Ryan Izzo listed at first team tight end for New England Patriots

Former FSU tight end Ryan Izzo could make some noise in New England in 2020. He has been named as the first-team tight end.

Ryan Izzo isn’t a name that a lot of FSU football fans think of right off of the top of their heads. Izzo had the luxury of following Nick O’Leary in Tallahassee, which was big shoes to fill.

He had a productive career in Tallahassee, totaling 54 receptions for 761 yards and six touchdowns.

Izzo declared for the 2018 NFL Draft after his redshirt junior season and was selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round with the No. 250 pick overall.

Izzo was placed on the injured reserve list his rookie season in 2018, where the Patriots went on to defeat the Los Angles Rams.

He saw the field in six games 2019, catching six passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. However, it looks as though Izzo has made strides going into the 2020 season as he is listed as the first-team tight end of the Patriots going into week one against the Miami Dolphins.

Thoughts

Izzo could benefit from the arrival of Cam Newton, who has been named the starting quarterback, after being let go by the Carolina Panthers.

It’s a different offense than the one he ran in Carolina, but one of his favorite targets there was Greg Olsen, a tight end.

Izzo’s listed at 6’5″ and 256 pounds, and is adept at blocking and effective in the passing game, so he’s a valuable player when healthy. However, staying healthy has been his biggest problem, as he missed multiple games in 2019 with injuries and a concussion.

It’s good to see Izzo finding his niche with an organization like the Patriots. He’s 24 years old and has a lot of treads left on the tires if he can stay away from the injury bug. He’s a prime example of hard work and being persistent paying off.