NFL Draft: TE Dynasty Rankings

TE

1. O.J. Howard, Alabama (6-foot-5, 251 pounds)

Howard is the heavy favorite to be the first tight end picked in this draft. I think he's the best tight end prospect since Vernon Davis, and a real candidate to go in the first ten picks. While Howard never put up big numbers at Alabama, a look at his target data (1,726 yards on 161 targets, according to 247Sports) and his game film makes it obvious that it was an issue of playcalling and not talent. Indeed, there just aren't any real weaknesses in Howard's skill set, and his raw athleticism is clearly elite.

Despite a massive build, Howard ran the 40-yard dash at 4.51 seconds at the Combine, adding a 121-inch broad jump, and an eye-popping agility score of 11.01 Everything in Howard's profile screams of upside.

Comparison: Jimmy Graham
Round: 1

2. Evan Engram, Mississippi (6-foot-3, 234 pounds)

I think Engram is the third tight end selected behind O.J. Howard and David Njoku, but it may be Engram's skill set that best lends itself to fantasy value. He figures to be used almost exclusively as a pass catcher in the NFL, as in college he played a position mostly resembling slot wide receiver. Not just that, but Engram's showing at the Combine gave him an athletic profile that would earn top grades at the receiver position. Indeed, the possibility of Engram getting moved to wide receiver outright is a real one.

If he does move to wide receiver, Engram will likely thrive there all the same. After catching 65-of-94 targets for 926 yards and eight touchdowns in 11 games this year, Engram added even more polish to his prospect profile by logging a 4.42-second 40, 36-inch vertical, 125-inch broad jump, and 6.92-second three-cone drill at the Combine. While I think Howard is the best TE prospect since Vernon Davis, it's Engram's traits that bear a closer resemblance

Comparison: Vernon Davis
Round: 1

3. David Njoku, Miami (FL) (6-foot-4, 246 pounds)

Njoku isn't in Howard's tier as a prospect, but he's still one of the most intriguing tight ends to enter the draft in the last five years or so. More of a receiving specialist than an all-around tight end, Njoku possesses novel explosiveness and the ability to make plays few others can at the position.

A renown track athlete for high jumping just under seven feet in high school, Njoku confirmed at the Combine that he's an elite athlete at tight end, running the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds while posting a 37.5-inch vertical, 133-inch broad jump, and 11.31 agility score. He finished his college career with 1,060 yards on 111 targets, according to 247Sports. Not 21 years old until July, Njoku might start a bit slow in the NFL but has enormous potential.

Comparison: Julius Thomas
Round: 1

4. Adam Shaheen, Ashland (6-foot-6, 278 pounds)

As you can tell from his height/weight, Shaheen is an absurdly big tight end – he outweighed the next heaviest tight end at the Combine (Michael Roberts) by eight pounds – yet he has the look of a playmaking pass catcher rather than a lumbering blocking specialist.

Shaheen's college film at Ashland is comical to watch, because he's just so much bigger and more athletic than the competition. He was a cheat code, barreling over the defenders in front of him and running away from the ones behind him.

Despite his size, there were no hints of stiffness in Shaheen's game, and at the Combine he verified his improbable athleticism for his size. His 4.79-second 40-yard dash was very good for his size, and his 121-inch broad jump was remarkably good. With a solid agility score of 11.47, Shaheen is basically a Create a Player product from Madden. Even if he's raw after playing at such a low level of competition, his skill set and athleticism make him a strong bet to emerge as a standout pass-catching threat by 2018.

Comparison: Eric Green
Round: 2

5. Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech (6-foot-6, 257 pounds)

Hodges is yet another freak athlete at tight end in this class, giving the draft five players who would be candidates to go in the first round in most other drafts. In a tight end class this deep, though, Hodges figures to fall to the second.

Considering his size and remarkable athleticism – 4.57-second 40-yard dash, 39-inch vertical, and 134-inch broad jump – the fact that Hodges looks like a Day 2 pick is nuts. He's not just a workout warrior, either – Hodges totaled at least 500 yards receiving in each of his three years at Virginia Tech, including a 2016 season where he averaged 8.3 yards per target while catching 48 passes for 691 yards and seven touchdowns.

Hodges has some Eric Ebron to him in the sense that his hands and general consistency aren't as good as his talent would lead you to expect, but it should be noted that Hodges is bigger and more athletic than Ebron.

