Coming into the offseason, tight end seemed like it was going to be a major need for the Patriots. Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, and Pharaoh Brown were all pending free agents who hardly seemed like guarantees to return. The only player the team had under contract at the position was La’Michael Pettway, who was signed to the practice squad in late December and only added to the active roster for the final week of the regular season.
However, the Patriots made a point of addressing the immediate needs at the position in free agency. Henry was retained on a long-term deal, with Austin Hooper – who played under new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland – was signed to a one-year contract to be his backup.
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So where does that lead the Patriots heading into the draft? While finding an upgrade over Hooper may allow them to run more ’12’ personnel, adding such a player in this draft would mean using a premium pick. Only two players are viewed as top-100 locks, with one of those players expected to go in the top 10.
At the same time, there are room for additions. Henry and Hooper are both primarily receiving tight ends, so adding a player to the room who can contribute mainly as a blocker would make sense (especially since most of those players will go later on Day 3). A project player who could be more of a developmental option with an eye on 2025 and beyond wouldn’t be a bad pick either.
That all being said, who are the names to know in this year’s class? Let’s get to it…
Brock Bowers
AUBURN, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 30: Brock Bowers #19 of the Georgia Bulldogs breaks a tackle by Zion Puckett #10 and D.J. James #4 of the Auburn Tigers on the way to the go-ahead touchdown during the fourth quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Again, there is a clear top of this tight end class which is two players deep. The first is Georgia’s Brock Bowers. The latest ‘generational’ tight end prospect, Bowers was Georgia’s top receiving threat over the past three years beginning as a true freshman. In 40 career games he caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns.
While Bowers isn’t quite as big as some other elite tight end prospects (6-foot3, 243 pounds) he’s not exactly undersized either. His athleticism and body control at his size are still a rare combination, which make him as much of a finesse player as one who will simply overpower opponents – as most tight ends do. In some ways, he’s more like a big (massive) slot receiver, but certainly isn’t out of place lining up inline.
Bowers will most likely be a top-10 pick, which means the Patriots would need to invest their third overall pick to select him. That could mean taking him outright, or trading down and getting him later in the top 10.
Ja’Tavion Sanders
Oct 28, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (0) makes a catch over Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Graham Gillespie (38) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
The other top tight end is Ja’Tavion Sanders from Texas, who projects as a top-50 pick who could sneak his way into the first round. As one of many explosive players in Texas’ offense (check out our wide receiver preview for more on those other guys) he didn’t have as much of a target share as some other top tight ends in recent years but still caught 45 passes for 682 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
Sanders is a matchup problem at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds with plus athleticism. His Combine testing was good-not-great, but he looks to be very explosive on tape. He excels at making plays in traffic over the middle, and will use defenses’ knowledge of that to set up vertical routes off of his underneath stuff.
Fringe top-100 tight ends
Nov 11, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Cade Stover (8) catches the football as Michigan State Spartans linebacker Cal Haladay (27) makes the tackle during the first quarter at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Bowers and Sanders represent the top of the class, and very well may be the only tight ends to be selected over the first two days. The next group could have one or two players sneak into the late third round, or go early on Day 3. Most of them (like most of the remaining tight ends in this draft) come out of the Big 10.
The top tight end in this group is Cade Stover from Ohio State. Stover is a converted defensive end/outside linebacker who just started playing tight end two years ago. He’s caught on quick, with 41 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns last year. At 6-foot-4, 247 pounds he has the size to be a factor in-line, and his experience as a defensive lineman shows up in his nuance as a blocker. His game needs to still round out technically, but he’s on the right track.
Theo Johnson from Penn State – or Tight End U – is another traditional in-line tight end. He’s more polished than Stover, but doesn’t have the athleticism to reach the same upside. Still, he’s a solid middle of the field, short and intermediate receiver and is big and strong enough (6-foot-6, 259 pounds) that he’s not a liability as a blocker either.
