2022 NFL Draft Prospects : Tight Ends

By Dom C.

If there was a pecking order when discussing NFL positions, the tight end would be categorized somewhere between swing tackle and red-headed stepchild.  They are usually underappreciated, underutilized, and often no more than an afterthought.  Now, this is obviously is not the standard operating procedure for all NFL teams.  I’m not talking about what Travis Kelce offers, or Mark Andrews or George Kittle.  The aforementioned are exceptions to the NFL standard – these are players where the offense flows through them.  Historically, there is just not a lot of positional value at tight end, mainly because they are flat out not always schemed in or relied upon as heavily as the other skill positions. 

I’ve added this graph to accentuate how little the positional value the tight end holds in the eyes of NFL executives.

This is the projected franchise and transition tenders for the 2022 season.  The NFL thinks the TE is worth about 50% as much as a WR and holds just a little more than 50% the value of kickers and punters.  

Historically, the Jets’ tight ends have not always been of paramount importance in the offense.  I mean, we have had our share of good seasons from the position.  I remember 1985 when arguably the Jets’ best TE ever, Mickey Shuler caught over 70 balls for almost 900 yards and 7 touchdowns from Kenny O.  Dustin Keller had 65/815/5 in 2011.  Johnny Mitchell’s star shined bright in 1994 as well eclipsing 700 yards and 5 TD’s.  

Fast forward to 2021….and, cue the crickets.  We have Ryan Griffin leading the way with 27/261/2, Tyler Kroft (who in fairness, has only played 7 games due to injury) has a line of 12/139/1, and the always dangerous Trevon Wesco, rostered mainly for his blocking and special teams abilities, has a whopping 3 receptions for 35 yards.  Griffin is under contract for one more year at roughly $3.2 million – but, with no guaranteed money and entering his age-32 season is a long shot to be retained.  Kroft, who was only signed to a 1-year deal this past season, most likely won’t be back either.  That would leave only Wesco (who has 1 year/$1M remaining) and UDFA/current practice squad resident Kenny Yeboah in line for all the targets.  Wesco’s age (27 in 2022) and role as our main H-back/fullback should secure him a roster spot.  The verdict is still out on Yeboah – he did have noticeable college production and has shown enough athletic attributes to justify him getting a chance, but the Jets TE solution clearly cannot be just him.  JD and staff need to bring in some more talent at the position – talent that can help support our franchise QB and hopefully talent that can leave a mark in the annals of Jets TE history next to Mickey, Dustin, and company.  

JD and the NYJ front office have to attack the position and do so with emphasis and vigor.  The 1-year rentals like Tyler Kroft can kick rocks.  If we are truly trying to build a team that can compete and we are trying to provide a supporting cast to aid in the development of our young offensive players, the TE room needs to have depth and weight.  Whether it be through free agency (Mike Gesicki, Daulton Schultz, CJ Uzomah) or through the draft the Jets desperately need to add a couple of solid pieces to the puzzle.  

Let’s take a little bit deeper of a dive at the draft prospects that we may see come April 2022 and (this should prompt GreenBean to start salivating).  After doing my homework and also reading up on what a bevy of true NFL draft gurus believe, there is one thing that has become abundantly clear:  this class – if all the expected underclassmen declare – offers plenty of depth.  Although it may lack the top-end prospects of years past such as Kyle Pitts or TJ Hockenson there is some NFL-caliber talent to be had.  ESPN recently wrote an article that said this may be the deepest TE class in the past 25 years. This all proves to be very beneficial for the Jets – as we have already stated, tight end is one of the many positions that need to be addressed this off-season.    

As always, it will be impossible to touch on all the draft prospects.  The article will cover two higher-rated prospects, a mid-round target and one diamond in the rough late-round player that could come in and impress.  There are names here that you are familiar with and some names you may not be familiar with.  Hell, there are going to be some names not touched on at all that you will see drafted relatively early.  The article is not the Word of God – it is meant solely to be an informative tool that will hopefully entice you to research some of the players yourself and form your own opinions.  That’s what we do.  Enough said, let’s talk tight end…

