This is a very strong draft class for Tight Ends. Over the last few years, the only tight ends taken in the first two rounds include:
2022 - Trey McBride - Cardinals Pick-55
2021 - Kyle Pitts - Falcons Pick-4
2021 - Pat Freiermuth - Steelers Pick-55
2019 - Cole Kmet - Bears Pick-43.
This year could see up to five who could be taken before the end of round two. Here is a list of potential tight ends the Chargers could look to draft.
Michael Mayer - 6'4"/265
Notre Dame
Grade: Mid-Late 1st-Rd
Film Studied: Cal/ USC/ Ohio State
(Photo by Chad Weaver/BGI)
Michael Mayer was a 5-Star recruit and ranked as the 2nd-best tight end in the 2020 high school recruiting class. The former Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year quickly made an impact as a true freshman on campus at South Bend, catching 42 balls for 450 yards, and two touchdowns. He built on his success, adding 71 receptions for 840 yards, and 7 touchdowns in 2021, and 67 receptions for 809 yards and 9 touchdowns last year. He has been very productive in every season, both as a receiver and pass blocker. His 71 receptions as a Sophomore broke a single-season tight-end record for the Irish.
The biggest draw to Mayer is how pro-ready he is at 21 years old, a full three years younger than Dalton Kincaid, his main competition to be drafted first. He is more complete as a tight end in all phases of the game, and that works well into seeing him drafted first. Whether a team is looking for a mismatch in the passing game or a player you can rely on in the run game, Mayer offers a little bit of everything to an NFL offense.
While not a burner by any means, Mayer has tools as a route runner that allow him to create separation on his own in man coverage. He has some shake to him but also knows how to body smaller defenders to create space. Mayer proved he could play above the rim to go up and get it, and there are multiple examples of him laying out for tough grabs. He ranked 1st in deep catches (8), and deep yards (210), and had the most contested catches (17) among Tight Ends. He was also adept at running after the catch, forcing 12 missed tackles, which ranks 7th-most. Overall, Mayer is going to be a dangerous threat as a receiver at the next level.
Mayer is estimated at 265 pounds and that helps him be a cog in the run game. He moved around the Irish as an in-line blocker, H-Back, and full-back to create opportunities to allow him to get involved as a blocker. Smaller linebackers and defensive backs will get Deebo'd out of the play with the physicality that Mayer plays with.
While Mayer is overall well-rounded, he isn't a burner by any means. He's got enough lateral movement and plays at his weight well, but he's not an explosive player and relies on IQ to understand how to get open. Mayer can work on technique in the run game by staying more square to defenders and not allowing them to disengage as often.
Mayer won't make it to the second round. He's too well-polished, and the previous drafts have not produced many well-rounded tight ends as of late. There is a need for a player of Meyers caliber for multiple teams in the NFL right now, including the Chargers. PFF has Meyer's draft trend between 15-28.
Dalton Kincaid - 6’4"/240
Utah
Grade: Late 1st - Early 2nd
Film Studied: Colorado/USC/USC PAC-12 Championship
After just a single season of high school football in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kincaid attended the University of San Diego for his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. As a Sophomore in 2019, Kincaid had 835 yards receiving (2nd-most among TEs in FCS), and 8 touchdowns. He transferred to Utah during the shortened COVID year, but in 2021, he finished the season with 36 receptions for 519 yards and 8 touchdowns. Last year, he had 79 receptions for 890 yards(2nd-most among TEs in FBS) and another 8 touchdowns. Kincaid was a John Mackey award semi-finalist this year for the Utah Utes, ultimately losing out to Georgia's Brock Bowers.
Kincaid does it all in the passing game. He runs crisp routes, makes contested catches, and forces missed tackles. He’s fast, agile, and just overall a really good athlete. Against USC in the first matchup earlier this year, he had 16 receptions for 234 yards, which is abnormal for a wide receiver, let alone a tight end. He had just two drops in 93 targets for the Utes and caught 50% of his contested targets also (9/18). His hands are strong but he is also dangerous with the ball in his hands. He forced 16 missed tackles which rank 3rd highest among tight ends.
