NFL Player News

The Buccaneers selected Durham in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 171st overall.

Durham (6-foot-6, 253 pounds) lacks speed (4.87-second 40), but the Purdue product was a surprisingly productive pass catcher for a tight end who would normally profile as more of a blocker. While Durham is probably too slow to threaten the seam, the fact that he caught 101 passes over the last two years seems to indicate that he has some ability as a pass catcher, if only underneath. Unfortunately for Durham's fantasy prospects, he's unlikely to prove as good of a pass catcher at any point as incumbent starter Cade Otton.

The Colts selected Mallory in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 162nd overall.

Indianapolis already has one of the more crowded tight end rooms in the NFL and it gets even more so with the addition of Mallory out of Miami (FL). That said, Mallory is a different type of tight end than most of the other options in Indianapolis; he's on the smaller side (6-4, 239) in terms of frame but he was a solid producer in college with 14 career touchdowns and 115 receptions. Mallory also turned in a solid combine (4.54 40, 36-inch vertical). It's unclear how exactly Indianapolis will use him because he won't help much as a blocker, but perhaps he could earn reps as a big slot option.

The Titans selected Whyle in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 147th overall.

Whyle (6-foot-7, 248 pounds) could be a little slight with too poor of reach (31 and 1/2-inch arms) to hold up well as a three-down tight end, but he might be able to overcome his narrow frame thanks to his plus athleticism. The Cincinnati product ran a 4.69-second 40 at the combine and showed the ability to be a high-efficiency receiver on modest target volume, though his efficiency fell off a cliff when his target rate jumped in 2022 (8.1 YPT on 41 targets in 2021 down to 5.9 YPT on 55 targets in 2022). That should be fine in Tennessee, where it's unlikely that they'd need to depend on him as a frequent target, but if so it's just another reason why Whyle's fantasy upside is likely capped in Tennessee.

Ferguson could face competition for targets this season from second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker.

A fourth-round pick in 2022, Ferguson flashed some upside as a receiving option last year when Dalton Schultz was out of the lineup, and he ascended to the top of the depth chart at tight end when Schultz signed with the Texans. Schoonmaker is even more of an athletic specimen than Ferguson, but the newcomer to the roster is still a developmental project with raw receiving skills after mostly playing quarterback in high school. Given his head start in establishing chemistry with Dak Prescott, Ferguson still figures to be the Cowboys' top option at tight end in 2023, with Peyton Hendershot also figuring into the mix behind him alongside Schoonmaker.

The 49ers selected Latu in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 101st overall.

Latu becomes the ninth tight end selected in the first two days of this year's draft. The Alabama product is a solid receiver that recorded 56 receptions for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons as a starter. He brings physicality to the position as well, as he's a converted linebacker. Latu disappointed with his athletic testing at Alabama's Pro Day (4.78 40 at 246 pounds), which is a concern for his transition to the next level. There's also the issue of George Kittle having an unquestioned grip on the No. 1 job. If nothing else, Latu will challenge Charlie Woerner for snaps when San Francisco goes with two-tight end sets.

The Steelers selected Washington (undisclosed) in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 93rd overall.

There simply aren't many football players like Washington. At 6-foot-7 and 264 pounds, Washington wowed at the combine by running a 4.64 in the 40 and clocking impressive agility scores. His production may not jump off the page from his time at Georgia, as he recorded just 45 receptions for 774 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons, but there's reason to believe he's just scratching the surface of that element of his game. While he develops as a pass catcher, Washington can still be a factor for the Steelers. He uses his size to his advantage and is essentially an extra tackle attached to the offensive line. He can maul people in the run game as a blocker. Pat Freiermuth is the top pass-catching option at tight end for Pittsburgh, so it may be awhile yet before Washington starts producing for fantasy purposes. It's also worth noting that Washington was considered a second-round prospect based on talent, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that his slide to the late third was due to concerns over medicals.

The Packers selected Kraft in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 78th overall.

Kraft is a plus athlete out of South Dakota State with a true in-line frame, but this is an odd selection for a Packers organization that took fellow tight end Luke Musgrave in the second round. The Packers made only occasional use of Robert Tonyan, who was a capable pass catcher, while he was on the roster. Perhaps coach Matt LaFleur envisions using two-tight-end sets much more frequently, but until then, Kraft and Musgrave might be locked into a zero-sum competition for snaps.

The Jaguars selected Strange in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 61st overall.

Evan Engram is coming off a career year, but Jacksonville needed a tight end that offers more as a blocker and Strange can provide that to an extent. The Penn State product checks in at 6-foot-3 and 253 pounds with 4.7 speed and impressive leaping ability for a tight end. He caught 32 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns as a senior and showed some natural ability in that regard that could translate to the next level. It may take time for him to find a fantasy-relevant role in Jacksonville, however.

The Cowboys selected Schoonmaker in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 58th overall.

Schoonmaker is athletic (4.63-second 40-yard dash, 127-inch broad jump) and has a viable in-line tight end frame (6-foot-5, 251 pounds), but the Michigan product doesn't project as a fantasy standout in the NFL. Schoonmaker turns 25 in September, and he struggled as a pass catcher for Michigan prior to last season. Schoonmaker's 418 yards and three touchdowns on 48 targets (8.7 YPT) in 2022 might mark a pivot point in his development, which may have been stunted by playing mostly quarterback in high school. Though more toolsy than Cowboys incumbents Jake Ferguson or Peyton Hendershot, Schoonmaker isn't necessarily more skilled.

The Packers selected Musgrave in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 42nd overall.

Musgrave (6-foot-6, 253 pounds) has prototypical size for a starting tight end and boasts plus athleticism on that frame, logging a 4.61-second 40-yard dash and 125-inch broad jump out of Oregon State. Musgrave's athletic testing and frame make him a credible seam threat, especially on play-action calls. The question with Musgrave is to what degree his skill set can develop -- a player as athletic as him should have caught more passes at Oregon State, but Musgrave finished his college career with just 47 receptions in 20 games over four years. However, given the state of the position for the Packers, he seemingly still stands a good chance of emerging as Green Bay's starting tight end in the near future.