Comparison: Eric Ebron
Round: 2

6. Jonnu Smith, Florida International (6-foot-3, 248 pounds)

Smith was overlooked his whole four-year career at Florida International, but I think the NFL is well aware what he's capable of. He's obviously a bit small for a tight end, but Smith's college production and Combine workout metrics all but make clear that he will contribute as a pass catcher in the NFL.

First, it should be noted that Smith basically functioned as his team's lead wideout in his first couple years at Florida International, demonstrating unique pass-catching skill and advanced development for his age. In his first two seasons Smith caught 100 passes for 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns in 24 games – all numbers he accumulated before turning 20 years old.

That production makes Smith's skill set evident, so the only remaining concern is his athleticism. He put any doubts to rest at the Combine, where he was one of the best performers at tight end in recent years. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.62 seconds while adding a 38-inch vertical, 127-inch broad jump, and 4.18-second 20-yard shuttle.

Comparison: Jordan Reed
Round: 2-3

7. George Kittle, Iowa (6-foot-4, 247 pounds)

Renown for his blocking in Iowa's run-heavy offense, Kittle is a former receiver who subtly showed above average potential as a pass catcher with the Hawkeyes, even if they declined to make heavy use of him in that capacity. That was a mistake, as Kittle probably would have been Iowa's best wide receiver the last two years if they had used him more like one.

Indeed, Kittle is a former receiver who bulked up to be the next in a long line of standout Iowa tight ends, but it might not have been the best use of his talents. While he always looked fast on tape, Kittle still vastly exceeded all reasonable expectations at the Combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds while posting a 35-inch vertical and 132-inch broad jump. This guy is a freak athlete and I've generally seen him get very little attention for it. If you compare his workout metrics to wide receivers, you can see that he would be no less than an average athlete at the position despite outweighing the average receiver by about 40 pounds.

As you can tell, I'm a fan. I can't believe the NFL would be overlooking Kittle as much as the general public.

Comparison: Owen Daniels
Round: 2-4

8. Gerald Everett, South Alabama (6-foot-3, 239 pounds)

I'm much lower on Everett than most people, many of whom project him as the third or fourth-best tight end in the class, yet I still am a fan in a vacuum. His ranking being this low is just another testament to how great this class is.

Everett was a uniquely productive pass catcher at South Alabama, where he transferred to after UAB's program was canceled. Before that, he played at the JUCO level. He held a low recruiting profile as a wide receiver who only played one year of high school football, but his later successes made clear he was a BCS-level talent.

He was highly productive in 2016, turning 72 targets into 717 yards and four touchdowns in an offense that averaged 7.6 yards per pass. He was similarly productive in 2015, when he caught 41 passes for 575 yards and eight touchdowns, running for four more touchdowns. Everett rounded out his pass-catching merits with a solid showing at the Combine, running the 40 in 4.62 seconds while posting a 37.5-inch vertical, 126-inch broad jump, and 11.22 agility score. These numbers mean slightly less since Everett weighed in under 240 pounds, but they're nonetheless more than good enough to ensure his projection as a pass catcher. He just looks very one dimensional. Many find cause for further concern in the fact that he has unusually small hands at just 8.5 inches.

Comparison: Trey Burton
Round: 3-4

9. Billy Brown, Shepherd (6-foot-4, 255 pounds)

Brown played wide receiver in college and was incredibly productive doing it, finishing the 2016 season with 99 catches for 1,580 yards and 22 touchdowns in 14 games.. Even if his size as a wideout at that level of competition was something of a cheat code, I think there's insight to be found in such absurd volume of production. From the clips that I saw of Brown playing at the Shrine Game, moreover, I think he really does have developed route-running skills – I wouldn't have guessed he's as big as he is.

Brown sold me on his NFL projection with a strong showing at the Combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash 4.7 seconds while adding 118-inch broad jump. They're not great numbers, but they're plenty adequate, especially in the context of his film and production.

Comparison: Fred Davis
Round: 3-4

10. Eric Saubert, Drake (6-foot-5, 253 pounds)

Yet another promising small-school tight end, Saubert joins Shaheen and Brown as a trio of tight ends with the talent to make a significant NFL impact despite obscure origins.

Like the previously mentioned two, Saubert was highly productive in college, posting numbers more befitting a wide receiver at Drake. He was productive all four years, finishing with 190 receptions for 2,253 yards and 21 touchdowns, including a 2016 season where he caught 56 passes for 776 yards and ten touchdowns in just 11 games.