As a blocker, Kincaid is slightly undersized. Only three starting tight ends in the NFL are under 240 pounds, so let that sink in. He’s a willing blocker but he lacks the functional strength and aggressiveness to be effective in that role as a tight end. Whatever team drafts Kincaid will likely get him in a program to build out his frame better. He hasn’t played organized football that long, and he spent his first two seasons at a small FCS school, so there should be a large amount to still develop, which makes Kincaid's ceiling at an All-Pro Level.
Kincaid is being talked about as a potential 1st round pick, and maybe the best tight end of this year's loaded class. He is a 5th-year senior, and at 24 years old, teams tend to shy away from taking older players in the 1st round, but there is not another player quite as exciting at the position. PFF is currently showing him drafted around Pick-30. Kincaid is a day-1 starter due to the mismatch opportunities he creates against linebackers and safetys, and tight ends able to be effective receivers always tend to get drafted higher with the hope teams can develop blocking ability later.
Darnell Washington - 6'7"/265
Georgia
Grade: Mid-Late 2nd Rd
Film Studied: Ohio State/Tennessee/LSU
(Photo: Dale Zanine / USA Today)
*High school measurements by the way👀
Darnell Washington was ranked as the 23rd national player in his high school recruiting class out of Nevada. There is not a bigger, more athletic guy at his size and position, maybe ever. He could seriously play offensive tackle right now, and be successful at it. Washington has the strength and physique to go toe to toe with 280-pound edge rushers, and he gives you the confidence to not only win but dominate.
Washington is likely going to be an elite-run blocker to start his career. As a tight end who is going to be used as a trap blocker, he’s going to immediately improve the run game for any team that drafts him. You could put him as a fullback in certain sets and let him blow defenders off their feet. Simply put, he’s a snow plow you want your running back running behind. Out of play-action, you can have Washington stay in as a pass blocker and not worry about pressure getting to the quarterback. Line him up in line, and let him kick out big ends or speedy outside linebackers, and you're still going to get protection out of him with success.
An area that works against Washington's will is his ability as a true receiver. He has some similarities to Jahlani Woods, who was selected in the 3rd-round by the Indianapolis Colts last year. He has a huge catch radius, and he has the ability to contort to misplaced footballs. He has massive hands and will come down with some contested catches. Washington can still be a threat in the red zone and in situations where he is asked to box out defenders, but he is unable to create separation on his own.
If you give Washington a long runway, he can be a threat as a vertical threat but it has to be a long runway. Not a guy you can put on an aircraft carrier and think he can take flight. It takes him a long time to get the wheels moving. He doesn’t have change of direction and his ability as a receiver may never fully develop into what offenses want from the position. You’ll have to gameplan and create mismatches by size. That size can translate into RAC ability, as Washington is a monster to bring down. He has a freakish stiff arm, will blow through shoulder tackles, fights for extra yardage, and can even hurdle defenders.
Watching Washington compared to his opponents is like watching a high school player on a Pop Warner football team. The main draw is the elite blocking ability but there are things to design in the passing game for him if coordinators are creative. According to PFF, Washington is trending between picks 50 to 70. Considering Jahlani Woods, who is the closest comparable player, was drafted early in the 3rd-round, that should really be the floor of where Washington gets drafted. Washington is a far better blocker with similar athleticism and is a younger option overall. He has an outside chance of being a 1st-round pick if a team falls in love with his measurables, though he likely grades out as a mid-late 2nd-round pick.
Tucker Kraft - 6’5"/255
South Dakota State
Grade: 3rd Rd
Film Studied: Colorado State/ Northern Iowa
Dave Eggan/Inertia Sports Media
Tucker Kraft was a former high school running back out of South Dakota who had over 50 career touchdowns and 3,000 yards rushing in four years. He lined up as a linebacker, punter, and occasionally quarterback during that time frame. Kraft stayed in state after high school, joining the South Dakota Jackrabbits where he redshirted his first year.
