space. He’s also stiff when changing directions and doesn’t gather himself with quickness. He sometimes has to come to a full stop before breaking his routes. Kolar can’t keep speed through his breaks, and part of that has to do with his stiff, upright nature as a player. He doesn’t have much hip sink, which severely limits his route-running upside. He’s a below-average natural separator, who doesn’t often run crisp routes, instead rounding his breaks and drifting into space. Kolar is a lumbering mover who doesn’t accelerate much in open space. His long speed, burst, and change-of-direction ability all fail to impress.
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Charlie Kolar Career at SchoolKolar redshirted his freshman season in 2017, but from that point on, it was nowhere but upward for the Iowa State TE. Kolar entered the lineup in 2018 and provided value as a rotational tight end, earning 11 receptions for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns. The following year, as a redshirt sophomore, Kolar became a full-time starter and flourished catching passes from quarterback Brock Purdy. In his first season as a starter, Kolar ascended to the national spotlight, amassing 51 catches for 697 yards and 7 scores. He was a Mackey Award semifinalist and a first-team All-Big 12 selection. Kolar only continued to flourish in 2020, even amidst uncertain circumstances. The Iowa State TE remained a steady constant for the Cyclones’ offense, putting up 44 catches for 591 yards and 7 touchdowns in 11 contests. He once again earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition, and he was one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, losing to eventual top-five pick Kyle Pitts. In 2021, it’s been business as usual for Kolar. For the second straight season, he was a Mackey Award finalist, on account of his 58 catches, 723 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Although he never won the award, he rewrote the TE record books at Iowa State. His 164 receptions, 2,148 yards, and 22 touchdowns all rank first in all-time career production for the Cyclones at his position. |
Charlie Kolar NFL Draft Player ProfileKolar deserves recognition for all he’s accomplished at Iowa State. But as an NFL Draft prospect, he’s not as inspiring as his statistics indicate. Kolar does have great size and solid contested-catch ability. He’s also an able blocker with the length to translate. That’s enough for him to earn a spot as a rotational red-zone threat. Charlie appears to be an average athlete at best, without much dynamic explosiveness or agility. He’s not a natural separator or an elusive player after the catch. Additionally, his lacking burst and power may exacerbate his inconsistencies as a blocker at the next level. Kolar can hang his hat on his contested-catch prowess. He’s also a high-character player with experience. Those traits alone may render him draftable for many teams, especially when he interviews at the Senior Bowl. Talent-wise, Kolar looks like a late Day 3 pick with limited upside. But he can be a quality backup with his character and experience.
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