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As the tight end position becomes more important in the NFL, the number of prospects selected in the draft at the position continues to skyrocket. Nine tight ends were selected over the initial two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, the largest number in the history of the event.
Looking towards next year, the position does not hold the same depth, yet the talent at the top is significantly better.
Brock Bowers is a pass catcher who is well-hyped in the scouting community and a player the NFL has been looking forward to the past three years. The Georgia product plays the tight end position like a 230-plus pound receiver, making receptions down the field or coming away with the ball in the middle of a crowd. He’s also not a bad blocker. Bowers projects as a top-10 prospect on my board.
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Ja'Tavion Sanders of Texas is slightly bigger than Bowers and just as athletic, though he’s not as polished as the higher-rated tight end. He’s a consistent playmaker who needs to develop his game, but he comes with big-time potential for the next level.
The son of a former NFL receiver, Oronde Gadsden II moved from receiver to tight end in 2022 and dominated the action. He was a dynamic pass catcher for the Orangemen and a big-play threat at the position. I say “was” as Gadsen suffered a Lisfranc injury two games into the 2023 season and was lost for the year. He’s more of a big possession receiver than a true tight end, and in my opinion, Gadsen would be best served returning to SU in 2024 rather than entering the draft.
Florida State receiver Johnny Wilson is someone I project to tight end at the next level. Wilson is a big-bodied college wideout who measures 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds. He also possesses the speed and quickness of someone that large, which is more like a tight end than what you want from a Sunday receiver. The transition to a new position may take a bit of time, yet Wilson has the ability to initially line up in the slot or off the line of scrimmage in the NFL.
Erick All was highly rated by scouts last season when he suited up for Michigan, but he suffered a back injury and was limited to just three games. He followed former Wolverines quarterback Cade McNamara to Iowa and has played well in the early going. All is a solid athlete who reportedly runs the 40 in 4.65 seconds at 255 pounds and catches the ball extremely well. Predraft medical examinations on his back are critical.
Often overlooked, Corey Dyches is a dynamic playmaker at the tight end position and a could well end up a top-60 selection. At this point, I grade Dyches higher than former Maryland tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, a fourth-round pick in 2021 who is presently starting for the Tennessee Titans. Dyches is incredibly athletic and, like Okonkwo, undersized, and he’s more of a move tight end than a traditional player at the position.
2024 NFL Draft TE prospects ranked
