Kansas State Wildcats: Glenn Gronkowski NFL Outlook

Kansas State Wildcats alum Glenn Gronkowski now plays fullback for the Buffalo Bills. The question is now whether baby Gronk will have a long NFL career.

Kansas State Wildcats fans had to be disappointed that Glenn Gronkowski went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft.

His 420 career scrimmage yards and six career touchdowns with the Kansas State Wildcats do not jump off the stat sheet, but Gronkowski was still named First and Second All-Big 12 in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Although the former fullback for the Kansas State Wildcats deserved to be drafted, it was better that he did not get selected late in the draft.

This allowed Gronkowski to pick his own destination without a major loss in salary.

Gronkowski did just that on April 30th when the Buffalo Bills signed him as an undrafted free agent.

By ‘staying home,’ Gronkowski will have to either take the starting fullback job from Jerome Felton in order to make the 53-man roster.

If Gronkowski had joined the Bills going into last season, the likelihood of him overtaking Felton would have looked bleak.

Pro Football Focus tweeted out the following about Felton after the Bills signed the fullback.

Luckily for Gronkowski, Felton’s production appeared to slip dramatically.

Fellow FanSider and Editor of BuffaLowDown.com Dennis Moody detailed the extent of Felton’s woes last season back in January.

"[Felton] was ranked the third worst player out of twenty-two in his position who had played more than 25 percent of the total running snaps for their team by Pro Football Focus.It’s alarming that the biggest part of Felton’s negative grade came from the run blocking category which was supposed to be his strength and the reason he was signed to a big contract."

It appears Pro Football Focus’ praise of Felton was short-lived.

Moody also added another interesting little tidbit about Felton.

"Last March the Buffalo Bills made him the  second highest paid fullback in the NFL when they signed him to a four-year, 9.2 million dollar deal with 3.6 million guaranteed according to Spotrac.com.The Buffalo Bills could save $1,650,000 if they cut Felton after June 1st."

It looks as though the Bills may be rooting for Gronkowski to take the starting job from Felton.

Although $1.65 millon is not a ton of cap space, investing extra cap room in the fullback position most likely does not sit well with Bills General Manager Doug Whaley.

The contracts of Tyrod Taylor and Stephon Gilmore are set to expire in 2017.

More from Kansas State Wildcats

• NBA Draft Prospects to Watch From Kansas, Missouri, and Kansas State
• Wildcats Draft Profiles: Josh Rivas Looks Towards the NFL
• Wildcats Draft Profiles: Skylar Thompson is Kansas State’s best draft bet
• Wildcats Upset Texas Tech for First Conference Win
• Kansas State Falls Short Against Texas, Winless in Conference Play

As a result, the Bills may be forced to sign both Taylor and Gilmore to big extensions.

Until then, Whaley will look to save cap room wherever possible.

As a result, Gronkowski may not have to be a better player than Felton.

In fact, if Gronkowski simply proves that he is a competent fullback, which he certainly did with the Kansas State Wildcats, then the Bills may opt to shed Felton’s contract from their books.

This takes some pressure off of Gronkowski, but one question still remains.

Is Gronkowski a viable option at starting fullback in the NFL?

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had this to say about Gronkowski prior to the 2016 NFL Draft.

"Glenn Gronkowski has some talent and could offer some scheme versatility, but he needs to make great strides as either a blocker or pass catcher to make his own mark in the league."

Despite big opportunities in Buffalo, Gronkowski’s scouting report based on his time with the Kansas State Wildcats is not filled with extreme praise.

Rather, it appears Gronkowski needs to improve his skills to fulfill the two main responsibilities of a fullback in run-blocking and pass catching.

I project that Gronkowski will improve in both of these skills, but will it be enough to win the starting job in Buffalo?

More kc sports: Best Wineries of Hermann, Missouri

Kansas State Wildcats fans probably remember a player named Collin Klein.

Despite being a standout quarterback for the Kansas State Wildcats, and even a Heisman trophy finalist, Klein went undrafted and failed to receive an NFL contract.

He then played with the Montreal Alouettes for a single season in the Canadian Football League.

More from KC Kingdom

• Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
• This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
• How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
• The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
• The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule

After that season, he stepped into his current role as a graduate assistant for the Kansas State Wildcats.

Normally, I would view a player like Gronkowski much like Klein, or even some players that were not Kansas State Wildcats, like Jordan Lynch or Tim Tebow.

At first glance, the former fullback of the Kansas State Wildcats appears to be another popular college player that does not have what it takes to play in the NFL, but looks can be deceiving.

What is clear is that Gronkowski is not an elite fullback at this point in his career.

In spite of this, from what he has shown as a fullback for the Kansas State Wildcats, he appears to have enough skill to play fullback in the NFL.

In addition, Felton’s contract and drop in production gives Gronkowski a much better chance than most undrafted free agents at winning a starting job.

Next: KC Chiefs Greatest First Rounders

This is why I am boldly predicting that Baby Gronk will be the starting fullback for the Buffalo Bills next season.

More kc sports: KC Chiefs Greatest Tight Ends

More kc sports: KC Chiefs on Cusp of Greatness

Do you agree with my prediction that Glenn Gronkowski will be the starting fullback for the Buffalo Bills next season? If not, do you think Gronkowski will make the Bills roster or any NFL roster?