Stephen
Sullivan.
Stephen
Sullivan.
LSU· 6'5"· 248 lb· 4.66s 40
"Seattle traded back into the draft to take LSU's athletic receiver-turned-tight end at No. 251, and he became a depth tight end for the Carolina Panthers over four seasons."Pre-draft read
Sullivan was a big slot receiver who moved to tight end for LSU's 2019 national championship team, a 6-5, 245-pounder with rare movement for his size. His primary trait was athleticism: he ran well for a player his size, stretched the seam and averaged 15.5 yards per catch for his career.
His secondary trait was versatility, lining up in the slot, out wide and in line. His production was modest because he played behind deep receiver groups, and his blocking was raw after the position switch. His signature was a strong Senior Bowl week that showed the size and movement teams saw as a developmental tight end.
Multiple-tight-end offense that uses a big, athletic move tight end in the slot to create mismatches.
Year 1: developmental third tight end. Ceiling: rotational move tight end.
Power offense that asks its tight ends to be in-line blockers on most snaps from Day 1.
His athleticism fit best as a move tight end and seam threat.
Stephen Sullivan LSU | SENIOR BOWL 2020
His Senior Bowl week.
Seahawks traded back in to take Stephen Sullivan from LSU.
Draft-day coverage of his selection.
Andy Dalton Throws A Dime To Stephen Sullivan | Jets Vs Panthers Joint Practice 8/9/2023
A practice catch with Carolina.
Sullivan projected as a raw, athletic receiver-to-tight end convert whose limited production made him a late-round developmental pick. Evaluators liked his size, speed and catch radius, but questioned his blocking, route polish and why he never produced more at LSU.
He played four seasons at LSU, finishing with 46 catches for 712 yards and three touchdowns in 49 games. His best year came as a junior receiver, when he caught 23 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns. As a senior he moved to tight end and caught 12 passes for 130 yards on the national championship team, playing behind a record-setting receiver group. He then had a strong Senior Bowl week as a move tight end. The flags were his thin production, raw in-line blocking and inconsistent hands.
Most boards viewed him as a late-round developmental tight end. Seattle traded back into the seventh round to take him at No. 251, betting on his size and athleticism. The Seahawks saw a move tight end they could develop behind their veterans, with enough speed to contribute on special teams while he learned to block.
- 01
Size and athleticism
At 6-5 and 245 pounds he moved like a receiver, giving him rare tools for a developmental tight end.
- 02
Big-play ability
Averaged 15.5 yards per catch at LSU, stretching the seam and winning down the field with his length.
- 03
Versatility
Lined up in the slot, out wide and in line, giving offenses a matchup piece against linebackers and safeties.
- 04
Catch radius
His height and long arms gave quarterbacks a large target on contested throws and in the red zone.
- 05
Championship experience
Contributed as a senior tight end on LSU's 2019 national championship team, catching 12 passes.
- 01
Thin production
Caught only 46 passes in four seasons, leaving scouts little evidence of his ability as a primary target.
- 02
Raw blocking
Moved to tight end only as a senior, so his in-line technique and strength at the point of attack lagged.
- 03
Route polish
Relied on athleticism more than precise routes, making it hard to separate against sticky coverage.
- 04
Inconsistent hands
Had drops that raised questions about his reliability as a regular target in the passing game.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.66sp50
- Vertical
- 36.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 123inp50
- Three-cone
- 7.51sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.62sp50
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | LSU | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | LSU | 13 | 11 | 219 | 1 |
| 2018 | LSU | 13 | 23 | 363 | 2 |
| 2019 | LSU | 15 | 12 | 130 | 0 |
| Career | — | 49 | 46 | 712 | 3 |
Season and career receiving from Sports-Reference. He appeared in eight games in 2016 without a recorded catch, so that line is blank rather than zero. Career rushing (four carries, 25 yards, one TD) is omitted from the receiving ledger.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
The realized outcome: a depth tight end with 14 NFL catches.
Raw, athletic tight end who developed into a long-term role player.
Late-round developmental tight end who never broke through.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Sullivan appeared in one game for Seattle as a rookie in 2020 before joining Carolina, where he played from 2021 to 2024. He caught two passes for 46 yards in 14 games in 2022 and had his most productive year in 2023, with 12 catches for 125 yards in 11 games. He finished his NFL career with 30 games, 14 catches and 171 yards.
In hindsight the pick returned modest but real value for a No. 251 selection. The size and athleticism that led Seattle to trade back into the draft kept him on NFL rosters for five seasons, while the thin production and raw blocking flagged before the draft limited him to a depth role. He never became the mismatch weapon his tools suggested, but he lasted longer in the league than most players taken in the final picks of a draft. Carolina valued him enough to keep him for four seasons, and his 2023 season showed flashes of the receiving skills that made him a draftable prospect.