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The Denver Broncos selected Greg Dulcich with a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after he put up an extraordinary 18.6 yards per reception over the final two years of his college career. The UCLA product's above-average workout metrics across the board draw comparisons to a young David Njoku, who still represents something of a freak athlete entering his seventh season.
Dulcich burst onto the scene despite both a late start to the year and Denver’s dysfunctional offense. After suffering a preseason hamstring strain, the rookie posted a promising 3.3 receptions for 41.1 receiving yards per game over 10 games of action.
Dulcich enters Year 2 with the Broncos as the team's presumed starting tight end after the squad perhaps questionably passed on that position in the draft. What are the factors that can contribute to a 2023 breakout case for Dulcich? Let’s see what we’re looking for.
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What Did We See Out Of Greg Dulcich In Year 1?
Dulcich’s start to '22 was ultimately delayed by five games due to a preseason hamstring strain. His setback seemed to solidify fellow speedster Albert Okwuegbunam as the Broncos tight end to target late in fantasy drafts last summer. As Albert O was unable to put together his 100th-percentile speed with his 6-foot-6, 258-pound to become a freight train, his failure to impress opened the door for Dulcich to step in as Denver’s featured tight end.
Dulcich perhaps ended up notching the numbers fantasy managers may have been aiming to get out of Albert O last season. Dulcich bagged 80 receiving yards in two out of his six games started, standing out in his Week 6 debut by scoring a touchdown. The young pass-catcher's fantasy arrow would continue to shoot up after registering 10 catches for 138 receiving yards over the course of the following two contests.
As Denver’s season continued to sink after midseason, Dulcich would start going down with the ship a bit. He staggered with seven catches for 52 yards in total across Weeks 10 to 12 even with his snap share rising to it’s highest levels. Before another hamstring strain would cost his season's final two outings, Dulcich would first bounce back for 14 receptions for 177 yards and one touchdown covering Weeks 13 to 16 to wrap up a very encouraging rookie campaign.
What Were The Highlights Of Greg Dulcich's Rookie Year?
Dulcich garnered 12 deep targets, which sat third among tight ends in this category, despite playing in just 10 contests. This magnitude of vertical-threat ability lent itself to the 23-year-old generating a 12.7 ADOT, which was also the third-highest figure at the position. Dulcich also accumulated 312 unrealized air yards (seventh among TEs), in part due to the inaccuracy of Russell Wilson (60.5 completion rate) during his debut season in the Mile High City.
Dulcich ran 40.9% of his snaps from the slot, creating plenty of mismatches at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds. His 84.1% route participation was just what the doctor ordered to get the most out of a weapon that isn’t regarded for his blocking acumen. Dulcich’s 12.5 yards per reception was also good enough to sit him ninth amongst TEs in this department.
He was seventh in average yards of separation (2.36), according to PlayerProfiler, boasting the capability to get loose and stretch the field. Dulcich also ranked seventh in air yards share (18.6%) out of TEs. It’s fair to deduce that NFL defenses were perhaps not caught up on Dulcich’s pass-catching prowess; he was afforded 3.18 average yards of cushion (ninth among TEs), per PlayerProfiler.
What Type Of Role Will Greg Dulcich Embody In '23?
We've got plenty to hang our proverbial hats on here in terms of supporting a prospective Dulcich breakout. However, the offense's capacity to allow for any breakout candidates perhaps hinges on whether or not Wilson can rebound in Year 2 under center with the Broncos. Dulcich will also need to continue developing as a blocker to stave off Albert O and especially the newly-added Adam Trautman for playing time, but he should still lead the group in snaps.
Dulcich possesses strong enough upside to potentially place in second behind Jerry Jeudy in targets on a Broncos team without a clear-cut second pass catcher. Courtland Sutton seemingly fits the bill, but his '22 profile doesn’t present a whole lot of optimism for a '23 bounce back. Sutton remains a subject of constant trade speculation, so his possible departure would free up extra looks.
Other members of the Broncos' receiving corps are beginning to drop like flies, too, with Tim Patrick (knee) unfortunately tearing his ACL for the second straight offseason and K.J. Hamler (pericarditis) getting released due to a heart condition.
Dulcich’s plus-athleticism signifies a potential diamond in the rough and Wilson’s aggressive nature (87 deep ball attempts) could continue to pair well with his tendencies. Denver’s league-worst offense (16.9 PPG) derailed any hope of a ceiling season for virtually any of their skill positions. If their attack can just be average in scoring, that could be enough to support a breakout scenario for Dulcich.
With Sean Payton coming in to coach in the Mile High, he carries nine top-five scoring offenses on his resume from his New Orleans Saints days. Treat Dulcich as a TE2 flier at the end of 10-team drafts with TE1 upside in Payton’s "Joker" role. Think Taysom Hill, but with a more polished receiving game.
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