With production accounted for, Saubert just needed to post the workout metrics to safely project as a potential NFL starting tight end. He's done just that leading up to the draft, posting a 121-inch broad jump at the Combine before running the 40-yard dash in the mid 4.6-second range at a pro day workout.

Comparison: Tyler Higbee
Round: 3-4

11. Jordan Leggett, Clemson (6-foot-5, 258 pounds)

Leggett is a tight end in the classic mold, boasting the size to play in line and the pass-catching skills necessary to make plays in the receiving game. His talent merits a higher ranking than this after a strong career at Clemson, but questions about his work ethic in an otherwise elite tight end class could make him slip a bit.

Despite the questions of his work ethic, Leggett never struggled to produce at Clemson, finishing with 112 catches for 1,598 yards and 18 touchdowns. That's including a 2016 season where he caught 46 of 68 targets for 736 yards and seven scores -- spectacular numbers, to be sure. He posted an only slightly above average athletic profile at the Combine and Clemson pro day, but Leggett's skill set is safely above the average.

Round: 3-4

12. Jake Butt, Michigan (6-foot-5, 246 pounds)

Butt suffered a torn ACL in Michigan's Dec. 30 bowl game against Florida State, but prior to that he had shown one of the most well-rounded skill sets among college football's tight ends. Butt caught 138 passes for 1,646 yards and 11 touchdowns in 43 games, and he's highly experienced as a blocker after playing in run-heavy Michigan offenses.

With no workout data available prior to the draft, Butt's athleticism is a guess. The production and film are sound, but with 1/3 of his prospect profile 'n/a,' he's looking like a third day pick.

Round: 4-5

13. Cole Hikutini, Louisville (6-foot-4, 247 pounds)

Hikutini would rank higher if production were the only considered variable, but concerning workout metrics following a knee injury have his stock in a tossup.

Hikutini was an impressive receiving threat at Louisville, turning 72 targets in 2016 into 50 catches for 668 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He led the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns, while the yardage ranked second. That's with two Combine-invited receivers also on the team (James Quick and Jamari Staples). This is likely a player with a developed skill set.

But when it comes to athleticism, it's not clear whether Hikutini has enough for his skill set to translate to the NFL. At his pro day he ran the 40 in just 4.85 seconds, which probably puts him in the 4.9 range on the Combine track. It's possible that his time was harmed by the knee injury he was returning from, but absent confirmation of that fact, he carries more risk than his accomplishments would generally imply.

Round: 4-6

14. Michael Roberts, Toledo (6-foot-4, 270 pounds)

Roberts was a killer red-zone threat in Toledo's high-scoring offense last year, and his prospect novelty is further buoyed by the fact that his hands are nearly a foot long, meaning he should remain a menace in traffic. But Roberts' athletic profile doesn't really lend itself to fantasy stardom – he doesn't figure to be much of a factor between the 20s, and his big frame makes him a candidate for more blocking work than most of the guys on this list. Roberts certainly has some dynasty value due to the touchdown threat he poses, but his yearly ceiling may be something to the effect of 500 yards and ten touchdowns.

Round: 4-5

15. Jacob Hollister, Wyoming (6-foot-4, 239 pounds)

Hollister is quite athletic for a tight end, and he was quietly one of the top targets last year for rising quarterback prospect Josh Allen. His lack of size makes him unlikely to play as a traditional tight end, but he has the skill set to present upside as a pass catcher. He caught 32 passes for 515 yards and seven touchdowns last year on just 43 targets.

Round: 6-UDFA

16. Darrell Daniels, Washington (6-foot-3, 247 pounds)

Here is a fast guy (4.55-second 40-yard dash) with decent but generally sporadic college production. While his efficiency last year was good at 307 yards and three touchdowns on 27 targets, the volume left something to be desired. It's concerning that he didn't score more than three touchdowns in an offense that threw for 47. There are tools and upside here, but Daniels generally strikes me as a guy who needs practice squad time before making a proper run at the NFL field.

Round: 6-UDFA

17. Ricky Seals-Jones, Texas A&M (6-foot-5, 243 pounds)

This is a speculative entry, as RSJ was last considered a wide receiver. But the former top recruit consistently disappointed at Texas A&M, showing obvious sluggishness on the field before confirming suspicions with an awful Combine. The results actually look intriguing if you compare Jones to his more size-appropriate position of tight end, however. If he makes the move to tight end, I think it could go surprisingly well.

Round: 6-UDFA