NFL fantasy diamonds for 2022 - Tight-ends

The NFL pre-season is well under way for all 32 teams and it's time to think about the fantasy draft. I wanted to give you some of my favorite targets in drafts at every position (other than kicker).

So just for reference – I primarily play in half-PPR leagues, with one quarterback. If you play Superflex, the whole strategy changes. And thinking of the best ball formats, you may be looking at players known for major spike weeks over guys with more consistent production.

I tried to offer names from both categories because I believe in building rosters that way in re-draft formats.

Let's have a look at the tight ends.

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears tight-end Cole Knet

Ask any average NFL fan and they probably don't even know who Cole Kmet is. Some that know him aren't aware that he was top-12 in targets, catches and receiving yards among tight-ends last NFL season.

The 2020 second-round pick by the Bears basically doubled his personal numbers from rookie to sophomore campaign, while his snap percentage shot up from 56 to 83%. His per-game numbers surpassed Allen Robinson in the Chicago Bears' offense.

So why the hell was he only TE21 in half-PPR formats? In one of the weirdest statistical anomalies I can remember, Kmet didn't score a single touchdown on any of his 60 receptions. That's nearly impossible. The Bears’ three other guys at the position in Jimmy Graham, Jesse James and Jesper Horsted had six touchdowns on 34 combined targets (combined to Kmet's 91). None of them are on the team any longer.

As I mentioned when I broke him down in detail as a breakout candidate for 2022, I’m expecting another jump in production and awareness, at least in the fantasy community. Not only did Chicago finish 29th in the NFL with only 16 touchdowns through the air, but adding to the 12 red-zone targets Kmet saw (of which he caught half, just not for touchdowns), there are another ten now available with the departure of Jimmy Graham alone. Luke Getsy coming over as their new offensive coordinator brings in a TD-friendly Packers offense for tight ends.

Projecting what this system will look like schematically, there are typically a lot of yards after catch opportunities for that position. By slipping underneath or working over linebackers as the counterpunch to the wide zone run game, where Kmet brings the force to run through defenders trying to corral him.

Looking at where Kmet and now second-year quarterback Justin Fields excelled at last NFL season, they are a beautiful match (and this is once again is from that write-up, that hopefully by now you've already pulled up on another tab). Kmet had a 94.8 receiving grade on medium depth targets (10-19 yards downfield), while Fields had a medium passing depth grade of 78.1. Fields was one of the most aggressive passers when it came to average depth of target.

And finally, just look at who else is on this roster – Darnell Mooney is the clear WR1 for them, and I expect his numbers to continue to rise. Allen Robinson is now in Los Angeles. After Mooney, you're looking at Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, third-round pick Velus Jones and a bunch of uninspiring names. Give me Kmet as a low-tier TE1 at the price of a mid-tier TE2 all day long, especially with Chicago facing the easiest schedule for tight-ends based on average points allowed to the position by their opponents, according to FantasyPros.

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars tight-end Evan Engram

I understand why a lot of New York Giants fans have been frustrated by Evan Engram because of several ugly drops in high-leverage moments and just some of the inconsistencies we've seen. But let's be real here - before this past season, he averaged 50 yards per game and in tight-end land that's pretty high up there. For some perspective, only seven guys in that position crossed that mark last NFL season.

This was while playing for a New York offense that finished 31st in points scored in three of his five seasons in the NFL. Along with 16th and 18th in the two other years, catching passes from a broken-down Eli Manning and a highly inconsistent Daniel Jones, with very underwhelming coaching staffs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finished the 2021 NFL season dead-last in scoring and their QB tied for a league-high in interceptions thrown. So it may not look a whole lot better on the surface, but let's not act like those numbers can be taken seriously. They were playing for a coach who literally might go down as one of the worst hires in NFL history for what he did on and off the field.

There's a reason Trevor Lawrence was the number one overall pick in last year's draft and was penciled in for that spot for a good two years basically. The talent is off the charts and he will be so much better, just by having solutions conceptually, better weapons around him and some structure in the team.

However, as much as this coaching staff will do for their young signal-caller, Doug Pederson's track record for the TE position should encourage people. Between 2016-2020 his Philadelphia Eagles were number one in the NFL in targets, catches & first downs picked up by tight-ends, along with third in touchdowns.

I’ve already talked some about what the Jaguars offense may look like in 2022, but one area I haven't mentioned is how much Pederson and company used their tight-ends as coverage indicators back in Philly. They would routinely split them out wide to see who would shadow them and create cleaner looks. Engram has that skill-set to win on the perimeter, along with being an obvious mismatch athletically against almost any linebacker in the NFL.

This should be a much more open passing attack for Jacksonville, with the skill-players they've brought in. While none of them may be super-high volume targets. Dan Arnold did have success for them with 324 yards in eight games. But it's more encouraging to project how productive Engram could be, because this regime specifically targeted him and gave him nine million fully guaranteed in a prove-it year. The 2021 Jaguars finished 29th in offensive plays run in the NFL. All five offenses under Pederson as head coach have finished top-eight for pace.

I believe it's all right there for him and he has a chance to put up career-highs, which would make him a legitimate starting option on a weekly basis. You could potentially completely disregard tight end until the end of your drafts.

Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals tight-end Hayden Hurst

Back in 2020 I said if you take one guy away from this kind of list, it was Hayden Hurst. That was after being traded to Atlanta for a second-round pick going to Baltimore.

And considering he was the TE13 based on ADP and ended up finishing top-10 in half- and full-PPR formats, that was still a pretty good call. He didn't quite live up to expectations and his numbers significantly dropped off in the 2021 NFL season, with Atlanta selecting a unicorn in the position in Kyle Pitts.

Landing in his third team in five years doesn't look great on his resume. But he presents an undervalued asset based on opportunities and the type of offense he's a part of.

The 2021 Cincinnati Bengals finished seventh in the NFL in terms of yards and touchdowns through the air. Their top tight end, C.J. Uzomah, signed a free agency deal with the New York Jets this offseason. He finished just seven yards short of 500 and scored five TDs on 63 targets in the 2021 NFL Campaign.

That was good for 15th to 17th at the position depending on the format, yet Hurst is going as the TE24 right now. I'd argue he's a more talented player in terms of his route-running, his plucky hands and the physicality he shows after the catch. We saw Uzomah feature more heavily down the stretch and particularly in the playoffs.

From what I can tell, the concern is whether Hurst will definitely be the starter in 11 personnel for the Bengals. But considering how dramatically Drew Sample's production decreased last season, as more of a designated blocking option, I don't really have any doubt who will be the beneficiary in this situation. There's three elite/really good receivers around him and a lot of opportunities to take advantage of that space created.

I believe with how Joe Burrow has already carried this team to nearly win it all, we continue to see the offense be put more in his hands. Some of those ugly run tendencies on early downs and in 12 personnel will disappear, creating more opportunities. And with defenses scared like crap having to take away Ja’Marr Chase deep, we could see Hurst have a lot more room underneath or down the seams if the safety has to shade to the outside.

I'm not saying rely on this guy to be your starter, but in two-TE leagues, in deep formats or just as a waiver target, don't overlook his name.

If you enjoyed this breakdown, check out the full video and feel free to head over to halilsrealfootballtalk.com for more of my work!