-2022 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2022 Draft Kit
The Jets selected tight end Ruckert in the third round of the NFL Draft from Ohio State, and he will be the No. 3 tight end in New York this season behind C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. Ruckert is not worth drafting in seasonal leagues, and he's a third-round pick in rookie-only drafts. Ruckert is also dealing with a foot injury coming into training camp, so he might be slow to start the season. We could see Ruckert make an impact as the season goes on -- and likely in 2023 -- but it will be hard for him to produce at a high level this season while Uzomah and Conklin are healthy.
If Mr. Lawson from Happy Gilmore were a promising, young NFL rookie, he'd be Woods. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 253 pounds, Woods is a monster who should be able to outmuscle and outleap any defender near him. He did a solid job of it last year at Virginia, corralling a touchdown every 5.5 receptions and averaging 13.6 yards per catch. Unfortunately, most guys this size aren't explosive runners nor effective at nimbly changing directions. That said, Woods' stats will be a byproduct of the amount of playing time and targets he receives, and he probably won't get a ton of it without an outstanding preseason. That's why Woods is unlikely to get snagged with a draft pick in seasonal leagues, but is in line for a late choice in long-term formats and worthy of a late second-round pick in rookie-only drafts.
No tight end has moved up my board more than Greg Dulcich over the past few weeks. The UCLA tight end weighed in at 6-4 and 243 pounds at the NFL combine and tested extremely well: 122" broad jump (88th percentile), 4.69 40-time (70th percentile), 34" vertical (63rd percentile) and 7.05 3-cone (75th percentile). Per Next Gen Stats, Dulcich averaged 18.0 yards per reception over his four-year career at UCLA, which is the third-most by a tight end invited to the combine since 2003. In 2021 alone, he ranked fourth in yards per reception (17.3). It's hard to watch Dulcich's tape and not see hints of Dawson Knox.
Jake Ferguson selected No. 129 by Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys have selected Jake Fergusonwith the No. 129 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Fantasy ImpactJake Ferguson will be the TE2 in Dallas behind Dalton Schultz after they released Blake Jawrin earlier this offseason. Ferguson could have sneaky dynasty value with Schultz currently only under contract for next season.
Daniel Bellinger expected to be instant contributorGiants fourth-round rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger is expected to become an instant contributor on the offense.Fantasy ImpactBellinger, who the Giants took in the fourth round, will be expected to see playing time with the lack of depth New York has. He didn't put up big time numbers at San Diego State, but he has shown flashes of potential in both blocking and receiving. For fantasy purposes, he will stay worthless in redraft leagues, but he is an interesting bench stash in dynasty leagues.
Cade Otton selected No. 106 by Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Cade Otton with the 106th selection in the 2022 NFL draft.Fantasy ImpactThe Buccaneers added some Rob Gronkowski insurance in the way of Cade Otton out of Washington. The team lost both Gronkowski and OJ Howard via free agency and has Chris Godwin coming back from a major injury. It's unlikely that Otton plays a big role for the 2022 team.
Incoming rookie from Colorado State put on a show in 2021 with 86 catches for 1,017 yards. Nuanced route runner with a knack for making himself available to QBs.
Turn on any Coastal Carolina game over the last four years and you're likely to see a tight end haul in a touchdown. Isaiah Likely hauled in 27 receiving touchdowns since 2018 - more than any other tight end in college football. Likely's nose for the end zone fueled his 24% career dominator rating - the highest in the class and a mark matched only by Pat Freiermuth from 2021's tight end class. Touchdown equity is not the only part of his profile that is alluring. He's not just falling in the end zone. He's a terrific wide receiver playing tight end, as evidenced by his 95.2 PFF receiving grade (third), 1,513 receiving yards (first) and 2.87 yards per route run (sixth) since 2020. Only McBride and Kyle Pitts have a higher PFF receiving grade over that span. At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, Likely fits the archetype as a pass-catching tight end at the next level - which is exactly what fantasy footballers should gravitate toward. It's rare to find tight ends who come into the league with this kind of receiving profile and mismatch potential against slower linebackers/safeties. However, be wary that his tweener size does create some inherent risk if he ends up on a team that doesn't know how to use him properly. He is too small to be a legitimate in-line tight end but too big to be a traditional wideout. The essence of Julius Thomas and Ricky Seals-Jones. Likely also won't be much of a factor in the blocking game unless he puts on substantial weight. If that does happen, be confident that Likely can fill an every-down tight end role after finishing in the 91st percentile in positively graded run-blocking rate in 2021.