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Former UCLA, Mater Dei receiver Thomas Duarte makes move to tight end for combine

INDIANAPOLIS - For all the new-age drills that NFL prospects can try in order to boost their draft stock, UCLA’s Thomas Duarte has been focusing on something simple: keeping his hand on the ground.

Duarte, a Mater Dei High product, was a receiving threat at UCLA because his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame made him a difficult matchup for defensive backs. Duarte intends to make a move to tight end in the NFL, though, and that means adding more strength and proving himself in a more traditional way.

“I’ve worked on it quite a bit, from the time I left UCLA until now,” Duarte said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine.