 Vannett with the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 | |||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1993-03-06)March 6, 1993 (age 32) Westerville, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 257 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Westerville Central (Westerville, Ohio) | ||||||||
| College: | Ohio State (2011–2015) | ||||||||
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2016: 3rd round, 94th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Nick Vannett (born March 6, 1993) is an American professionalfootballtight end. He playedcollege football atOhio State and was a member of the Buckeyes team that won the2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. He was selected by theSeattle Seahawks in the third round of the2016 NFL draft. He has also been a member of thePittsburgh Steelers,Denver Broncos,New Orleans Saints,New York Giants,Houston Texans,Los Angeles Chargers, andTennessee Titans.
Vannett attendedWesterville Central High School inWesterville, Ohio, where he graduated in 2011.[1] Vannett playedhigh school football for the Warhawks football team. Vannett achieved all-metro, all-OCC, and all-district selections in recognition of his contributions on the field. Vannett had 47receptions for 606 yards and eighttouchdowns in his senior season. He also played baseball in his youth but did not pursue the sport into college.
Vannett committed toOhio State on June 30, 2010, and signed hisletter of intent on February 2, 2011.[1] Vannettredshirted his first year at Ohio State but played in the next four seasons playing in 53 games totaling 55 receptions, 585 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns.[2] He played a key role in Ohio State’s run to their first national championship win since 2002. In the first quarter, he caught a one-yard touchdown pass, giving the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead in the contest in which they ultimately prevailed 42-20 against the Oregon Ducks. Prior to his senior season, Vannett was ranked as the best tight end prospect byESPN NFL Draft analystTodd McShay.[3]
On December 8, 2015, it was reported that Vannett had accepted his invitation to play in the2016 Senior Bowl.[4] The week leading up to theSenior Bowl, Vannett impressed many scouts and analysts during practice with many surprised by his blocking skills and receiving ability. He was described as a physically imposing receiver with strong hands and ability to concentrate on contested catches.[5] On January 30, 2016, Vannett caught three passes for 58-yards as a part ofDallas Cowboys head coachJason Garrett's North team who lost 16–27 to the South.[6] Vannett was one of 15tight ends who received an invitation to theNFL Combine and one of 14 players from Ohio state.[7] A back injury, prevented him from completing all of the combine drills, including the40-yard dash, 20-yard dash, and 10-yard dash. His performance was described by scouts as mediocre as he finished eighth in thebench press and seventh in thevertical jump. His best performances were in the short shuttle, where he tied for second, and tiedSouth Carolina State'sTemarrick Hemingway for first in the 60-yard shuttle.[8] On March 11, 2016, Vannett attended Ohio State'sPro Day, along withCardale Jones,Pat Elflein,Eli Apple,Marshon Lattimore,Braxton Miller,Michael Thomas,Joey Bosa,Vonn Bell,Darron Lee,Taylor Decker,Ezekiel Elliott,Joshua Perry,Jalin Marshall,Adolphus Washington, andTyvis Powell.[9] Along with positional drills, Vannett performed the 40-yard dash, 20-yard dash, 20-yard dash, vertical jump (29½"), and broad jump (9'5"). He performed well for the collection of over 122 team representatives and scouts, that included head coachesMike Mularkey (Tennessee Titans),Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings,Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers),Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints), andMarvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals).[10] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Vannett was projected to be a third or fourth round pick by the majority ofNFL draft experts and analysts. He was ranked the second best tight end prospect in the draft bySports Illustrated, the third best tight end prospect by NFLDraftScout.com, and was ranked the fourth best tight end by NFL analystMike Mayock.[11][12]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 257 lb (117 kg) | 34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 4.85 s | 1.72 s | 2.81 s | 4.20 s | 7.05 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) | 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) | 17 reps | 34[13] |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Ohio State'sPro Day[14][15] | ||||||||||||
