RADIO
The NFL 2023 Combine is over, and the hype train is in full effect. But that's what happens every year, right? We have nothing to do for several months other than get way too excited about the next crop of amazing athletes that are about to enter the league.
The praise was especially effusive for the tight end class. NFL's Daniel Jeremiah was especially vocal about the depth and talent in the 2023 tight end draft class.
The question is, will four tight ends go in the first round (as suggested by Jeremiah) at the NFL 2023 Draft? This mock says anything can happen.
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TE Mock Draft
#12th overall pick – Houston Texans, TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
There is little doubt that Texas will take a quarterback with their second pick. Having two picks in the top-15 is a luxury.
Which 2023 NFL Draft prospects turned heads at Lucas Oil Stadium? @TheNickShook unveils his annual All-Combine Team, spotlighting the top performers at each offensive position in Indianapolis.https://t.co/y3KNUASX5d pic.twitter.com/vuqVP5G1jG
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 7, 2023
Mayer is a complete tight end who will be the more reliable safety blanket for the Texans' new quarterback. Mayer can play in the slot or outside. He runs routes like a wide receiver, and his 6'41/2", 249-pound frame makes a target for the quarterback.
#18th overall pick – Detroit Lions, TE Darnell Washington, Georgia
In a perfect scenario, Washington would go to Miami. Mike McDaniels' offense is tailor-made for his strengths. But that is not to be since the Dolphins lost their 21st pick because of tampering.
So the next best perfect is the Lions. Now with their second pick in the first round, the Lions can add to their pass catchers and offensive line with one pick. Lions' tight ends Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra are both free agents.
Washington weighed in at 6'7", 264 pounds, and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds with a 1.57 split. Considered more of a blocking tight end, Washington quickly showed he had more to offer with his ridiculous one-hand catch at the Combine.
OH MY, Darnell Washington.
WHAT A CATCH. @GeorgiaFootball
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/OYN4vaJ4a3— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2023
And really, Washington just seems like a Dan Campbell sort of guy.
#25th overall pick – New York Giants, TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
Kincaid did not participate in the Rose Bowl or the Combine due to a "slight fracture" in his back. I was hesitant about the Giants drafting a player with an injury, but Kincaid's 6'4" and 246 pounds measurables are only part of the story.
Kincaid is the career leader among tight ends in FBS, with 2484 receiving yards, 77.3 receiving yards per game, and 35 receiving touchdowns. He is more of a receiver than a "tight end" with an impressive catch radius, great ball-tracking skills, and enough speed to threaten vertically.
#28th overall pick – Cincinnati Bengals, TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
Hayden Hurst is heading for free agency, and although quarterback Joe Burrow threw the sixth-fewest passes to the tight end position in 2022, Hurst still averaged 5.0 targets a game. Musgrave only played two games in his 2022 senior season. But in those two games, he averaged 15.4 yards per catch with a QB rating of 132.4 when targeted. In his junior year, he played in all 13 games and averaged 13.8 yards per catch.
Musgrave has only one full season as starting tight end under his belt. In that season, he only amassed 304 receiving yards. But his performance in the Senior Bowl and Combine measurables have put him back in the conversation (he was on the Mackey watch before his injury in 2022).
https://twitter.com/BeaverFootball/status/1632180276049895425?=2-irhPJH_mSudBQ9r02u5g&s=03
No issues with his knee injury.
With the uncertainty of Tee Higgins's status, Burrow coming up for an extension, and Tyler Boyd being a free agent next season, adding a replacement for Hurst, also a receiving option, is a good option.
#53rd overall pick – Green Bay Packers, TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa
Could LaPorta be the replacement for Robert Tonyan, who is a free agent this year? LaPorta helped his draft stock at the 2023 NFL Combine. He came into the Combine with the shadow of past Iowa great tight ends, TJ Hockenson, Noah Fant, and George Kittle following him. He left the Combine third in the vertical jump, sixth in the broad jump, and his 4.59 in the 40-yard dash with a 1.59 split was the third fastest time for a tight end.
He averaged 11.2 yards per catch. And on the field last season, he had 58 receptions for 657 yards in 11 games. But more importantly for the Packers quarterback, he only gave up one pressure and one sack in pass protection.
#58th overall pick – Dallas Cowboys, TE, Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State
The Cowboys have franchised Tony Pollard and will likely lose Dalton Schultz to free agency. With Ezekiel Elliott's contract and finding a reliable WR2 for their offense, replacing Schultz is a priority but will be difficult, with $-24,024,557 over the salary cap per Spotrac.
With Dallas' new emphasis on the run game, a tight end with good run-blocking skills is important. Kraft has lined up in the slot, inline and wideout. He was used in both the run and passing games at the collegiate level.
#97th overall pick – Washington, TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
Per the NFL Draft Scouting report, blocking is Schoonmaker's best trait. He is best suited for a run-first team that employs play-action in the passing game. Washington currently has Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner, and Armani Rogers on the roster. Thomas is rumored to be on the cutting block.
Reports from the 2023 NFL Combine state that while Rivera is satisfied with his current crop of tight ends, the Washington brain trust was doing their "due diligence" on tight ends during the Combine.
#114th overall pick – Carolina Panthers, TE Brenton Strange, Penn State
After three years of playing, Strange became a full-time starter in 2021. For his tenure at Penn State, he averaged 11.3 yards per game and finished with 11 touchdowns.
Strange helped himself in the 2023 NFL Combine. He had the third slowest 40 time (to be expected) but the second fastest 10-yard split in the tight end group. Strange's size 6'4", 253, and blocking ability could land him on the field on Day 1, making him a sneaky pick in a loaded tight-end class.
The Panthers' current tight ends are Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, and Giovanni Ricci. The three tight ends combined for 48 receptions and 471 yards. Thomas has improved his blocking going from a 51 blocking grade to 61 in a year.
Having both Thomas and Strange blocking in a Frank Reich offensive scheme only boosts the fantasy value of the running back.
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