2023 Tight End Class Preview

Photo: Michael Caterina, USA Today Sports

The 2022 college football season is ending, with the college football playoff set and teams preparing for bowl season. It’s time for fantasy managers to start shifting their attention to the 2023 draft class. Throughout the college football season, I have been writing a top-36 big board to give you appropriate value all college football season that you can check out here. But now it’s time to dive deeper into the class itself. This deep dive will give you a first look at many of the draft-eligible prospects, and in this breakdown, we’re going to look at the 2023 tight ends. We still don’t know who will officially declare for the draft. However, this is a great time to start familiarizing yourself with this class of tight ends and start identifying potential sleepers. We will examine each player's strengths, weaknesses, projected draft capital, and rookie draft value. Let's dive in!

TE Michael Mayer (Jr – Notre Dame): 6-foot-5, 250 lbs

Projected Draft Capital

1st Round

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

1.08 -1.12

Strengths

Since his freshman season at Notre Dame, Mayer has made his impact felt all over the field. He’s been one of the most consistent receivers on the roster, and his ability to catch the ball in the middle part of the field separates him in this class. He has above-average strength for the position and uses it well when creating leverage against coverage. His route running has also consistently improved throughout his career with the Irish. He’s shown to get a release out of in-line and when he’s split out wide. For his size, he is surprisingly versatile. He can create space in the open field for a tight end and has enough lateral agility to make defenders miss in the open field. While it's not exceptional if he gets drafted to a team with an accurate quarterback, it’s not something to worry about. He also checks the box as a blocker at the next level, which is something that young tight ends tend to struggle with. If he can prove to NFL coaching staffs he can block, we should see him get reps early in his career.

Weaknesses

The number one concern for Mayer is his overall athletic profile. The tight end position is generally judged by their relative athletic score. As the Combine approaches, you will start hearing more about Relative Athletic Score (or RAS for short). Created by Kent Lee Platte, RAS is a way of measuring a player’s athletic testing to their size compared to other players at their respective position. Tight Ends who test higher in this metric tend to perform better in the NFL and fantasy. One significant metric for this score is a players 40 yard dash time, a metric that has proven to matter for future tight ends production. There are concerns that if Mayer runs the 40, we could see a relatively low time, impacting his RAS score. Many think he will opt out of the 40 in the pre-draft process, which might be the best decision for his draft capital.

Highlight

The quintessential Michael Mayer play. Players pointing at him, surrounded by four, might as well be zero, the challenging defender bounces off of him as though he was trying to break up a pass intended for a grizzly bear. pic.twitter.com/xXAh4T8XQM

— Greg Flammang (@greg2126) December 7, 2022

Mayer's Career Stats

TE Dalton Kincaid (Sr - UTAH): 6-foot-4, 240 lbs

Projected Draft Capital

3rd Round

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

3rd/4th Round

Strengths

First thing that pops off Kincaid’s tape is athleticism. He is one of the best pass catchers in this class and will have some of the best testing numbers of any of the tight ends. He has a unique ability to make high-point catches, and his hands are near the top of the class. There are not a lot of drops on his film, and he routinely makes tough catches look ordinary. Part of that comes from his exceptional ball-tracking ability. Utah’s staff used him in various ways, and because of that, he can run almost every route assigned to him. His versatility will allow NFL offenses to line him up anywhere on the field. He’s an underrated in-line player who can make plays from the seam and is smart enough to find holes in the defense.

Weaknesses

The most significant worry about Kincaid is his blocking ability. While he doesn’t lack the willingness to block, he does struggle against bigger opponents. He will need coaching to become an adequate blocker at the next level, which could limit his upside in fantasy for the first couple of seasons. His tape is littered with missed assignments, and he has some technical issues to work on. This is to be expected, as he just started playing football in 2018 and is relatively new to the game. Based on that, we haven’t seen his ceiling yet, and he could be a fun late-round flyer in your rookie drafts.

Highlight

Oh my god Dalton Kincaid 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/c9KbRsEWAj

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 16, 2022

Kincaid's Career Stats

TE Darnell Washington (Jr - Georgia): 6-foot-7, 270 lbs

Projected Draft Capital

2nd Round

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

Late 2nd/Early 3rd Round

Strengths

Washington will be one of those prospects debated all off-season. If he decides to declare for the 2023 NFL draft, he immediately becomes one of the most intriguing players at the tight end position. Washington came to Georgia as the No.2 Athlete and No. 34 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. He was one of the highest-ranked prospects at the position. While his production has been less than ideal at Georgia due to injuries and playing behind All-American tight end brock Bowers, Washington has been getting buzz all around the draft community. The Atheltic’s Dane Brugler had him going 26th overall in his recent mock draft. Brugler and others have pointed out that he is a unique athlete with exceptional blocking skills. He is a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses with his size and strength. As soon as he is drafted, he will be one of the biggest mismatches on the field. He has a high ceiling and will be drafted based on that expected potential. He is one of the riskiest prospects in the draft class.

Weaknesses

Washington hasn’t had the production you want to see from a prospect, but we have seen an uptick this year. He’s also had to deal with various injuries throughout his short career, which some could point toward his unique size being a factor. He has often taken brutal hits to his lower body, which could impact his injury history. There are also times that he struggles with concentration drops and drops in traffic. He doesn’t separate particularly well, which isn’t a huge deal with his size, but teams will want him to prove he can catch in traffic. Something we haven’t seen him do a ton over the years.

