TE Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft)

Below is a quick blurb about each Tight End I have scouted for the 2022 NFL Draft. The order/rankings may change before draft day, but it will be updated. Come back here when your team drafts or signs a TE who you don’t know! Feel free to send me feedback @ShanePHallam and let me know who your favorite WR is.

 

Trey McBride is my TE1. Excellent body control and able to catch the ball in any spot. Solid blocker who uses leg drive to win. Fast up the seam, but won’t make defenders miss. May never be a truly dominant weapon. 

 

Jelani Woods is my TE2. Elite size and athlete who is a very good blocker. Functional strength, can win contested catches. Should be better than he is after the catch. Inconsistent routes and still getting a feel for how to use his tools. 

 

Greg Dulcich is my TE3. Great stick TE who can settle down in a zone and find a weakness. Nice catch radius with soft hands. Has a little juice after the catch. Won’t add much blocking and can’t always beat athletic LBs in man. 

 

Charlie Kolar is my TE4. Two-way TE who is an excellent blocker and used as such. Red zone target with soft hands who is athletic out of cuts. Inconsistent production due to scheme. Better testing than on the field.

 

Isaiah Likely is my TE5. Excellent pass catching TE who is a great seam weapon. Good natural receiving ability. Good angles after the catch. Willing blocker, but can improve. Testing times were below average.  

 

Jeremy Ruckert is my TE6. Good hand placement blocker with upper body strength. Good red zone threat with leaping ability. Average athlete who didn’t have a ton of receiving work/production. May be better pro than college TE. 

 

Cade Otton is my TE7. Solid athlete who is explosive off the line. Good cuts to get open and make easy catches. Solid blocker who can chip and handle LBs. Good at everything, great at nothing. May struggle vs. NFL coverage. Medical concerns.

 

Cole Turner is my TE8. Utilized system for major production. Natural hands catcher with good extension. Elite red zone threat. Not a plus athlete. Won’t add a blocking threat. Can catch into his body at times and the ball jars loose. Won’t give much after catch. 

 

Grant Calcaterra is my TE9. Great pass catching instincts. Good route runner who understands zone coverage. Cutting Plays smaller than he is. Wasn’t asked to block much. Major medical concerns. 

 

Daniel Bellinger is my TE10. Used as a blocker in college who gets good leverage and a nice pop. Got separation when running routes in college. Underutilized. Great timed athletic ability that wasn’t on display much. Major unknowns as pass catching threat.  

 

Jalen Wydermyer is my TE11. Top notch freshman season. Good seam route runner who can get physical after the catch and gain extra yardage. Willing blocker with some plus blocks. Timed athleticism was awful. Effort hot/cold. Got worse over career. 

 

James Mitchell is my TE12. Athletic TE who has dealt with injury issues. Good body control to make tough passes. Can break tackles. High cut blocker and route runner. Best fit as a number 2 pass catching TE at the next level.

 

Jake Ferguson is my TE13. Solid willing blocker who gets inconsistent leverage. Good Football IQ to get open vs. zone. Decent athlete. Catches into his body often. Won’t give much after the catch. Classic #2 TE.

 

Chioziem Okonkwo is my TE14. More WR than TE. Very athletic movement with good lean in and out of routes. Doesn’t waste much movement. Won’t block at all. Runs toward defenders too much after the catch. Raw athlete with upside.

 

Connor Heyward is my TE15. H-Back type who can run short yardage, pass protect, and catch in the red zone. Tough and runs through contact. Experienced and strong lower body. Not a plus athlete and will only fit certain schemes.

 

Jeremiah Hall is my TE16. FB who showed some good rushing ability at times. Good check down target and has a nose for the end zone. Good blocker who packs a punch in lead blocking for the run. Can get caught off balance in pass protection and athletically can lag behind. 

 

Austin Allen is my TE17. Massive size with good upper-body strength. Good athlete too and can win match-ups against LBs. Awkward pass catcher who needs to learn more nuances of receiving. High upside potential.   

 

Chase Allen is my TE18. Long arms and balanced blocker. Good catch radius and decent technique to see the ball in. Not overly explosive and can be sluggish off the line, but a nice reserve contributor.    

 

Lucas Krull is my TE19. Athletic red zone target who broke out this past season. Good leaping ability and can get physical when defended. Raw in ball tracking and catching technique. Can et thrown off balance blocking. Developmental with upside.   

 

Andrew Ogltetree is my TE20. Big athlete with massive catch radius. Raw route runner who uses his natural talents to win. Dominant at level of competition. Didn’t block too much. Won’t fake defenders out much. Technique needs work.

 

Peyton Hendershot is my TE21. Good pass catcher with natural extension. Productive throughout career. Footwork in routes is solid. Won’t wow with athleticism in space and doesn’t add much after the catch. Okay blocker at best.

 

Derrick Deese Jr. is my TE22. Productive hands catcher who has a nice radius. Good balance after the catch to break some tackles. Not the fastest or strongest and won’t do much blocking. Could be a back-up pass catching TE. 

 

Armani Rogers is my TE23. Played QB. Elite athlete with some physical tools to work with in converting to TE. Ran some routes and looked natural at Combine. Big upside, but he will take some time to make a roster and fully develop into the position.

 

Curtis Hudges is my TE24. Great size and a good drive blocker in the run game. Gets physical off the line and flashes contested catching.  Not a natural hands catcher and is sluggish getting up to speed after the catch.

 

Teagan Quitoriano is my TE25. Good length leads to solid run blocking, getting to the second level often. Has some burst after the catch but often lacks focus in catching. Tries to do too much and leaves free yardage. Rarely separates. 