Trey McBride

Listen, I had zero expectations going into this research.  Truth be told, although I fancy myself pretty astute to the college game and potential NFL prospects, I was really flying blind when it came to tight ends.  Sure, I knew some of the names but really wasn’t educated on the position as a whole.  With certainty, I can tell you that the research on McBride made me a fan.  The 2021 Mackey Award winner given to the nation’s top TE, McBride broke out with 90 receptions and over 1100 yards.  His stats soared in 2021, but the fact is that he developed and progressed year after year at Colorado State.  What really stands out is his ability to flip and transition into a ball carrier after the reception.  After the catch is secured, he instantly turns upfield and always gains positive yards.  He tracks the ball with intention and adjusts well to poorly thrown passes.  Although he played a lot of his snaps in the slot, he will not be branded as just a flex TE at the next level.  He excelled while in-line and at H-back, making McBride arguably the most versatile TE in this class.  Standing at 6’4’’ and weighing 250lbs, Trey offers adequate, but not elite size for the position.  No worries, it does not hurt him when he is in-line.  McBride flat out mauls people as a blocker.  His athletic frame is such that can it probably withstand adding some more muscle if asked to by an NFL team.  Trey is also not one who will be easily tackled by smaller defenders.  If there is any downside to his game, it probably centers around speed.  Being quicker than straight-line fast, he was unofficially clocked at 4.75 in the 40.  Splitting and exploding up the seam a’ la Jimmy Graham won’t be his forte at the next level.  Another noteworthy stat – with all his receptions and yards in 2021, he only scored once in 2021.  Was it a product of the 3-9 Colorado State team or should it be a concern?   I’ve seen a T.J. Hockenson comp for him being thrown around by some writers.  It makes sense to me, but an even better comp may be (gasp) Gronk – with those velvety soft hands and abilities after the catch.  Big shoes to stand in, I know.  McBride should be the 1st tight end off the board in April, more than likely on Day 2 of the draft.  A big showing at the Senior Bowl in Mobile or an impressive NFL Combine could push him up into the late 1st round.  As a Jet fan and now, a big fan of McBride – I pray that doesn’t happen.  The hope is McBride is available and selected with one of the Jets’ two 2^nd round picks.  He’s got Pro-Bowler written all over him.  This probably isn’t groundbreaking news, but McBride is the real deal.

Jaylen Wydermyer

The most recognizable name in this year’s TE draft class is Texas A&M tight end Jaylen Wydermyer.  If you’ve played around with any mock draft simulator (yes, some of us draft nerds do that) you’ve seen him perched either at or right near the top of the TE class.  Top of the class is a fair assessment for the 6’5 ½’’ 255-pound junior.  Wydermyer is a man amongst boys on the football field.  He finished his three-year career at A&M with 118 receptions, almost 1500 yards, and 16 touchdowns.  Keep in mind, these overall statistics were achieved with an extremely run-heavy A&M offensive scheme.  His efficiency as a run blocker played a key role in his team’s success.  He has displayed more than adequate blocking fundamentals for a man of his size, especially for one who physically is just a little on the high-hipped side.  Jaylen has enough coordination to turn and drive his hips and wall off the defender when engaged one-on-one plus, has the ability to use his strength and make his mark on down blocks.  If you want to see what I’m talking about, watch his October 2021 game vs. Alabama, where his blocking was on point.  While his blocking is good and it sufficed at the college level, there is still room for some more development and improvement.   What is noteworthy (and borderline remarkable if you ask me), Wydermyer has only been playing TE for three years – he was a 4-star recruit out of high school as a wide receiver.  Wydermyer’s true tangible assets lie in his ability as a receiver.  Dynamic may best describe his skills:  strong and reliable hands, long arms, a wide catch radius, very crisp route running, and he runs a full route tree.   His size makes him an automatic mismatch against most defenders when he is in the slot or split out wide.  Just like a lot of the larger pass catchers, he uses his body well to box out defenders which makes him an elite red-zone threat.   Saying all this, the truth is he is not a perfect prospect.  As previously stated, he has only been playing tight end for three years, so he is still learning the position and lacks some of the instincts that you would expect to see from a high-level prospect.  Similar to McBride, Jaylen also does not offer elite speed or explosiveness.  For a man his size he is not slow – clocking in the low 4.7’s in the 40, but this lack of top-end speed is the one thing stopping him from hearing his name called in the first round right now.  An improvement in his 40-time at the combine or his pro day could quell some fears the scouts have and push him into the first round.  His game resembles that of Dallas Goedert.  Although he may be a little taller, the overall strengths in their playstyle mirror one another.  Goedert was taken at #49 overall in the 2018 draft – similar to where I think Wydermyer will be taken in 2022.  The talent is evident, but the trajectory for him really develop into a true all-around weapon in the league may take a year or two. 