During 2021, Kraft caught 65 passes for 773 yards and six touchdowns. Last season, Kraft missed a large chunk of the season due to injury, but still managed 25 receptions for 318 yards and three scores. He showed enough in both seasons to be on a lot of draft boards for his abilities as a receiver and above-average run blocker. He has an ideal NFL tight-end frame packed with muscle and length.
Kraft has decent enough long speed to be a threat in the seams, and enough aggressiveness to be a threat in RAC situations. He is not an agile player, but he can accelerate fast enough to create opportunities for himself as a route runner. Kraft is an aggressor, seeking out contact and oozing with physicality. It's one of the main draws to his game and something that may get the small school product drafted earlier than many are thinking.
The Jackrabbits lined up Kraft in the slot, in line, and flexed as a wing at times. He uses his physicality to create space, but he is not a refined route runner. He doesn't sink hips or use a combination of head fakes and body language to set up where he wants to go. He is prone to bobble drops and isn't smooth at letting the ball come into his frame, and transitioning to a runner. He's aggressive, but sometimes he loses balance while blocking and gets thrown off his target by stringer defenders.
Kraft is toolsy and should find himself as a partial starter early on, but he still needs refinement in areas of his game. His upside as a dual-threat tight end is enticing for teams that ask so much of the position but the lack of competition is something that works against him. Kraft is going to be a starter in the NFL at some point in his career and should find his name called on day-2
Cameron Latu - 6’5"/244
Alabama
Grade: 3rd-Rd
Film Studied: Texas A&M/ LSU
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Out of Salt Lake City, Utah, Cameron Latu was a 4-star edge rusher with 6 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in high school. He chose Alabama over every other Power-5 school looking to bring him to their program, but Alabama, known to recruit the top athletes in the nation, had a deep roster of edge prospects. In 2019, Latu moved from edge to tight end, though initially was depth behind Miller Forrestall and Jahleel Billingsley. When Forrestall entered the NFL in 2021, and Billingsley not meeting expectations, Latu took advantage of the opportunity and became a major threat for the Crimson Tide the last two seasons.
Latu jumped Billingsley on the depth chart and forced Billingsley to transfer to Texas. He proved to be a natural runner, able to explode in and out of cuts, with the ability to stretch the field both vertically and horizontally. What is also great about Latu is he's a gifted receiver with strong hands and can contort to make tough catches. He's about as consistent in the passing game as any other top draft-eligible tight end. His speed, agility, and route running are going to make Cameron Latu a future fantasy star when he reaches the NFL.
Latu isn't the same blocker as he is a receiver though. He uses his speed and explosiveness to generate power, but he is not as strong or aggressive in the run game. Other times, there are mental lapses where he is pulling as a lead blocker and looks lost in finding a target to hit. He looks best as a slot option over being an in-line blocker. Latu is a little on the lighter side, which fits his ideal role of being a big slot in an offensive scheme.
Latu's ability as a receiver can be special and should get him on the field early in his career. The lack of blocking ability makes him more important to a passing offense, but he can create mismatches for the athleticism he brings as a receiver to the right team that will utilize it properly. He is mocked as a day-two pick, likely after some of the more well-rounded tight ends come off the board.
Luke Musgrave - 6’6"/249 Oregon State
Grade: 4th Rd
Film Studied: Oregon/Boise State
(Nick Daschel | The Oregonian/OregonLive)
Musgrave is the nephew of former NFL Qab and coach Bill Musgrove. He ended his season with a knee injury in September and only played two games, yet he is still getting early-round hype. In two games, he had 11 receptions on 15 targets for 169 yards. In 2022, he was just targeted 37 times. Throughout his 4-year career, Musgrave only has 47 receptions for 633 yards and two touchdowns. A big part of that was just a lack of targets. He played at the senior bowl and most of his buzz is speed and threat as a receiver. As a 250-pound athlete, Musgrave broke 20MPH at the senior bowl. He has been recorded with a 4.51 40-yard dash, 36.5” Vertical, and a 10”2 Broad Jump.
