2023 Dynasty Rookie Post-Draft Update: Will Mallory

Will Mallory

Tim Riordan Posted On July 1, 2023

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty managers, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In our Dynasty Rookie Post-Draft Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profiles and where they fit. The basis of the rookie profile involves the usage of STORM analysis, focusing on five key components: Situation, Talent, Opportunity, Risk, and Market.

SITUATION

Name: Will Mallory

Position: Tight End

Pro Team: Indianapolis Colts

College Team: Miami

Draft Status: Round Five, 162nd overall

The University of Miami has a long and storied history of elite tight ends at the NFL level, but it’s been a while since Greg Olsen was dropping bars with the seventh-floor crew (very NSFW). Recent Hurricanes in the NFL have failed to live up to the TE-U moniker; David Njoku finally started to live up to his draft capital this past season. Will Mallory is the latest to graduate to the NFL, and he certainly cannot be expected to join a Mount Rushmore of Miami tight ends with Olsen, Jeremy Shockey, Bubba Franks, and Jimmy Graham. Despite that, Mallory showed some talent in the pre-draft process, so he’s worth a deeper look for dynasty fantasy football.

Mallory attended high school in Jacksonville while his father, Mike Mallory, worked as the Jaguars special teams coordinator. Playing wide receiver for the Providence School, he caught 46 balls for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns his junior season, earning all-conference honors. He was a four-star recruit and the number-eight tight end in the 2018 recruiting class. He chose to attend Miami over offers from Michigan, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC.

Mallory split time with Brevin Jordan until Jordan jumped to the NFL. In his first season as a full-time starter, Mallory caught 30 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns. He decided to stay at Miami for an extra year of eligibility and had his best season as a Hurricane. He caught 43 for 538 yards and three touchdowns. He was all second-team All-ACC and led the team in receiving yards.

Mallory impressed at the Senior Bowl and ran a blistering 4.54 40-yard dash. The Colts called his name in the fifth round; he was the 11th tight end selected in a very talented class. There are opportunities for a Colts tight end to earn a role now and in the long term, but a spring foot injury could hurt his chances for 2023.

TALENT

Will Mallory Combine Results:

Height: 6’ 4 1/2”

Weight: 239 lbs

Arm: 32 1/4”

Hand: 9 3/8”

40-Yard Dash: 4.54 Seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.59 Seconds

Vertical Jump: 36 1/2”

Broad Jump: 10’ 1”

Bench Press: 20 Reps

Will Mallory is a pass-catching tight end who uses his speed and solid route running to gain separation. He’s as athletic as anyone in this draft class, and he ran the fastest 40-yard dash amongst tight ends at the Combine this year. He isn’t a smashmouth, physical tight end, but he has enough size to out-physical defenders in the secondary.

While his length isn’t impressive, he actually has a solid catch radius, which could help him adjust to larger defenders in the NFL. Miami used him all over the formation as an H-back, and he could be used in a similar fashion for Indianapolis.

He has some major deficiencies as a blocker, especially as a run blocker. PFF gave him a 36.6-grade last season for his run blocking. He had several holding calls go against him in 2022. In a backfield that has Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor running the ball, that will be a problem.

He certainly isn’t a sure-fire tight end prospect, but he has the talent to play in the NFL. Whether that talent has the opportunity to flourish in Indianapolis will be analyzed next.

OPPORTUNITY

Indianapolis Colts Depth Chart:

Data Courtesy of 4for4.com.

Will Mallory was the fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, a team in transition with a new head coach, a new quarterback, and a noticeable lack of pass catchers. Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce have had pedestrian starts to their careers, and none of their tight ends have proven to be prolific receivers. Jelani Woods was a surprise third-round pick last season, but he only caught 25 balls as a rookie.

Woods will be the biggest obstacle Mallory will have on his path to fantasy football production. It sounds like the Colts are going to be relying on Woods to play a larger role this season, and if he lives up to their expectations, Mallory will stay buried on the depth chart, if he makes the team at all. The Colts have plenty of tight ends on their roster right now, and Mallory’s weaknesses as a blocker could be prohibitive for a team that wants to run the ball as much as the Colts will want to.

Chris Ballard talked up Mallory after selecting him, saying he was surprised to see he was available in the fifth round.

“All of a sudden, you look up, and Mallory is there in the fifth round. Shane looked at me and said, ‘Chris, this guy is really good.’ You never just want to pass up a good player. The kid’s got length; he can run. He’s been productive in college. He’s a really good fit for what we want. It’s just going to create real competition at the position. That’s OK. That’s a good thing. That makes you better.” – Chris Ballard.

Mallory missed all of OTAs and Minicamp with a foot injury, so his professional career is off to a slow start. He’ll need to get on the field for training camp if he is going to earn an opening week roster spot. As a fifth-round pick, he’s a candidate to get sent to the practice squad to start off his rookie season.

RISK

Data Courtesy of Sports Reference.

It’s tough to say that there is very much risk in a fifth-round tight end that will likely only be rostered in the deepest of deep dynasty leagues. While his speed and athleticism provide some intriguing upside for a potential future in the NFL, he has a long way to go before he is climbing the ranks of fantasy tight ends.

If he does make the team, and if he does earn snaps and routes, there are still plenty of risks. The Colts are certainly going to lean heavily on the run, while Anthony Richardson is getting his feet wet in the NFL. With one of the best running backs in the NFL and Richardson’s size and speed combination, it only makes sense for the Colts to pound the rock. Add on top of that Richardson’s shortcomings as a passer, and there’s serious concern about all of the pass catchers in Indianapolis.

Fifth-round tight ends simply cannot be projected to make a significant fantasy football impact in the NFL. George Kittle was a fifth-round pick, but he is absolutely the exception that proves the rule. Will Mallory is a talented athlete but a longshot to make fantasy football rosters in his career.

MARKET

Data Courtesy of MFL Rookie ADP on DLF.

Will Mallory’s MFL ADP is 70th overall in rookie drafts; he’s the 13th tight end going off the board on average. While I certainly believe he is better than the 13th-best rookie tight end in this class, it’s understandable to see him that far down the board. There’s been very little hype for the former Hurricanes tight end, and he’s been pushed way down the board.

He is nothing more than a player to keep on your watch list right now as we enter training camp. He hasn’t been on the field, he hasn’t gotten to work with Richardson or Gardner Minshew, and he’s buried on a tight end depth chart with a lot of guys ahead of him. If he impresses in camp and makes the team, he’ll be worth an even closer look, but for now, he’s a dynasty afterthought.

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Tim Riordan

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Tim has spent over a decade in sports radio as a host, analyst, play-by-play broadcaster and a producer. He’s been called the Tom Brady of dynasty commissioners and an expert of player values.