There are also two hybrid tight ends in this range. Ben Sinnott of Kansas State is built like a traditional ‘Y’ tight end at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds but lined up plenty in the slot and in the backfield as a fullback for the Wildcats. His play style is more like a ‘move’ tight end despite his size – he is formational versatile, more of a threat after the catch, and is better as a detached blocker (blocking from the slot or backfield) than he is from a traditional three-point stance on the line of scrimmage.
The true tweener though is Jaheim Bell from Florida State. While Sinnott is more of a tight end/fullback hybrid that has become more common in the NFL, Bell is a tight end/slot receiver. His snaps last year were distributed almost evenly, 212 inline compared to 181 in the slot. At 6-foot-2, 241 pounds some teams may just classify him as an outright gadget player. He’s at his best in the middle of the field and can be truly dangerous when he is in motion, which allows him to get open easier when his routes aren’t as detailed.
Mid-Day 3 tight ends
CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 12: Tip Reiman #89 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs the ball during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
We’ll stay in the Big Ten to start here and highlight the one tight end that may make the most sense of any for the Patriots in this draft – Tip Reiman of Illinois. If the Patriots want to round out their tight end room for this year without making a major investment, Reiman checks all the boxes. At 6-foot-5, 271 pounds he’s a plus blocker. At the same time, his Combine speed and agility testing (4.64-second 40, 7.02 3-cone, 4.26 shuttle) suggest he has enough athleticism to not be a total liability when out in a pattern. That’s the exact kind of player the Patriots’ tight end room could use.
Jared Wiley is a more well-rounded ‘Y’ tight end, who is technically sound as a receiver and blocker but seems maxed-out in terms of his athletic ability. He’s an option for any team looking for a solid second or third tight end.
Colorado State’s Dallin Holker is the ‘move’ tight end in this range, and is a lot of ways is like a small-school version of Jaheim Bell. He played over 100 snaps inline, in the slot, and out wide last year. In the NFL he’ll primarily be an underneath pass-catcher, but will be a handful when he gets into the open field.
Late Day 3 tight ends
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 30: Tight end Erick All #83 of the Iowa Hawkeyes breaks a tackle on a touchdown run during the first half against linebacker Jordan Hall #5 of the Michigan State Spartans at Kinnick Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
For teams that put elevated stock into tape beyond the previous season, Erick All from Iowa will be an interesting evaluation. After a big season for Michigan in 2021 he was seen as a potential top-100 pick. He went back to school in 2022 but sustained a back injury early in the season that limited him to just three games, then last year went to Iowa where the general offensive sluggishness impacted his ability to produce. But, if a team is intrigued by his 2021 tape, he represents tremendous value.
Staying in the Big Ten, Brevyn Spann-Ford from Minnesota is build like a big mauling tight end at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds but is a better pass catcher than blocker. He has an impressive catch radius with his size, but needs to be more consistent hauling the ball in. Because of how big he is he should have upside as a blocker, but he’ll need to be coached up in that regard.
The real blocking tight end in this range is A.J. Barner from Michigan. He was crucial to the Wolverines’ run-heavy offense in 2023, and those blocking skills should translate to the NFL at 6-foot-6, 251 pounds. However, his upside as a pass-catcher is limited.
Tanner McLachlan of Arizona is a potential special teamer and true project player that could also go in this range.
UDFAs
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 28: Devin Culp #83 of the Washington Huskies catches a touchdown pass against the Stanford Cardinal in the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
While this tight end class isn’t very strong at the top, it is balanced. There’s not much of a gap between the late Day 3 tight ends and the top group of projected UDFAs. Given where the Patriots stand at the position, an undrafted rookie could make sense. Players that stand out as Patriots fits that aren’t expected to be drafted are Devin Culp of Washington, Trey Knox of South Carolina, Mason Fairchild of Kansas, Isaac Rex of BYU, and McCallan Castles of Tennessee. All are traditional ‘Y’ tight ends.
