Dynasty Rookie Report Card: Cade Stover and Ja’Tavion Sanders
Each week throughout the 2024 NFL season, I’ll cover two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and will generally write about the most prominent performers from that particular week. I’ll discuss how well he’s lived up to expectations at the NFL level and then grade the player in three categories: performance to date, rookie season potential, and long-term upside.
Cade Stover, TE HOU
Week 12 stats: three receptions on four targets for 26 yards and one touchdown.
Stover saw his season high in targets, receptions, and touchdowns in week 12 despite seeing his fewest snaps since week three. The touchdown was the first of Stover’s career as well. Despite being out-snapped by Dalton Schultz 46-20, Stover’s four targets doubled Schultz’s two.
Stover had an interesting stretch in high school and college. As a high school senior, Stover was Ohio’s Mr. Football and the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year. After playing running back and safety in high school, he committed to Ohio State as a linebacker. Before the start of his freshman season, Stover was moved to defensive end.
Then, as a sophomore, the team moved him to tight end, but he did play some linebacker again. This was also the case during his junior year as well. Finally, in 2023, in his fifth season, as a redshirt senior, Stover was a full-time tight end, and he wound up as one of the three finalists for the Mackey Award- presented to the top tight end in college football.
As the NFL draft rolled around, Stover was selected by the Texans with the 123rd pick, reuniting him with his college quarterback CJ Stroud. He was the eighth tight end selected in the 2024 draft, and only four more were selected after him. That perceived fall in the draft relative to the rest of the class was reflected in dynasty drafts. In the initial rookie mocks in February, Stover was TE3 – 44th overall in drafts. That was as high as we’d see Stover in drafts. In March, he was TE6. In April he was TE7. When the final mocks rolled around following the draft in May, Stover was down to TE8.
Performance to Date: D+
Through week 12, Stover is currently TE47. As such, I cannot give a fringe, low-end TE4 more than a D+. He has only recorded 13 receptions on 19 targets in 12 games where he has played 308 snaps. He has not been usable up to this point except for his double-digit showing last week.
Rookie Season Potential: C
Stover’s season has not been great thus far, but his snap share and targets have slowly been ticking up as the season has drawn on. Coming off of his best game of the year, it’s reasonable to assume the Texans will keep him more involved over the remaining six weeks than he has been up until now. Although, given the other offensive talent on the Texans’ roster, it’s hard to imagine him ever being more than fifth in the pecking order.
Long-Term Upside: C+
Stover was an interesting prospect coming into the NFL, and Houston was an intriguing landing spot for him. Schultz will probably be released after the 2025 season, so if Stover shows enough over the next season and a half, he could be Houston’s starting tight end of the future. But, much like my prediction for the remainder of the season, even if he emerges as the team’s tight end of the future, he is still going to need to contend with Nico Collins and Tank Dell for the bulk of his career – and that isn’t even factoring in additional rookies and free agent weapons the team brings in to surround Stroud with talent.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE CAR
Week 12 stats: three receptions on three targets for 49 yards.
Prior to an injury that ended his week 12 early, Sanders was on pace to put together a fantastic game, leading the Panthers in receiving up to that point. This was building off of a week 11 performance that saw Sanders score his first touchdown, too. Sanders has been one of the few bright spots in an abysmal passing attack for the Panthers.
A high school basketball player who played both wide receiver and defensive end, Sanders was a five-star prospect with multiple offers from several top programs coming into college. While he didn’t play much as a freshman, that changed in his 2022 sophomore season. Sanders was second on Texas in receptions and receiving touchdowns and was third in receiving yards.
As a junior, Sanders was third in all categories, only behind future NFL receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. Following the season, Sanders declared for the NFL draft and was thought of by many to be one of the top options at the position after Brock Bowers.
Sanders was viewed as a day-two pick and was expected to be drafted in rounds two or three. He fell a little bit, ending up as the first pick of the fourth round and the fourth tight end off the board. His selection kicked off a positional run, as six tight ends were selected in round four. It was as good of a landing spot as any for Sanders, as the team had a clear need for a playmaker at the position with a young quarterback and new offensive-minded head coach in place.
Sanders started the off-season as TE2 among rookies, initially going 20th overall in February. We saw minimal movement in March and April’s drafts, but in May, Sanders took a bit of a dip, as he fell to TE3 and was 37th overall. I don’t think it was an indictment on him, but rather other players in a strong rookie class jumping over him.
Performance to Date: C+
Sanders came out of week 12 as TE28 and the rookie TE2. I’ve had to start him a few times this season, and he was a decent spot start option. He has particularly come on strong as of late, scoring eight points or more in five of his last six games. Considering that Carolina has the NFL’s worst passing attack, it’s encouraging that he has been able to perform as well as he has so far.
Rookie Season Potential: B-
In week 12, we saw Sanders sustain a neck injury that resulted in him being carted off the field. That injury will keep Sanders off the field, but as of this writing, it isn’t considered to be season-ending. He has been their leading tight end all year, and once he is back on the field, there is no reason to think he won’t resume that role for the remainder of the year.
Long-Term Upside: A-
If you forget about Sam LaPorta in 2023 and Brock Bowers this year, Sanders is having a solid year for a rookie tight end. Panthers’ head coach, Dave Canales, seems to be one of the better offensive minds in football, so the future is bright for the former Longhorn. An A- might be a bit generous, but six of the current top-12 tight ends are 29 or older, so there is plenty of room for young tight ends to become top options at the position over the next several years.
- 2025 Off-Season Mock Draft: 12-Team, 1QB Startup - January 19, 2025
- Final Rookie Report Card: Running Backs - January 18, 2025
- Final Rookie Report Card: Quarterbacks - January 11, 2025
