Gronkowski vs Hernandez is a hard one to argue. I wasn't going to take either, but at 2.10 the former was the best player left on my board. (Damn you, Chunks, for taking LaFell at 2.09!) Statistically their last years in college are probably equal, although I am usually a skeptic when it comes to stats racked up in blowout offenses like UF. Gronkowski has the size, but Hernandez clearly has better hands and is a tad faster off the line....no wonder NE wants to use him more as WR. The downside for Opihi here I think is that this may very well render Hernandez into a special type of player, mostly used in the middle of field, while Gronkowski is the regular workman TE, plus the goal line work. In the end, I wouldn't be too surprised if they cancel each other out for fantasy purposes. Hernandez gets the yardage, Gronkowski gets the TDs and neither is worth much. The only thing worse than RBBC is TEBC.
The back injury and missed year no doubt cast a shadow over Gronkowski. I am reassuring myself that NE (of all teams) wouldn't have used a second round pick on a TE, unless they were convinced he will be good to go. In retrospect, though, I maybe should have mustered the courage to pull the trigger on Jimmy Graham, who has far more upside. I guess my logic for preferring Gronkowski was based on the assumption that he starts to amass playing time right away, so I will know relatively soon if he is a TE1 or TE2. With Graham you probably have to lock up a roster spot for 2-3 years before he gets enough playing time to even have a shot at meaningful stats.