TIGHT ENDS
Even as run and pass blocks don’t register fantasy points, they do get tight ends on the field early in their careers. George Kittle, O.J. Howard, Dallas Goedert, Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Travis Kelce all exhibited blocking competency early on, whereas Eric Ebron, Rico Gathers, Mike Gesicki, and Gerald Everett did not. As Dynasty owners, we’re in constant pursuit of true every-down tight ends who won’t leave the field and devolve into rotational players. Part-time tight ends are fantasy traps.
1. Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (1.08)
Hockenson accomplished the rare feat of earning the Mackey Award as a sophomore, parlaying 35 of his 49 catches (71.4%) into first downs or touchdowns and exhibiting pro-ready in-line blocking skills. An 88th-percentile athlete with 4.7-flat speed and a 37 ½-inch vertical, Hockenson will be hard to keep off the field. He should immediately own short-area targets between Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay in Detroit.
2. Broncos TE Noah Fant (1.20)
The Broncos landed on Fant after trading down from No. 10 to No. 20, bolstering a young pass-catcher corps where targets are up for grabs. An Aaron Hernandezian on-field talent, Fant scored 19 TDs over three seasons at Iowa despite sharing time with George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson. With 4.5-flat speed and an 80-inch wingspan, Fant is an intriguing fit under new Broncos OC Rich Scangarello, who spent the last two seasons with Kittle as the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach. A true catch-first tight end, Fant’s receiving upside exceeds Hockenson’s so long as Fant earns the requisite playing time and targets.
3. Packers TE Jace Sternberger (3.11)
Sternberger parlayed 48 catches into ten touchdowns and a 17.3 YPR average in his final season at Texas A&M, turning 77% of his receptions into first downs as a versatile chess piece aligning at in-line tight end, slot, H-back, and even outside receiver. Sternberger tested as a mediocre athlete at the Combine with 4.76 speed and a 7.16 three-cone time, but his college tape revealed a sure-handed prospect with a chance to become a highly effective route runner in zones. Jimmy Graham has run out of gas to the extent that no one should be surprised if Sternberger eventually earns playing time over him as a rookie.
4. Jaguars TE Josh Oliver (3.05)
The Jags spent a top-70 pick on Oliver after he played the vast majority of snaps at slot tight end in San Jose State’s offense, indicating the organization is comfortable with Oliver’s strengths and weaknesses and will deploy him accordingly. He caught 98 career balls as a 36-game college starter, then ran 4.63 at 6-foot-5, 249 at the Combine. Oliver has a shot to earn early playing time in a tight end corps otherwise consisting of Geoff Swaim, James O’Shaughnessy, and Ben Koyack. Nick Foles’ longstanding rapport with Zach Ertz in Philly suggests he could put his newest middle-of-the-field weapon to fruitful use.
5. Vikings TE Irv Smith (2.18)
Only 6-foot-2, 242, Smith will likely be limited to “F” tight end whereas Hockenson, Sternberger, and even Fant can compete as every-down players. Although Kyle Rudolph fits the aforementioned description, the Vikings’ second-round investment in Smith suggests they want more athleticism in the middle of the field for Kirk Cousins. Not yet 21, Smith remains at risk of developing slowly after Rudolph signed a four-year, $36 million extension.
6. Bills TE Dawson Knox (3.32)
Ignored in an Ole Miss passing offense that featured A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, and DeMarkus Lodge, Knox paid his dues as an H-back who scored zero touchdowns amongst 39 catches in 18 games. Knox runs 4.58 at 6-foot-4, 254, however, and offers more upside than his college tape suggested as the No. 4 SPARQ tight end in this year’s class. Buffalo was a positive landing spot with Josh Allen in desperate need of reliability in the middle of the field and Tyler Kroft coming off consecutive foot fractures.
7. Texans TE Kahale Warring (3.22)
As Ryan Griffin played nearly 70% of Houston’s 2018 offensive snaps, his post-draft release freed up a ton of opportunity for remaining tight ends Darren Fells, Jordan Thomas, Jordan Akins, and Warring. Fells and Thomas are primarily blockers, while 27-year-old Akins showed numerous limitations as a rookie. At 6-foot-5, 252, Warring transformed himself from high school basketball and water polo player into a plus blocking tight end whose 79th-percentile athleticism suggests Warring could grow into more.
8. Saints TE Alize Mack (7.17)
Mack’s draft slot gives him a basement-low floor, but his landing spot is a huge plus behind 32-year-old Jared Cook, who experienced an extended developmental phase and late breakout with the Raiders. 2015’s No. 1 high school tight end recruit in the nation, Mack ran 4.7-flat with solid vertical (36”) and broad (10’) jump numbers at 6-foot-4, 249. Mack won’t help in year one but is the perfect successor for Cook.
9. Raiders TE Foster Moreau (4.35)
Moreau primarily operated as a blocker in LSU’s longstanding run-first offense, managing 52 career catches and only six touchdowns as a possession tight end. Moreau’s long-term ceiling hasn’t been tapped as a top-three SPARQ athlete in this tight end class, but he offers a dual-threat ceiling to develop into one of this year’s small handful of full-time tight ends. Reclamation project Darren Waller currently tops Oakland’s tight end depth chart.
10. Patriots TE Andrew Beck (UDFA)
Beck stood out after the draft for his $115,000 contract guarantee, an indication the Patriots had a late- or even middle-round grade on Beck as a draft-able player. Beck was a passing-game afterthought for most of college with only six touchdowns and 28 catches in 14 games as a senior. Still, Beck learned to block and seems like a short-area receiving weapon at worst. He has a chance to get on the Pats’ 53.
11. Bengals TE Drew Sample (2.20)
College blocking tight end with just enough athleticism to suggest he’s capable of more.
12. Cardinals TE Caleb Wilson (7.40)
Mr. Irrelevant was highly productive at UCLA and runs 4.56 at 6-foot-4, 240.
Other Rookie Tight Ends: Jets TE Trevon Wesco (4.19), Steelers TE Zach Gentry (5.03), 49ers TE Kaden Smith (6.03), Lions TE Isaac Nauta (7.10), Bills TE Tommy Sweeney (7.14)
