With so many players to choose from and evaluate in the draft, some underrated gems are bound to fall through the cracks. But here’s fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri to help you make sure you don’t overlook the players with great value and those who could potentially win the league. Here are five tight ends to consider late in the draft.
Parkinson signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Rams this offseason. This was the second-largest contract the Rams have given to a free agent. This investment shows how important it was for Sean McVay and the Rams to sign a TE like Parkinson.
That makes sense, as veteran TE Tyler Higbee tore his ACL and BP in the playoffs last year and won’t be ready to play until midseason at the earliest. Parkinson brings versatility to the position for the Rams and appears to be the clear TE1 after resting with the starting offensive line during the first preseason game.
Gesicki signed a one-year deal to become the Bengals’ starting tight end this offseason. He will benefit from being part of a pass-first offense that has thrown a top-10 percentage in neutral situations over the past two seasons.
Early reports indicate that Gesicki is having a nice training camp and developing good chemistry with Joe Burrow. Gesicki could be used frequently in the middle of the field with veteran slot receiver Tyler Boyd leaving as a free agent. Gesicki is the fourth most athletic TE to ever participate in the NFL Combine; offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher is expected to use that athleticism in pre-snap moves and in the red zone.
Engram is drafted in the sixth round of fantasy drafts behind Falcons TE Kyle Pitts and 49ers TE George Kittle. However, Engram surpassed both of them as the No. 2 overall tight end in fantasy last season. Engram led all TEs with 143 targets in 2023, and now both Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones are no longer on the team.
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Engram remains one of Trevor Lawrence’s most reliable receivers in a pass-first offense. He’s a do-it-all tight end who can fight for targets, win after the catch and be efficient up front.
Engram deserves more attention – he has one of the best TE roles in all of football.
Freiermuth is reportedly having a good training camp and is currently developing into the Steelers’ second passing option behind George Pickens. The Steelers’ current starting receivers are Pickens and Van Jefferson. Neither receiver is known as a technical route runner who can consistently win the middle of the field. This is where Freiermuth can benefit and soak up a lot of targets.
Freiermuth is coming off his worst season as a professional, but that needs to be put into context. Last season, he was on the injured list for six weeks with a hamstring injury and missed four games due to the injury.
Freiermuth also struggled with poor quarterback play between Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. Over 25% of his attempted passes were uncatchable. This should change in 2024 with Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields.
And one more thing: Freiermuth has only scored two touchdowns, which is low considering he has run 77% of the team’s routes. Expect that number to increase, as Freiermuth has a chance to lead the Steelers in number of targets in 2024.
I know what you might be thinking: Didn’t Fant win the TE36 title last season?
Well, yes, but that lacks context considering the Seahawks’ offense was different last year and Fant rotated with two other tight ends.
Now, both Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly are gone, and Seattle did not replace those experienced tight ends in free agency. The Seahawks only signed a rookie in the middle round of the draft, suggesting Noah Fant will be used more heavily in 2024.
But that’s not all, because the offense has a new playmaker in Ryan Grubb. Grubb led Washington to a top-five offense last college season. His plays were heavily based on passing the ball from three WR sets with a tight end on the field.
There’s a good chance Fant can move up from last season’s 33rd place TE snap share to the top 10. If that happens, Fant is a surefire candidate in round 16 of fantasy drafts.
