This is the seventh part of a series previewing each position in the 2022 NFL draft. Today’s installment looks at tight ends.
NFL general managers looking for tight ends in this year's draft won't be striking too early.
Last year, Kyle Pitts became the highest tight end ever drafted when he went fourth overall to the Falcons. He had a standout rookie season, but his trajectory isn’t going to set a new norm. The 2022 class instead will provide options well into Day 3.
This year, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks that even without a player of Pitts’ caliber, there are still plenty of worthy prospects.
“I think it's a pretty good tight end draft,” Jeremiah said on a conference call in February. “There's no Kyle Pitts, but there is a ton of depth.”
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NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein echoed the balance of quantity versus star power. Though he ranked tight end as 10 out of 11 in his ranking of position groups from strongest to weakest, he feels that the depth of this class stands out.
“Teams are going to find depth well into Day 3, but it's a middle-, lower-middle-class crop this season,” Zierlein said.
Overall position ranking: 4 out of 10.
Bills' view: Dawson Knox is coming off a standout season. He set a franchise record for touchdowns by a tight end, even while missing two games with a hand injury. Beane was candid that he wanted to add depth to compete with Knox, and he did.
The Bills added to the tight end room in the free agency, bringing in O.J. Howard. Howard, a first-round pick out of Alabama in 2017, spent five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He missed some time with injuries, but expects to benefit from a fresh start in Buffalo.
It is all a big jump from where the Bills stood at tight end a year prior, with Beane candidly calling for improvement. If Knox can maintain this level of play and Howard can work himself well into the offense, the Bills aren’t in huge need of drafting a tight end.
Bills' need ranking: 3 out of 10.
The best: Trey McBride, Colorado State.
McBride was the winner of last year’s John Mackey Award, presented to college football's most outstanding tight end. He’s coming off a 90-catch, 1,121-yard, one-touchdown season as the focus of Colorado State’s offense. He easily led the team in receiving yards and receptions, with both numbers more than double his second-most productive teammates in each category.
His lone touchdown in 2021 is of note, but he had nine touchdowns total in the three seasons prior.
Names to know: Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina. Greg Dulcich, UCLA. Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M. Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State.
Likely’s 12 touchdowns last season led FBS tight ends. His 59 catches for 912 yards in 13 starts helped Coastal Carolina on its way to its first bowl win in program history, and those numbers were good on an individual level for first-team All-Sun Belt Conference.
A former walk-on, Dulcich has drawn comparisons to Knox. He switched to tight end from wide receiver at UCLA, and it shows in his pass-catching abilities. He’s expected to keep improving, as his blocking could use more time on task.
Wydermyer had a rough Pro Day, but his physical skills and catch radius help. He had 515 receiving yards, 40 catches, and four touchdowns in 12 starts last year as a junior.
Ruckert had 26 catches, 309 yards and three touchdowns in a loaded Ohio State offense. Buckeyes receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave are projected as first-round picks this draft, meaning Ruckert was underused.
Both Likely and Wydermyer have been brought in by the Bills for top-30 visits, per reports.
Sleeper: Curtis Hodges, Arizona State.
Hodges had limited playing time at ASU, in large part due to injuries, which will be a concern for teams. Still, he stepped up this past season, and teams could eye him for the practice squad. Hodges had 20 catches for 374 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games, with 10 starts in his senior campaign.
Top 10 tight ends:
1. Trey McBride, Colorado State – Height: 6-4. Weight: 246.
2. Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina – Height: 6-4 1/2. Weight: 245
3. Greg Dulcich*, UCLA – Height: 6-4. Weight: 243
4. Jalen Wydermyer*, Texas A&M – Height: 6-4. Weight: 255.
5. Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State – Height: 6-5. Weight: 250
6. Cade Otton, Washington – Height: 6-5. Weight: 247.
7. Cole Turner, Nevada – Height: 6-6. Weight: 246
8. Jelani Woods, Virginia – Height: 6-7. Weight: 259.
9. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin – Height: 6-5. Weight: 250.
10. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Maryland – Height: 6-2 1/2. Weight: 238.
* - underclassman
