Beau Sandland might have just made some money on Saturday afternoon, the Montana State tight end who looked (and ran) the part at the NFL Combine. But before he was an NFL prospect, Sandland could well have been known as the Sandman.

Simply put, he was leveling defenders.

A junior college transfer who first went to Miami before ending up at Montana State, Sandland did some things to solidify himself on Saturday as a late-round pick and maybe just worked his way into the middle rounds. His blocking was impressive and his measurable were solid.

But more than anything, the guy can block. Check out this video of Sandland from when he was in junior college. He absolutely levels a defender, who writhes on the ground for a moment or two after Sandland brings the house on the poor guy:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F38ubP9uuE&w=420&h=315%5D

This is the kind of play that will make NFL teams take notice. He is polished enough as a blocker that he can be more than just an offensive option. That he can catch the ball as well makes him an interesting – if raw – prospect.

This performance might resonate with the New York Giants, where the tight end position is a glaring question mark on their offensive depth chart. With Larry Donnell progressing but still not a certainty, tight end could be a spot where the Giants are seeking value in the middle rounds.

Earlier this week, Giants general manager Jerry Reese said that Donnell isn’t cleared yet.

“Again, necks can be tricky and we’ll just see where it goes. We’ll respect what our doctors say about the neck and we’ll take extreme precaution with that,” Reese told reporters from availability at the NFL Combine. “Hopefully he can get healthy and come back and continue his career.”

Someone like Sandland whose college career was anything but smooth, might emerge as a possible target of the Giants in the middle rounds. He went from a late round pick before the combine to someone who might have jumped up a couple rounds with a solid performance on Saturday.

He put 23 repetitions on the bench press, a number that was second-best for all tight ends, and ran a surprisingly good 4.74 in the 40. His other numbers were all competitive.

And his height and weight all checked out, but his hand size of 10 1/8 inches should help sell him to scouts. That hand-span puts him at tied for fourth largest at the combine, a number that will assure teams that he can catch the ball and hold onto it (Rob Gronkowski, for instance, ticked off 10 ¾ inch hands at his NFL Combine.