 

Nick Muse is my TE26. Good athlete with functional strength. Has wiggle after the catch to make defenders miss. Won’t overwhelm as a blocker or in routes. Lacks awareness of open zone holes.  Medical concerns.

 

Gerrit Prince is my TE27. Red zone receiving threat who can run over smaller defenders. Showed good footwork and technique. Not much of a blocker.  Small and slow prospect who may not have upside in the NFL. 

 

Sean Dykes is my TE28. More H-Back than TE. Won’t block much, but was used as a short yardage wideout who moves well after the catch. Strong upper body stiff arm. Not overly athletic and will struggle to separate in the NFL. Won’t be a runner.

 

Ko Kieft is my TE29. Plus blocker who can seal the edge. Another OL, but a poor receiver who is unathletic and slow getting off the line. Reserve player for goal line packages. 

 

Jake Tonges is my TE30. Slight frame, but he moves well in space. Has decent range Catching technique is sloppy and can lead to drops. Plays high when trying to block. Some developmental tools to work with.   

 

Joshua Babicz is my TE31. Good size and movement skills. Accelerates off the line quickly with good cuts. Inconsistent in hand placement when blocking and can lose leverage. Can misjudge passes. Lots of upside.  

 

Cade Brewer is my TE32. Good technician with footwork and using physicality to gain an advantage. Good hands catcher. Small and slow. Struggles to gain separation using his speed. May be limited to end of the roster type. 

 

Trae Berry is my TE33. WR playing TE. Good at reaching out and plucking balls off the ground. Good bender into routes but goes down easily after the catch. Minus blocker who often hurts more than helps. Medical concerns. 

 

Travis Koontz is my TE34. Good build with strong upper body. Can get blocking leverage when asked. Decent feet in routes. Not very athletic and rarely gets clean break from defenders. Inconsistent hands. 

 

Brandon Chapman is my TE35. Good size and bulk. Has a lower leg drive in run blocking. Gets beat by athletic defenders often. Won’t add much catching the ball or making big plays. On the fringe as an NFL prospect.  

 

Leroy Watson is my TE36. Big blocker who can create some holes in the run game. Good in pass pro if he gets his hands on you. An OL extension who won’t add much catching the football.

 

Jordan Myers is my TE37. FB who could play some RB too. Played a hybrid role out of the backfield and showed some tough inside running this season. Willing blocker. Not a great athlete. Will need development.

 

Sterling Palmer is my TE38. Blocking TE who is a poor athlete. Good hand placement and leverage. Quicksand feet can lead to dips around him. Often falls down after any receptions.  

 

Zaire Mitchell-Paden is my TE39. Good bulk and a hands catcher who flashes pass catching upside. Not very quick and gets off the line slowly. Had a few good games and could have practice squad upside.   

 

Braden Galloway is my TE40. Had a very successful 2020, but fell off. Good hands catcher and can punish after the catch. Looked to slow down this season. Injury concerns.

 

Joey Kenny is my TE41. Short but bulky and muscular. Has good upper body strength. Inconsistent in his route running and footwork. Doesn’t dominate at FCS level. Some potential is there.

 

Roger Carter is my TE42. Decent size and speed. More H-Back than pure blocker who can box out in red zone. One trick pony who can catch in the flat. Specialty only.

 

Jamal Pettigrew is my TE43. Tall with long arms and good catching range. Caught plenty off mark passes. Lacks awareness on the field to get open. Seems to prefer contested catches. Blocking is average at best.  

 

Daniel Imatorbhebhe is my TE44. Pass catcher only who has dealt with many injury issues. Injuries have knocked down athletic ability. Not much of a blocker. Upside has been capped.

 

John Mitchell is my TE45. Receiving threat who often gets dominated physically. Catching technique below average and can drop passes. Needs to clean up technique and not a superior athlete.

 

John Howland is my TE46. Was on a separate level in the Ivy League. Good build and a solid blocker. Pass catching may not translate to the NFL however without the athletic requirements. Intriguing developmental prospect.  

 

Justin Kasuboski is my TE47. Not overly fast or athletic, but has a strong upper body to push defenders around. Didn’t gain separation at all and is a minus receiver. Big jump to the NFL.

 

Isaac Schley is my TE48. Gets low in and out of routes. Good short yardage weapon who turns up field quickly. Gets run down by LBs fairly easily. Won’t add a ton in pass or run blocking. 

 

Blake Kern is my TE49. Blocker only who is good at becoming a lead blocker in the run game. Footwork is often sluggish in routes and doesn’t have the agility to consistently win in pass pro.

 

Jordan Wilson is my TE50. Powerful upper body with a good catch radius. Underutilized, but flashed some developmental tendencies. Below average at most aspects.   

 

Dylan Parham is my TE51. Good size and soft hands on stick routes. Body stiffens up when changing direction. Not a natural mover. 

 

Jovani Haskins is my TE52. Underrated athlete who flashes good football IQ. Leans into blocks too much and gets caught off balance. Could develop at bottom of roster pass catching role. 

 

Erik Krommenhoek is my TE53. Decent mover who never got much opportunity. Red zone threat who can track the back of the end zone. Blocking below average.

 

Thomas Odukoya is my TE54. Subpar athlete who didn’t achieve much against MAC defenses. Willing blocker, but raw tools in technique.

 

Ben Beise is my TE55. Very good athlete who has natural movement ability. Doesn’t know how to use his tools to consistently win. Raw lump of clay who could develop.

 

Garrett Owens is my TE56. Good athleticism off the snap. More WR than TE. Catches against his body too much and feet are messy. Some potential is there. 

See the rest of the position notes here

 

See Player Comps here

 

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