Here’s a breakdown of my top 10 rookie tight ends ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
1. Brock Bowers, Georgia
If you’ve been following the NFL draft cycle even in passing, you already know who Brock Bowers is. The phenom prospect broke out as a true freshman with 882 yards and 13 scores. He exploded with another 942 yards in his sophomore season and even rushed for over 100 yards and three more scores in the same season. Bowers “fell” to 714 yards in 2023, but that was in five fewer games than either of his previous two seasons. His career yards per route run of 2.6 and 8.5 YAC per reception are both otherworldly for a tight end prospect, let alone one with rushing production and a strong blocking resume coming out of Georgia.
Brock Bowers' YAC numbers are stupid pic.twitter.com/vcIswFQTtr
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) February 22, 2024
Not only is Bowers one of the most efficient YAC producers in recent memory, but his ability to maintain that efficiency on absurd volume gives him record-setting counting stats. Bowers wasn’t a screen merchant though. He had a career aDOT of 8.2.
The knocks on Bowers’ game are slight at most. He measured at 6-3, 243 pounds and didn’t participate in any of the drills. Given that his size was expected to be a sticking point at the combine, Bowers likely bulked up for his weigh-in which would have slowed his times had he run. He is small for an NFL tight end and is probably just a really good—but not great—athlete. Bowers also ran over 50 percent of his routes from the slot in Georgia. His role in the NFL won’t be that of a traditional, inline tight end. And that’s okay. If that’s the only red flag on his profile, he’s going to be just fine.
From the perspective of this silly little game we play, I have one more issue. In most dynasty leagues, you can start at least three receivers. Many let you start five or more. This class is loaded with receiver talent and you’re starting five times as many wideouts as tight ends. Just getting a WR2 is a big hit whereas Bowers has to be a top-five tight end, preferably early in his career to justify being taken with the fourth pick in rookie drafts. He is the best tight end prospect of my lifetime and there will likely be five players ranked ahead of him when I release my full dynasty rankings after the draft.
2. Ben Sinnott, Kansas State
Sinnott got his start as a fullback and special teamer at K-State but added tight end to his repertoire in his third season. He posted a solid sophomore season but truly broke out with 49 catches for 676 yards and six scores as a senior. That was good for a 25 percent dominator rating. Sinnott also topped two yards per route run in his final season. Sinnott doesn’t look as explosive on film as other tight ends in the class, but he’s a solid route runner who earned more targets in 2023 than all but four FBS tight ends. He cemented himself as the TE2 of the class with an elite combine.
He ran a 4.68 40 and pushed past the 95th percentile in both the vertical and broad jump. With strong showings in the agility drills, Sinnott left Indy with a 9.72 RAS. Since 2010, the average RAS for a tight end who puts up 150 fantasy points is 8.4. That jumps to 8.6 when looking at 200-point seasons.
Sinnott is also an effective blocker. He may not be the best blocker in the class, but he could be the best blocker among the pass-catching tight ends who we expect to have some impact on the fantasy landscape. His run as a fullback also gives him extra versatility. Sinnott checks a lot of boxes including an emphatic check under athleticism. He was productive in college but can also handle the dirty work of blocking. In a weak class, he’s an easy pick as the TE2.
3. Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Sanders broke out with a 21 percent dominator rating in his second season. He totaled 613 yards and five scores on 54 grabs. His dominator fell in his final season, though that can reasonably be explained by the Longhorns adding Adonai Mitchell to the mix. Sanders increased his yards per route run to 1.86 and his yards after the catch per reception to 7.7. The efficiency boosts allowed him to escape the season with 682 yards despite catching nine fewer passes.
At 6-4, 245 pounds, Sanders put together a solid combine with a 4.69 40 and a 4.32 shuttle but bombed at his Pro Day. He logged just eight bench press reps and a 30-inch vertical, both of which tanked his RAS to 5.61. His bench isn’t concerning, but lackluster jumps and a good-but-not-great shuttle are troubling for his profile.
Sanders has the straight-line speed to get open downfield and is a force with the ball in his hands. As a blocker, Sanders leaves a lot to be desired, which could cost him valuable reps in the red zone and on play action looks.
Sanders may have a higher ceiling than Sinnott, but his poor Pro Day showing and blocking woes are legitimate concerns for him at the next level. He should still make an impact out of the gates, but I could see it taking some time before Sanders is given a full-time role.
4. Cade Stover, Ohio State
Stover was recruited as a linebacker and played a mix of defense, special teams, and tight end during the first three years of his career. He found his stride in 2022 with 405 yards and five scores. He had a career year in 2023 by catching 41 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in four fewer games. This gave him a 25 percent dominator while playing alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.
Stover measured at 6-4, 247 pounds at the combine. Between his 4.65 40 and some solid numbers at Ohio State’s Pro Day, Stover came away from the draft process with an 8.13 RAS. Though not an elite blocker or route runner, Stover looks more than comfortable for a player so new to his position. It’s also hard to understate how impressive his final season numbers are. Stover rounds out my second tier of tight ends.
