This year’s draft class is very weak in my opinion when it comes to TEs. You have about four that will be serviceable in the NFL but I don’t see any of them being a full fledged star. However, the crop of Tight Ends that will be coming out over the next couple years, I see at least four bonafide studs that will be household names their rookie years or shortly after. This is a list of the Top 5 college TEs in the country.
The first TE on the list is in a tier of his own. That TE is Brock Bowers out of Georgia. Bowers doesn’t look or move like your everyday tight end, standing 6’4 and weighing 230 he is more like a big body wide receiver. He is in that area where he’s too big for corners and too fast for safeties so he is a constant threat in the passing game. Bowers finished the 2022 season with 63 receptions, 942 yards, and 7 touchdowns. The part of his game that really catches my eye is how well he does at blocking. You would never be able to tell he has a “smaller” frame with the way he attacks defensive lineman. You rarely see him getting manhandled from the defense. There is no doubt in my mind that Bowers is a generational talent at his position, and in my mind is a top 10 pick in the 2024 draft.
The next TE on my list really came out of nowhere last year due to injuries, and once he was given his shot he never let go. He’s another one of those tight ends that doesn’t fit the “6’5, 250 lbs mold.” This TE is Ja’Tavion Sanders out of Texas. Ja’Tavion Sanders stands 6’3 and weighs in at 235 lbs. I watched his tape against Alabama last year and I was really impressed with how willing he was to take on the task of blocking the likes of Will Anderson Jr., and Dallas Turner. In a more pro style offense you can tell he’s a natural when it comes to lining up in a 3-point stance. On top of that he’s athletic enough to play his position spread out. He finished last season with 54 receptions for 613 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has the potential to be one of the top tight ends in the game and the only one who could come close to challenging Brock Bowers, but that will depend on the person that is taking the snaps for Texas.
The next TE is actually my favorite on the list. This TE has recently transferred to Florida State and I’m excited to see what he could do there, and his name is Jaheim Bell. What separates Bell from the other Tight Ends is that he can literally do it all. Last year for South Carolina he started the season at his natural position and did well, he had 25 receptions for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns, however due to injuries he was forced to move to the running back position where he tallied 73 carries for 261 yards and 3 more touchdowns. Moving to Florida State really opens a lot of doors for Bell as he has the potential to finally show what he can do at the tight end position. With targets like Johnny Wilson and Mycah Pittman there to take defenders off of him, I’m expecting Bell to be a 50+ reception player and really help the Seminoles offense take off.
The fourth TE on my list is Cade Stover out of THE Ohio State University. Stover fits into the “prototype” mold for a TE standing 6’5 and weighing 255 pounds. At Ohio State the TEs aren’t a real focal point in the offense so Cade Stover’s blocking skills were shown from the first snap. Stover is a natural blocker and can take on pass rushers with ease. The reason that Cade Stover is rising up my list however, is the way he finished the season. Stover really started to get involved in the passing game and eventually became that safety valve for C.J. Stroud. Stover finished the season with 36 receptions, 406 yards and 5 touchdowns. Much like Jaheim Bell, with defenses focused on receivers like Marvin Harrison Jr and Emeka Egbuka, I am expecting Stover to be that safety valve again and have a very productive season. In the 2024 draft I believe that Stover will be a 3rd round pick.
My fifth TE is my dark horse. The rise of this tight end really depends on the evolution of the team’s offense. This TE is Erick All out of the University of Iowa. Erick All had a very turbulent career the past 4 years at Michigan with his best year coming in 2021 when he and also current Hawkeye Cade McNamara led Michigan to a Big Ten title game victory over their current school when he finished the year with 38 receptions, 437 yards and 2 touchdowns. With the University of Iowa being known as “TE University” and McNamara already having a report with him, I’m expecting big numbers out of All. The last time Iowa had a productive season it came on the backs of a two Tight End system. If All can rekindle what he had in 2021 in an offense that is very tight end friendly I expect him to skyrocket up boards.
Other Tight Ends to watch: Brant Kuithe (Utah), Ben Sims (Baylor), Austin Stogner (Oklahoma), and Mason Taylor (LSU)
