COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Throw yourself into NFL Draft waters as a 6-foot-6, 257-pound tight end with the speed and athleticism to get down the field, and chances are the comparison will hit you.

You'll get Gronked.

Nick Vannett got Gronked.

Well, he kind of Gronked himself.

"I like to watch the best because I want to be the best, so I always admired Rob Gronkowski because he can do both," the former Ohio State tight end said as he waded through preparation for the 2016 NFL Draft that begins Thursday. "He can go down the field vertically and create a mismatch in the pass game as well as block a defensive end. There's not much he can't do and that's who I want to be."

Who doesn't want to be Gronkowski, the gregarious All-Pro, Super Bowl champion party boy of the Patriots?

Does Vannett have a case?

(Watch the Vannett-Gronk comparison video starring Vannett's mother at the bottom of this story.)

Like Gronk: They basically have the same body. Gronkowski is 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, while Vannett was measured at 6-6 and 257 at the NFL Combine. He was the tallest combine tight end, with close to the longest arms and biggest hands.

Not like Gronk: In his two seasons at Arizona, Gronkowski caught 75 passes for 1,197 yards and 16 touchdowns before missing his last season with back surgery. In four years at Ohio State, Vannett caught 55 passes for 585 yards and six touchdowns.

Vannett said one of the first things many teams he talked to told him was "you were underutilized."

Like Gronk: Vannett looks like he'll be drafted in the first three rounds as one of the first tight ends off the board. Gronkowski was the No. 42 overall pick in the second round as the second tight end taken in the 2010 draft. Vannett is rated as the fourth-best tight end in the draft by the NFL Network's Mike Mayock, and he's third for Bleacher Report analyst Matt Miller. That should get Vannett into the third round, unless he sneaks into the back of the second.

Is he like Gronk? Beyond Gronkowski's status as one of the NFL's best players (not just its best tight end) is his mega status as a partier.

There's the Gronk party bus.

And then there's the Gronk party ship.

Appreciate the artist and DJ's for coming on and making this the most turnt up event ever. pic.twitter.com/NxwYLEu9mR — Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) February 23, 2016

That's real Gronking.

Sure, Vannett believes he's the best combo tight end in the draft as a blocking-catching threat. He said he's seen and heard a "Baby Gronk" nickname applied to him. And while being compared to the NFL elite is a bit much for any college player, Vannett legitimately sees something, at least in style of play.

"I believe I'm a guy who can do both as well as he does. I'm not at that point yet, but I'm working to get to his level," Vannett said. "I've been hearing things from other people calling me 'Baby Gronk,' so I'm going to do my best to keep that going, because that's a helluva comparison. I'm cool with that."

Sure, on the field. But when Gronk parties, he often parties with his family. Are the Vannetts ready for that?

To address that question, and to address the full ramifications of Gronkowski comparisons, watch this public service announcement that includes Vannett's mother, Carol, from Tight End Mothers Against Gronking (TEMAG.)