NFL Player News

The Falcons selected FitzPatrick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 213th overall.

FitzPatrick (6-foot-7, 262 pounds) played 38 games (13 starts) for Georgia over three seasons but managed to record just 17 receptions for 200 yards and a touchdown. He's an interesting pick for Atlanta, especially if his blocking skills translate to the NFL level. The Falcons aren't very deep at wide receiver, so FitzPatrick may be called upon to handle the inline blocking while fellow tight end Kyle Pitts lines up outside more frequently.

The Steelers selected Heyward in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 208th overall.

Heyward joins older brother Cameron Heyward on the Steelers as Pittsburgh now has four sets of brothers on its roster. The redshirt senior is probably more of a fullback or H-back at the NFL level rather than tight end, where he played at Michigan State. Listed at 5-foot-11, 233 pounds at the NFL Combine, Heyward's 4.72 40-yard dash was about what most expected given his lack of high-end athleticism, but he's a determined player whether he's blocking or catching passes.

The Eagles selected Calcaterra in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 198th overall.

Calcaterra had an interesting route to the NFL. He nearly ended his career after sustaining concussions at Oklahoma and was out of football in 2020. Calcaterra returned to the gridiron at SMU in 2021 and built on the potential he showed when he was in Norman. He caught 38 of 63 targets for 465 yards and four touchdowns in an explosive SMU passing game. Calcaterra (6-foot-4, 241 pounds) ran a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, which projects well for his ability to attack the seam in Philadelphia's offense. He's a worthwhile late-round gamble for the Eagles.

The Colts selected Ogletree in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 192nd overall.

Ogletree becomes the second tight end selected by the Colts over the last two days. The Youngstown State product did run a 4.70 40-yard dash at 260 pounds during his pro day, but he lacks agility and didn't flash the aforementioned straight-end speed on tape. Ogletree, who will be 24 by the start of the 2022 season, likely will be a special teams asset, at best, entering his rookie year.

The Lions selected Mitchell (knee) in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 177th overall.

Mitchell's senior season ended early when he tore his ACL after just two games. The Virginia native showed some promise between his sophomore and junior seasons with 47 receptions, 896 yards and six touchdowns through 23 games (17 starts). While he didn't test in the pre-draft process because of his knee, he utilized his speed well in college, though he's slightly undersized at 6-foot-4, 249 pounds. Mitchell has the versatility to fill an H-back role in the NFL, and Detroit's TE room is wide open behind T.J. Hockenson.

The Texans selected Quitoriano in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 170th overall.

Quitoriano wasn't heavily utilized in the passing game at Oregon State but he was efficient when targeted, catching 40 of 54 career targets for 512 yards and six touchdowns. He has a basketball background and could just be scratching the surface of what he can be on the gridiron. He gives Houston a more conventionally sized option at tight end behind Brevin Jordan.

The Commanders selected Turner in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 149th overall.

Turner broke out as a junior at Nevada when he finished second on the team with 605 receiving yards while tying with Romeo Doubs, who was picked by the Packers in the fourth round, for a team-high nine receiving touchdowns. The former's athleticism is his limiting factor, as his 4.76 40-yard dash is average and his 27-inch vertical is putrid, but he has steady hands and good body control. He'll add depth at tight end for the Commanders as Logan Thomas recovers from a torn ACL. Turner will battle 2021 fourth-round pick John Bates for the No. 2 role if Thomas is healthy for training camp.

The Titans selected Okonkwo in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 143rd overall.

There's not much reason to think he'll be as good of a blocker, but Okonkwo otherwise bears some resemblance to former Titans tight end Jonnu Smith. Both are under 250 pounds, and both jump out for their athleticism. Okonkwo (6-foot-3, 238 pounds) logged a 4.52-second 40 at the combine following his Maryland career, making him one of the league's faster tight ends. He'll push for snaps behind Austin Hooper.

The Ravens selected Likely in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 139th overall.

Earlier in the offseason, there was hope that Likely could emerge as the top tight end in the draft, but the Coastal Carolina product had problematic pre-draft testing that cast doubt over whether his otherwise standout pass-catching skills can translate to the NFL level. Likely was extremely productive in college, with his best campaign coming last year with 59 receptions for 912 yards and 12 touchdowns, but at 6-foot-5, 238 pounds with a 4.83-second pro day 40 he is both skinny and slow by NFL tight end standards. He'll compete with Josh Oliver and fellow 2022 fourth-round pick Charlie Kolar to be Baltimore's third tight end behind Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle.

The Cowboys selected Ferguson in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 129th overall.

Ferguson was immediately productive as a redshirt freshman at Wisconsin, as he recorded 36 receptions for 456 yards and four touchdowns in a run-heavy offense. However, he plateaued and never posted more receiving yards in a season than he did as a freshman. Ferguson measured in at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds and ran a 4.81 40-yard dash, but he showed impressive short-area athleticism with his three-cone drill and broad jump. He'll aim to secure the No. 2 tight end role behind Dalton Schultz in Dallas.