STRENGTHS - Quick off the ball and into route, Furstenburg can get behind LOS defender and has the speed to get separation down the seam. Possessing good body control, flexibility and agility make it easy for him to get in and out of cuts quickly to run sharp/precise routes. It is obvious from how he adjusts his routes to become "hot" receiver versus blitzes that he is a smart player who studies film to be prepared. Also blessed with good vision and awareness, he is able to consistently identify open spots in the defense to sit down in. Not the type of receiver who waits for the pass to get to him, he attacks it with his hands and catches the ball cleanly every time. He is quick tucking the ball away after the catch and starts up the field fast. He is a quicker than fast runner who after the catch who runs hard with the ball and can run through hits and grab tackles to gain yards after contact. His initial quickness helps him make contact quickly on side/angle in-line run blocks and he is usually able to tie up and seal man out of the play. He gives a good effort and uses good footwork in pass protection.
WEAKNESSES - There is not much to critique when it comes to the receiving side of Furstenburg's game. While he has the speed to get separation on deep seam routes, he does not show the same speed to run away from defenders to make big plays after the catch. While his effort is always there as an in-line run blocker, he will leave his feet behind at times and ends up bending at the waist, leaning and ducking his head, which leads to him losing the block. While his effort and feet are good in pass pro, he does not uses his hands well and can be defeated too easily by aggressive pass rushers. He is not a big tight end and will always have some issues as a blocker due to the size differential.
SUMMARY - It was readily apparent that Furstenburg was amongst the best players at the Texas Versus The Nation Game from the first practice as he clearly was more athletic and polsihed than most of the players there. While his lack of ideal bulk/weight will likely always be an issue when he blocks, his athleticism, speed and receiving skills make him a very good prospect. Fifteen or twenty years ago he would likely have been viewed as a one-dimensional, under-sized tight end with little value, but in today's NFL his receiving skills and athleticism should enable him to contribute catching passes as a rookie and eventually to him becoming a versatile and productive receiving weapon in his team's offense. I do not anticipate Furstenburg being drafted as highly as I have him rated, but I believe that within a season it will be clear why I have such a good grade on him. I think he will become a very productive pass catcher in the NFL and could be a star if he goes to a team with an offensive coordinator who is good at using versatile receiving weapons like him.