On April 29, 2016, Vannett was selected by theSeattle Seahawks in the third round with the 94th overall pick in the2016 NFL draft.[16] He was the third tight end selected, behindHunter Henry (second round, 35th overall) andAustin Hooper (third round, 81st overall).[17] Head coachPete Carroll and general managerJohn Schneider stated they originally drafted Vannett to be a traditional Y tight end that is more focused on blocking. He became more of a complete tight end after surprising Carroll and Schneider with his receiving skills in off season workouts.[18] On May 6, 2016, the Seahawks signed Vannett to a four-year, $3.05 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $656,880.[19][20]
He entered his firsttraining camp for the Seattle Seahawks competing againstLuke Willson,Cooper Helfet,Ronnie Shields, andBrandon Williams, for the job as the second tight end.[21] Head coachPete Carroll named Vannett the third tight end to begin the regular season, behind veteransJimmy Graham and Luke Willson.[22]
During the Seahawks' second preseason game against the Vikings, Vannett caught one pass for a 15-yard gain, but suffered an ankle injury and was unable to finish the 18–11 loss. He missed the last two preseason games and the first four regular season games due to the high ankle sprain.[23] On October 16, 2016, Vannett made his professional regular season debut during the Seahawks' 26–24 victory against theAtlanta Falcons. He played three offensive snaps and two on special teams in his debut. During the game, Seahawks' tight end Luke Willson left after sustaining a knee injury that would require surgery to repair damaged cartilage and stretched ligaments. Vannett moved up on the depth chart to take his place during Willson's absence.[24][25] On October 30, 2016, Vannett made his first career reception during a 25–20 loss to the Saints. He caught his first career reception from a pass fromRussell Wilson and gained seven yards before being tackled by Saints cornerbackDe'Vante Harris.[26] During a Week 10 matchup at theNew England Patriots, Vannett made his first career start as the Seahawks defeated the Patriots 31–24. On December 4, 2016, he earned his second career start and caught a season-high two passes for 25 yards as the Seahawks routed theCarolina Panthers 40–7. Vannett was a healthy scratch through Weeks 16–17 and throughout the postseason as head coach Pete Carroll decided to instead play Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson and Brandon Williams.[27] He completed the2016 season with a total of three receptions for 32 receiving yards and played in nine games with two starts.[28]
Vannett was slated to be the third tight end on the Seahawks' depth chart to begin the2017 season after Brandon Williams departed for theIndianapolis Colts in free agency.
He played in the Seahawks' season-opener at theGreen Bay Packers and had one reception for a ten-yard gain during the 17–9 loss.[29] On November 26, 2017, Vannett caught two passes for 29 yards and scored his first career touchdown in the Seahawks' 24–13 victory at theSan Francisco 49ers. His first career touchdown came in the third quarter as he beat 49ers' linebackerEli Harold and caught a pass fromRussell Wilson to score a 27-yard touchdown to help the Seahawks gain a 13–6 lead.[30] The following week, Vannett started his second game of the season and made a season-high three receptions for 40 receiving yards in a 24–10 victory against thePhiladelphia Eagles.[31] He finished the 2017 season with 12receptions for 124 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.[32]
In the 2018 season, Vannett recorded 29 receptions for 269 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in 15 games and nine starts.[33]
On September 24, 2019, Vannett was traded to the Steelers for a2020 fifth-round pick.[34] In the 2019 season, Vannett finished with 17 receptions for 166 receiving yards in 16 games, of which he started seven.[35]
On April 2, 2020, theDenver Broncos signed Vannett to a two-year, $5.7 million contract.[36] In the 2020 season, Vannett had 14 receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown in 15 games and 11 starts.[37] He was released on March 23, 2021.[38]
On March 29, 2021, Vannett signed a three-year contract with the Saints.[39] He was placed oninjured reserve on September 6, 2021.[40] He was activated on November 11.[41] In the 2021 season, Vannett recorded nine receptions for 133 receiving yards and one touchdown in seven games and two starts.[42] He was released on November 19, 2022.[43]
On November 22, 2022, theNew York Giants signed Vannett to theirpractice squad.[44] On December 3, 2022, he was promoted to the active roster.[45]
On August 2, 2023, Vannett signed with theHouston Texans.[46] He was released on August 29, 2023.[47]
On August 31, 2023, Vannett was signed to theLos Angeles Chargers practice squad.[48] On November 1, Vannett was signed to the active roster.[49] He played eight games during the2023 season.[50]
On May 13, 2024, Vannett signed with theTennessee Titans, reuniting him with quarterbackMason Rudolph who also played for the Steelers in 2019.[51] He played all 17 games (10 starts) of the2024 season, finishing with 17 receptions for 135 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.[52]
Vannett graduated from Ohio State with a degree in sport industry.[2]