Highlight

Darnell Washington is a cheat code pic.twitter.com/BwkHQu138D

— Footballism™ (@FootbaIIism) September 3, 2022

Washington's Career Stats

TE Sam LaPorta (Sr – Iowa): 6-foot-4, 249 lbs

Projected Draft Capital

3rd Round

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

3rd/4th Round

Strengths

His biggest strength was able to produce in one of the worst offenses in college football. Throughout his career, Iowa’s passing offense was woefully bad. Consistently being the worst team in the Big Ten but LaPorta was able to produce some consistent numbers throughout his career and led the Hawkeyes in most receiving categories. On the field, LaPorta is a solid prospect. He’s a solid route runner and one of the class's best inline prospects. He has reliable hands and was routinely called on in must-win situations throughout his career. He faced double teams throughout his tenure but could still make an impact. He’s a solid blocker and held his own against some of the best defensive prospects he faced in the Big Ten. There is nothing from a technical standpoint that LaPorta doesn't do well.

Weaknesses

LaPorta's areas of concern are his athleticism and ceiling. Many thought he would declare after his junior season, but poor draft grades led him to return. Even though he came back, those concerns scouts had for him last year based on his lack of athleticism weren’t fixed. He's looked fine in the Big Ten but it's hard to project what he'll look like against NFL players at the next level. There is concern that he could be a bit overmatched at that level. LaPorta will be the type of prospect who does everything well, but he may not be the type of fantasy asset that many managers are looking for. His ceiling is capped because of that athleticism, and he seems to be more of a TE2-type prospect.

Highlight

Sam LaPorta led Big 10 TEs last season in...

🥇 Catches (53)
🥇 Yards (670)
🥇 Yards after catch (299)
🥇 Yards after contact (206)
🥇 Catches of 15+ yards (18)pic.twitter.com/wanw3qzxBE

— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 12, 2022

LaPorta's Career Stats

TE Tucker Kraft (Jr – South Dakota State): 6-foot-5, 255 lbs

Projected Draft Capital

4th Round

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

4th Round

Strengths

Kraft is a small school product out of South Dakota State University. His most productive season came in 2021, when he had 65 catches for 770 yards and six touchdowns. That year we got to see his full potential on display. Kraft has a solid frame and is athletic enough to make plays all over the field. He was solid against FCS talent, and you could tell he was a step above the rest in terms of talent. As a receiver, his catch radius and high-point attack stand out on tape. He tracks the ball well and can be a threat after the catch. His blocking is sufficient enough, and his effort is there. He’s technically sound as a run blocker but can get blown back against stronger defenders. He’ll need some time to adjust to the NFL, but the willingness is there.

Weaknesses

Kraft is among the rawest prospects in this class. He’s had one good season of production, but that’s it. He’s dealt with injuries, and that lack of game-time experience is something we need to highlight. That inexperience carries its way over to his hands and technique. His tape is littered with concentration drops. Most of his drops come when he tries to turn up too quickly before securing the ball. He will need time to develop those skills at the next level, and he should be considered a taxi squad asset.

Highlight

Talked about Tucker Kraft (TE - South Dakota St.) as a player I think could emerge onto NFL Draft radars this fall.

- NFL size and athleticism
- very productive as a sophomore (65/773/6 in 2021)
- received NIL offers from major programs

Know the name. pic.twitter.com/yaqzJ9NCig

— Christian Williams (@CWilliamsNFL) June 25, 2022

KRAFT'S CAREER STATS

TE Luke Musgrave (Jr – Oregon State): 6-foot-6, 250 lbs

Projected Draft Capital

2nd/3rd Round

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

Late 2nd Round

Strengths

Every season there is a tight end that I’m higher on than consensus, and this season that player is Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave. Musgrave is the type of player that just works in the NFL. Even though he only played in two games this season, his consensus draft capital in early mocks has him selected in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. He’s a multisport athlete and comes from an NFL family. His Uncle Bill Musgrave played quarterback in the NFL. He is a versatile weapon who reportedly runs a 4.5 forty-yard dash, and his RAS score will be one of the best in this class. He has long speed and can take the top off defenses with his speed. He also creates mismatches with his size and play strength. He can be an inline tight end or a player that operates in the slot. There's no limit on how he will be used at the next level. If he gets drafted into a creative offensive system, he could be a TE1.

Weaknesses

The most glaring weakness is his lack of production. In four season’s Musgrave has only played in eighteen games. This season he was on his way to having the most productive season of his career, but an injury against Fresno State in their second game knocked him out for the season. He did get selected for the Senior Bowl, which will be crucial for his pre-draft testing. If he can test well and show teams his athletic ability, they will most likely excuse the lack of production. Scouts have also noted that he needs to become a more consistent run blocker. However, if you’re looking for a sleeper at the positon, Musgrave is that prospect.

Highlight

Made a couple of Luke Musgrave scouting films for the YT channel this morning. Has good size at 6'6" 250. Athleticism shines with quick acceleration and body control with sticky hands. He's the complete package. Stock up. 🚀🏈Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/3xIoMLre79

— Brandon Lejeune (@DevyDeepDive) November 18, 2022

MUSGRAVE'S CAREER STATS

Other names to know

• TE Luke Schoonmaker (Sr - Michigan): 6-foot-6, 250 lbs
• TE Cameron Latu (Sr - Alabama): 6-foot-5, 244 lbs
• TE Josh Whyle (Sr - Cincinnati): 6-foot-6, 250 lbs
• TE Payne Durham (Sr - Purdue): 6-foot-5, 255 lbs
• TE George Takacs (Sr - Boston College): 6-foot-6, 247 lbs
• TE Will Mallory (Sr - Miami): 6-foot-5, 245 lbs
• TE Zack Kuntz (Jr - Old Dominion): 6-foot-8, 251 lbs
• TE Cade Stover (Sr - Ohio State): 6-foot-4, 255 lbs

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