NFL Combine Review: Tight Ends

With the NFL Combine now complete, dynasty fantasy footballers now have one more piece of data to use in their analysis of the incoming rookie class. That is what the weekend in Indy should be by the way, one more piece to the puzzle, not a defining moment for any of these players we’ve studied the past few months, or even years.

In this four-part series, I’ll review the key offensive fantasy positions, looking at players who may have helped themselves, along with some who might see their stock drop after a disappointing performance at the NFL Combine.

We’ll conclude with a look at the talented tight end position, which many have praised as the best group in many years.

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Key Players:

OJ Howard, Alabama

Alabama’s Howard is viewed by most as the top tight end prospect and rightfully so. What he lacks in college production, he makes up for in all other areas, including his performance at the Combine. Despite his massive frame (6’6”, 251 pounds) he still rocked a 4.51 40 (the same as LSU RB Leonard Fournette) and posted solid numbers in other categories, including the fastest short shuttle of his position. Howard is locked in as a first-round NFL Draft pick and could land in the top 12 of dynasty drafts as well.

David Njoku, Miami

One of the hottest names around the NFL Draft and dynasty fantasy football communities in recent weeks is former Miami tight end David Njoku. As far as the Combine goes, expectations were very high for the athletic big man and he even claimed he would break records during Saturday’s workout. He did in fact eclipse the previous record in the broad jump, but so did Bucky Hodges, who is the new record holder. Njoku did not post a sizzling 40 time, but that is not all that surprising. He did show up among the leaders in most other drills and didn’t hurt himself. He’s expected to land in the first round of the NFL Draft and like Howard, could also be a popular pick in dynasty drafts, too. If he falls to the second of either draft, he’ll be a steal.

Evan Engram, Mississippi

With Howard and Njoku dominating the tight end headlines, many other players were flying under the radar, including the wide receiver disguised as a tight end, Mississippi’s Evan Engram. Drawing comparisons to Jordan Reed, Engram excelled in nearly all drills, most notably running a 4.42 40. Engram is starting to get some first-round buzz, but will most likely end up in the second round of both dynasty draft and the NFL’s version. While most have him ranked behind the other two we’ve mentioned, Engram is my top ranked player at his position.

Others to Watch:

Jake Butt, Michigan

After suffering a torn ACL in Michigan’s bowl game, Jake Butt was unable to perform at the Combine. Butt’s availability for training camp and the regular season is unclear, but the injury will clearly hurt his draft stock. While this is terrible news for Butt, it could provide dynasty owners with an excellent value. If Butt somehow slips to the third round of rookie drafts, he becomes an easy pick and a player to stash for 2018 and beyond.

Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech

I mentioned earlier that Virginia Tech’s Bucky Hodges broke the Combine record in the broad jump, narrowly edging out Njoku. Hodges also led all tight ends in the vertical jump drill with a 39” jump. Hodges overall athleticism, combined with his size (6’6”, 257 pounds) makes him an alluring prospect for NFL teams and dynasty owners. He’ll likely be a mid-second round pick in typical dynasty rookie drafts.

Gerald Everett, South Alabama

It was a major surprise when NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah included South Alabama’s Gerald Everett in his first-round mock draft several weeks back. Everett has been grouped with Ole Miss’s Engram as more of a pass-catching tight end, and he finished near the top of his position in the majority of the drills. The other number coming from the past weekend that concerns me slightly is Everett’s hand size of 8 ½”, the smallest of all Combine tight ends. This is not a deal breaker, but also not a good sign for a big bodied tight end.

Jordan Leggett, Clemson

In this deep and talented tight end class, it is hard to stand out. That is what Clemson’s Jordan Leggett found over the weekend. Leggett did not run the 40 and finished in the middle of the pack in the drills he did participate in, while some of his competitors excelled. Leggett will likely be a mid-round pick in the NFL Draft and a third round pick at the earliest in dynasty leagues.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.

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