5. Jaheim Bell, Florida State
Bell has an interesting profile. He was on a great trajectory as a tight end in 2021 and then South Carolina deployed him as a running back in 2022. He transferred to Florida State for a final year of college ball and totaled 503 yards plus two touchdowns. He ranked fourth among Power Five tight ends in YAC in 2023 and second in 2021. Even as a running back, Bell managed to score three rushing touchdowns.
The biggest issue with Bell is his size. He weighed in at 241 pounds but only stands at 6-2. With an 8.5 RAS, he’s also a plus athlete but doesn’t quite reach the upper echelon at a position driven by athleticism. Still, his 2.31 career YPRR and 9.2 YAC paper reception are both elite.
@FSUFootball “tight end” Jaheim Bell is fun to watch w/ how he’s used in the offense —- ultimate weapon (please let the right team draft him 🙏🏾)
— Lawrence Jackson Jr. 🃏 (@LordDontLose) February 27, 2024
▪️Can play RB, FB, TE, WR, slot wr
▪️Run after catch 👌
▪️Explosive straight ahead
▪️Can break ya ankles or truck u
let's talk 👇 pic.twitter.com/Jc2rhIYZSj
I initially had Bell all the way down at TE7 in the class. There aren’t many comps for a player like him, with recent players of his stature finding success being limited to Delanie Walker and Jordan Reed. However, I’d rather bet on a special player finding the right spot than a weaker prospect turning into a special player.
6. Jared Wiley, TCU
Wiley was a late breakout at TCU after spending the first three years of college as a backup at Texas. He closed out his collegiate career with 520 yards and eight scores in 2023. Wiley posted a solid 1.61 yards per route run in his final season but has an underwhelming career YPRR of 1.38. He notably recorded just one drop on 120 career targets.
Wiley’s production profile is underwhelming, but he does have size and athleticism on his side. He did all but the agility drills at the combine and left Indy with a 9.76 RAS. Wiley measured at an impressive 6-6 but only weighed in at 249 pounds. He’ll need to add some weight to his frame to make it as a blocker at the next level. There wasn’t much of a ceiling in Wiley’s tape or statistical profile, but he could be a starter in the NFL one day.
7. Theo Johnson, Penn State
I won’t waste much time on Johnson’s statistical profile because there isn’t much to work with. He never hit 400 yards in a season, failed to run a route on more than 60 percent of his team’s passing plays in a year, and was only targeted on 14 percent of his career routes. He wasn’t much of a YAC producer either.
Johnson put his name on the map, as most Penn State players do, at the combine. One of the heftier prospects of the class, Johnson measured at 6-6, 259 pounds but still blazed a 4.57 40-yard dash and a 4.19-second three-cone drill. He excelled in the burst drills and sub-elite three-cone is the only thing holding him back from being the most athletic tight end of all time.
Theo Johnson is a TE prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.93 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 9 out of 1141 TE from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/sVZgB7wazA pic.twitter.com/w6G9FoVDVs
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 28, 2024
Johnson is purely a project. He was a part-time player in college who didn’t make much of his elite physical traits. There’s potential based on how much athleticism matters at tight end, but it’s going to take some time.
8. Erick All, Iowa
Like all great Iowa tight ends, All’s counting stats are meager and that’s primarily because 42 percent of the Hawkeyes’ offense is essentially nothing. All did, in fact, log a 42 percent dominator in 2023 after transferring from Michigan to Iowa. He also logged a stellar 2.62 yards per route run. Though he didn’t work out at the combine, All looks like a plus athlete on tape, easily separating from linebackers when given a good matchup.
All suffered a torn ACL in October and missed most of the 2022 season with a back issue. Injuries will be a concern for him in the NFL and they also meant he got a minimal number of reps in college for a five-year player. All is just a flyer for deeper dynasty leagues, but his 2023 season was promising.
9. Tip Reiman, Illinois
Reimann peaked at 203 yards and a 12 percent dominator in his final season at Illinois. His sub-one career YPRR is a clear red flag, as is his 5.9 YAC per reception. On the plus side, Reiman crushed the combine with a 9.92 RAS. At 6-4, 271 pounds, the big man churned out a 4.64 40-yard dash. He later excelled in the agility drills at his Pro Day. It’s all projection with Reiman as he didn’t do much of anything in college, but there are worse ways to use a rookie pick than on a behemoth of a tight end with top-flight speed for his size. Reiman is the same bet as Theo Johnson, a great athlete with poor college numbers, but he will cost a fraction of Johnson’s price in rookie drafts.
10. Dallin Holker, Colorado State
Holker flashed as a freshman at BYU with 235 yards and a touchdown. He then took two years off of football for a mission trip. He returned in 2022 but didn’t break out until transferring to CSU. He totaled 64 catches for 766 yards and six touchdowns in his only season as a Ram. He led all FBS tight ends in targets, catches, and yards. Holker also ranked top-10 in contested catches, deep catches, and missed tackles forced.
The issue with Holker is that he wasn’t elite at earning separation in the Mountain West and is now making the leap to the NFL. He was good in a lot of phases in college but not great. That, compounded by his 6.02 RAS, is going to make his transition to the majors difficult. His upside is a part-time slot tight end, but I don’t see him becoming a three-down tight end in the NFL.
