7 months agoNew England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry enters the 2024 season as the top player on the depth chart. With that said, he still faces competition. Henry played alongside Mike Gesicki last season, and with Gesicki landing in Cincinnati during free agency, the Patriots replaced him with Austin Hooper. They also signed Mitchell Wilcox and drafted Jaheim Bell. Hooper has averaged 49.3 catches over his last seven seasons, though that number has started to decline on a per-year basis. For example, as the backup tight end in Las Vegas last year, Hooper caught just 25 passes, his lowest mark since his rookie year. Regardless of whether Hooper is trending up or down, he's still the clear No. 2 behind Henry. In fact, Henry himself might be trending up after the Patriots hired Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator. Van Pelt helped tight end David Njoku set numerous career-bests in Cleveland last year, and he could do the same with Henry in New England — especially since Henry doesn't face immense competition. The Patriots have a crowded wide receiver room, but it's not very top-heavy. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye should have no trouble developing an early rapport with Henry, whose experience drastically exceeds starting receivers Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, and Ja'Lynn Polk. With experience and heavy volume on the way for Henry, the final piece of the puzzle is the state of New England's offense. Targets are great, but Henry can only maximize his performance if the Patriots' offense sustains long drives and gets plenty of red-zone opportunities for its playmakers. The Patriots made some key additions this offseason, but they'll still face some growing pains with Maye (or Jacoby Brissett) under center and Jerod Mayo entering his first season as head coach. Therefore, there are clear pros and cons for Henry heading into 2024. He ranks as a mid-to-low TE2 in fantasy football, which falls in line with his ADP of 161 (18th among tight ends). He's being drafted at an appropriate price tag and is a fine late-round option in most fantasy leagues.--Andersen Pickard - RotoBaller