Josh Whyle

The Bearcats have done it again – producing yet another skilled tight end prospect.  In 2013, some no-namer Travis Kelce was drafted late in the 3^rd round out of Cincinnati.  Suffice to say a handful of years later that selection turned out pretty well.  Although I am not claiming Josh Whyle is the next coming of Travis Kelce it is fair to say that Whyle will hear his name called on draft weekend and will make some GM a very happy man.  Standing 6’6’’ and weighing close to 240 pounds the 21-year-old junior has helped The University of Cincinnati stake a claim for the best team in the nation this season.  With his team still playing in the college playoffs, Whyle has yet to officially declare for the draft – but many expect that to happen shortly after the Bearcats season officially comes to an end.  Whyle defines what a true move tight end is:  lean, athletic, adept pass catcher with hands of glue.  By far, Whyle possesses the best pair of hands of all TE draft prospects.  Consistency as a pass-catcher has been his calling card – he has been assessed only 2 drops all of 2021 after having 0 drops in all of 2020.  He is able to track passes very well and plays with elite in-game awareness – showcasing his ability to find the soft spots in zone coverage and excellent attentiveness of his feet and body position when bounded by the sideline.  He’s not a burner, but his plus athleticism and fluid change of direction allow him to get in and out of breaks easily and gain separation from his defensive opponent.  His size offers mismatches to both to DB’s in the slot or split out on boundary (where he did see a lot of time this season) and to linebackers that try and run of the line with him.  His lanky frame limits the upside he has as a blocker, but the effort is there – he is not afraid to throw his body around and is an aggressive downfield blocker in the mold of Mike Evans.  He doesn’t compare with some of the other TE prospects when discussing overall blocking abilities ad fundamentals, but it won’t be a deterrent come draft day.  Whyle is not your typical in-line tight end.  His game most resembles Evan Engram, but with much better hands and much better ball skills.  As the NFL game evolves and offenses continue to morph and shapeshift, that hybrid or move TE will play a much bigger role.  Right now, Whyle grades out as a mid-round selection.  If JD was to make a move in free agency to bring in your traditional #1 tight end, Whyle could be the perfect complement, coming rather inexpensively in round 4 or round 5.  He would push Kenny Yeboah right from jump street and could offer a reliable safety net for Zach Wilson for many years to come.  With some fine-tuning and more overall development, Whyle will make his mark in the league.  I’m a believer.

Jelani Woods

Jelani Woods could very well be the most underrated prospect in the entire draft.  Why do you say?  Well, he stood in relative obscurity the first three years of his college career.  Playing at Oklahoma State during those years, Woods only managed a grand total of 31 catches for 361 yards.  Very pedestrian you might say.  Agreed, but when the redshirt senior transferred this past year to The University of Virginia, he busted out of that pedestrian mold in a big way.  Woods had 44 catches for 600 yards and 8 touchdowns for Virginia in 2021.  He was named 1^st team all ACC this past season and Woods tied for 4^th in the nation in scoring at the position.  Standing 6’6’’ and weighing 265 pounds, Woods is an imposing figure on the field.  Known for his blocking prowess, Woods handles defensive ends lined up against him with what almost looks like sheer ease.  His strong lower half and the use of excellent technique allow him to dominate at the point of attack.  He has a very high football IQ, stemming from his “former” football life – Woods was a highly recruited quarterback coming out of high school.  Another prospect who is relatively new to the position, Woods uses that sharp football intellect to help him settle into the proper spots to beat zone coverage or to peel off a block and head to the 2^nd level.  One thing that we all know is that you can’t teach size and Woods has plenty of that.  He’s a true in-line tight end that is developing into a more multi-faceted role.  He’s not going to wow you with ridiculous SPARC scores in athleticism and he is not going to burn by your DB on a streak, but with some good coaching, Woods is going to make an impact in the NFL.  Woods’s ideal fit is as a 2nd TE for a run-heavy scheme – somewhere he doesn’t have to be the focal point of the offense right away and can learn the nuances of the tight end position – maybe a scheme like Baltimore or Seattle.  He’d pair very well on the Jets with a Wydermyer if JD chose to double-dip at the position or with a free agent acquisition like Zach Ertz.  He’s already turning the scout’s heads; I promise you won’t forget the name of this late-round darling.

There is no question that the Jets need to put some emphasis on bringing in some talent at tight end.  It is hard to gauge how JD truly values the position.  So far, the best he’s done is Tyler freakin’ Kroft and the unknown UDFA Kenny Yeboah.  That is just not good enough.  Our OC had a pretty good tight end in Kittle back in San Francisco who was schemed in weekly as a focal point – why can’t that happen in our offense too?  Time will tell, but with the TE class of 2022 one thing is sure – the future is bright.

Oh, how dark it was before the dawn!

Let go Jets.

This page is an opportunity for amateur commentators to share their views. These are not necessarily the views of GreenBean, himself.

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