Michael Egnew has been known regionally as one of the top tight ends in the Big 12, but now he's likely to get his due on a much higher level as the NFL Draft workouts commence and players begin to stick out to pro scouts. The Missouri Tigers know quite well what Egnew is capable of, and key comments and rankings are already coming out pointing to his abilities as well. Mel Kiper is the latest, placing Egnew in his top five tight ends available for the 2012 NFL Draft.
Overall, Kiper doesn't address Egnew's abilities when giving a quick overview of the crop of players at the position. He writes, "Teams across the NFL are now looking closely at the tight ends to see which could be that next hidden gem. I'm not sure this class has quite the upside of, say, the remarkable 2010 group, but there's some talent. Allen is really good athlete at his size and should help a team early. I can see him cracking the first round. Fleener has great hands, and was productive as a main target of Andrew Luck."
Egnew had 50 receptions for 523 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2011.