Musgrove has tested extremely well and made Feldman's Freak List. He should be a name to watch at the Combine. For tight ends, you want to see height between 6”4-6”6, 250-266 pounds, a 40-yard dash below 4.65, and a 3-come below 7.20 for elite metrics. Musgrove certainly checks some of those boxes but we will have to see official results at the combine.
Musgrove has the ability to be a dangerous seams player. He is explosive off the line of scrimmage and can be a dynamic threat as a pass catcher. He has RAC ability just for the speed aspect but he doesn’t break tackles or churn out extra yards. An area for deterrent is his ability as a blocker. He plays high and let’s guys get around him. It’s more of a technique issue. There were moments where he was driving defenders back but more often than not, defenders are able to disengage.
PFF is estimating Musgrove's draft position trendline between picks 35 to 50, though it's worth noting that Musgrave has virtually no statistical consistency. It can be difficult for a team to draft Musgrove highly without having backup data at their disposal. He was not a player used to his full potential at Oregon State, which means his best days are ahead of him. Still, the draft grade does not match the production, and so, Musgrave should not hear his name called until the middle rounds.
Sam LaPorta - 6'4/249
Iowa
Grade: 4th Rd
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Iowa has been known for producing high-quality pass-catching tight ends in the NFL for years. George Kittle, TJ Hockenson, and Noah Fant have all been known as successful starters since 2016, and that trend could continue with Sam Laporta entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
LaPorta was a wide receiver and a defensive back in high school in Illinois. Over his last two seasons, he had 135 receptions for 2,844 yards and 39 total touchdowns. When you add in the 14 interceptions he had on the other side of the ball, it is surprising that LaPorta was not highly recruited as a 3-star prospect. His only offers were from Bowling Green and Central Michigan but it took just a single visit to Iowa that landed his commitment.
Laporta has led his team in total receptions in every season except his rookie year. In 111 receptions over the last two seasons, Laporta also has 30 broken tackles over that range. The Iowa Hawkeyes had really struggled, mainly due to their inability to bring in a quality passer, but LaPorta has been a bright spot as a receiver. He is a vertical threat with long-strider speed, and can line up on an island outside the formation. He will be at his best running crossers, overs, corners, and anything that takes advantage of his speed. In addition to speed, LaPorta also was credited with 20 missed tackles forced, second most among tight ends in the NCAA.
LaPorta has not been a quality red zone threat, and he is not the strongest in contested situations. He was the 3rd highest targeted tight end in the NCAA last year but he had six total drops, which made up a drop on nearly 10% of his targets. He caught 37% of his targets in traffic, far worse than you would like to see from a position that is expected to see more targets in those situations. Some of those issues are related to who the Hawkeyes had behind center, but it is an area of his game he will need to improve.
LaPorta was not as well known for his blocking ability, which is surprising considering Iowa was a run-heavy offense. PFF graded LaPorta with a 53.1 RBLK grade that ranked 20th in the Big Ten. He lacks elite size, and while he doesn't have the strength or aggressiveness in the run game now, he has the build to add to to frame at the next level and develop more techniques to round out that area of his game.
Sam Laporta is trending as a solid third-round pick according to PFF. His range has been as low as 60, and as high as 90. With such a strong class in this position group, LaPorta could fall further than what PFF projects, but it depends on how other teams view the position and what kind of tight end fits the mold of who is drafting. There are other tight ends more well-rounded who could be drafted earlier.
Other TEs in the Top 250
Luke Schoonmaker - Michigan
Zack Kuntz - Old Dominian
Payne Durham - Purdue
Will Mallory - Miami (FL)
Marshon Ford - Louisville
Josh Whyle - Cincinnati
Brenton Strange - Penn State
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