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There may not be an offensive position on the field where NFL evaluators are more enthused than tight ends in this year's draft. There's more high-end skill and tremendous depth in this category than we have seen in the last few years.
Only one tight end was picked among the first 90 selections in the 2020 NFL Draft. A year later, only two tight ends were taken among the first 80 selections. Tight ends did not get picked until the 55th selection last year. Expect that trend to become a thing of the past in this year's draft, though.
Two of the best TEs in the group are Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid. We will now analyze the pair’s college football stats.
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Michael Mayer scouting report and college football stats
Although he could have received more accurate passes at Notre Dame, Michael Mayer remained a groundbreaking player whom other teams had to plan for regularly.
At Notre Dame, Mayer had a remarkable collegiate tenure. He caught 42 receptions for 450 yards and two scores in his first season, earning Third-Team All-ACC honors. From there, his success was only going to increase.
Mayer ended the 2022 season with 67 catches for 809 yards and nine TDs, after having 71 catches for 840 yards and seven scores as a sophomore. He received Third-Team All-American and Consensus All-American honors in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
He completely destroyed the tight-ends programme record book in just three years. Mayer recorded 140 catches for 1,649 yards and 16 TDs in 2021. He's undoubtedly the class' strongest overall tight end.
Dalton Kincaid scouting report and college football stats
Even ahead of Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers of Georgia, Dalton Kincaid had the best receiving grade (91.8) among all TEs in NCAA football last year.
He had the second-most yards after receiving (479) and the second-best yards per route run (2.44) in the country. He has a huge reception range and the ability to inflict damage after receiving the ball, both of which are now requirements in the NFL for tight ends.
Kincaid received 107 catches for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns in 26 contests over a three-year span. That followed his one season of FCS competition at San Diego, a non-scholarship program.
It might be simpler to claim that Kincaid, irrespective of position, has the best hands in the draft. He has exceptional physical awareness when moving down the field. The 23-year-old frequently crosses the middle and engages in aerial combat to win the ball. He's fearless in collecting passes in traffic.
