Moritz Boehringer knows his English still needs some polishing, but the German has no trouble understanding all the talk of him being an intriguing but raw, 6-foot-4, 227-pound receiver prospect in this year's NFL draft.
If Boehringer ends up catching passes for the Atlanta Falcons, he also realizes he could be doing it at a different position. He visited Atlanta last week and spoke with tight ends coach Wade Harman about the intricacies of playing the position. The Falcons, with just five draft picks going in, could use another pass-catching tight end, although Jacob Tamme returns after a 59-catch season.
Would Boehringer, with no previous experience playing football in the United States, be comfortable making such a position change if he transitions to the NFL?
"Yes, I would be comfortable," he said. "Just have to be heavier, like 15-20 pounds. ... I have the combination of size, speed and hands."
NFL teams, including the Falcons, recognize those qualities in him. It was evident when Boehringer worked out for teams at Florida Atlantic University. That's where he first met Harman along with Falcons wide receivers coach Raheem Morris.
"Good coaches," Boehringer said of the Falcons assistants. "The scouting department, they are funny. And [head coach] Dan Quinn, he's like a normal person. You can tell he's like a players' coach. And I saw the whole facility. I saw the kicker [Matt Bryant] when I was there. I didn't talk to him, but I saw him."
Boehringer learned to appreciate the little things in his whirlwind pre-draft trek. Last week, he visited the Panthers, Saints, Rams and Seahawks along with the Falcons.
"It's pretty crazy," Boehringer said. "Just all that traveling. I didn't really get a chance to see the cities."
Boehringer has seen plenty of Florida, where he's working out at XPE Sports under owner Tony Villani.
What else about Boehringer? He grew up in Aalen, a "nice and small" city in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. He was "OK" playing wing in soccer as a youth and started football at age 17. The 22-year-old played one year in the German Football League. He developed an affection for American football watching his two favorite players, Adrian Peterson of the Vikings and A.J. Green of the Bengals.
Boehringer has messed around with basketball for fun and can dunk with ease using his 39-inch vertical. But he's not trying to be the next Dirk Nowitzki. He's trying to be the first player from the German league to be drafted into the NFL.
Coaches and scouts view Boehringer as possibly a late-round draft pick or undrafted free-agent pickup who will need a lot of molding. Boehringer doesn't care what routes he takes to the NFL.
"I don't have any expectations," he said. "I'll just wait and see what happens. The best advice I've gotten is just keep working hard. It's just my dream to play."
We'll see if his dream comes true.