FFSN 2024 NFL Draft Big Board: Tight End Rankings and Analysis
The 2024 NFL Draft is getting closer by the day, and Fans First Sports Network is here to give you the best draft analysis anywhere! Between now and the NFL Draft, we will reveal our NFL Draft big board, one position at a time. Today, we will continue with the tight ends.
Those of you who know us from Behind the Steel Curtain may remember our BTSC Big Board we did the past three years, and we are excited to have a good portion of the crew back to do it here at FFSN. The board will be my comprised of my personal rankings, player stats, and scouting reports for all early-round prospects. Stats are compiled by community member SNW, and scouting reports come from a collaborative effort of myself, Jeremy Betz, Shannon White, Adam Curry, Noah_E., skyfire322, and Necksnation.
For each position, we will give a positional ranking, my overall round ranking, previous season stats, and an in-depth scouting report for each early and mid-round round prospect. We hope this will be a helpful resource for you as you become familiarized with draft prospects that your team may be looking at.
In case you have missed any of our previous positional big board rankings, you can check them out by clicking on the links below.
2024 FFSN NFL Draft Big Board: Interior Offensive Line Rankings
Note: All stats and analysis are unedited from what the original contributor submitted.
1. Brock Bowers | Georgia | 6’ 4”, 230 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Top 15
2023 Stats: GP 10, Rec 56, Yds 714, TD 6.
Andrew Wilbar: Bowers is more than just a receiving tight end: he is a receiving weapon. He can line up just about anywhere, and he will be a matchup problem no matter where he is aligned. With superb body control and elite athleticism for the position, Bowers does a fantastic job coming down with contested catches, despite not being the biggest tight end. His quick first step out of his stance gives him a true advantage against opposing linebackers and safeties, as only the most athletic defenders can deal with his combination of size and quickness. I would have him rated even higher if he was a more powerful blocker, but with his skill set, I do not anticipate teams using him in that capacity that often. He is a willing blocker, and he is a solid blocker in space, but at his size, there is only so much he can do as an in-line blocker. Overall, I see Bowers as one of the top receiving tight ends in the NFL in short order, and his ideal fit is in a spread offense that moves him around in the formations.
2. Theo Johnson | Penn State | 6’ 6”, 250 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Early 3rd
2023 Stats: GP 13, Rec 34, Yds 341, TD 7.
Jeremy Betz: Johnson’s physical profile is quite impressive, although his college production is lacking overall. Still, his athletic traits and overall upside will make him an attractive mid-round option for a team looking for a project TE with sills as both a blocker and receiver. Johnson’s size is a plus in the run game, where he consistently gets hands on defensive ends and linebackers and has the strength and power to move them. As a receiver, he offers fantastic body control and acceleration off the LOS to get downfield in a hurry. A true seem-stretcher, Johnson is at his best working vertically in a PA-heavy passing attack.
3. Ja’Tavion Sanders | Texas | 6’ 4”, 256 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Late 3rd
2023 Stats: GP 14, Rec 45, Yds 682, TD 2.
Noah_E: When it comes to Tight Ends this year all the talk is centered around Brock Bowers, but don’t sleep on Ja’Tavion Sanders. His ability to create separation especially at his size is impressive and he is smooth after the catch. He’s an extremely well-rounded receiver with excellent hands and he does an outstanding job attacking the catch point. He is easily the best pure receiving tight end in this class behind Bowers, however his ability as a blocker leaves a lot to be desired. With his size and athleticism he has the potential to be a very effective blocker, he just hasn’t shown it yet. Despite his struggles as a blocker, I think he is absolutely worth a second round pick and it would be a crime if he fell past Day 2.
4. Cade Stover | Ohio State | 6’ 4”, 255 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Late 3rd
2023 Stats: GP 12, Rec 41, Yds 576, TD 5.
Jeremy Betz: Stover isn’t the most athletic TE in the class, but he holds his own as both a blocker and a pass catcher. Forms a good base and has quick hands to gain leverage on defenders. Shows a good feel to find the soft spots in zone coverage. Known as a leader and team-first guy, Stover will give the team that selects him unmatched effort and a solid foundation of experience from which to build.
5. Tip Reiman | Illinois | 6’ 5”, 230 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Late 3rd
2023 Stats: GP 12, Rec 19, Yds 203, TD 3.
Andrew Wilbar: Reiman was not utilized as a receiver that much at Illinois, but after an incredible week at the Shrine Bowl and a strong combine workout, he has caught the attention of scouts. At 271 pounds, Reiman is one of the most physically imposing tight ends in the class, and he is one of the best blocking tight ends in the class. What will get fans excited about his game is the athletic upside. For someone with his size, running a 4.64 40 and 7.02 3-cone drill at the combine is nothing short of impressive, and he looked relatively fluid in on-field drills. He is not the smoothest lateral mover, and his change-of-direction skills are average at best, but he is one of those guys you want to have in your locker room. He takes nothing for granted, plays every down as if it is his last, and is more than willing to play special teams. A guy like this in Round 5 or 6 is an excellent selection, if he happens to fall that far.
6. Jaheim Bell | Florida State | 6’ 3”, 230 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Mid 4th
2023 Stats: GP 13, Rec 39, Yds 503, TD 2.
Noah_E: Jaheim Bell is one of the most intriguing prospects in this entire class. He lined up just about everywhere on the field during his time in college. He played snaps out wide, in the backfield, in the slot, and as an in-line Tight End in 2023. Bell is a superb athlete with an absolutely ridiculous catch radius. He’s a good route runner on all three levels and has the short area burst, and quickness, to be a threat after the catch. He is simply a mismatch nightmare, as he’s too nuanced of a route runner for Linebackers, but at the same time he’s too big and physical for Corners. His ability as a blocker is a major red flag. Bell also struggled with drops especially in space, and his footwork both as a route runner and blocker could use work. However, his elite athleticism and his overall versatility make him one of my personal favorite prospects. If he is used correctly, I think he’s going to make a GM look very good.
7. Ben Sinnott | Kansas State | 6’ 4”, 245 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Mid 4th
2023 Stats: GP 12, Rec 49, Yds 676, TD 6.
Noah_E: Simply put, Ben Sinnott is a wrecking ball. As a blocker and after the catch he consistently displays elite toughness and strength. He’s a great athlete that doesn’t create the most separation, but he has great hands and wins at the catch point. Good luck trying to bring him down in the open field, Sinnott refuses to go down and it often takes multiple guys to get him on the ground. When you turn on the tape it feels like he gets an extra five yards on every play. His technique as a blocker is mediocre, but he was still effective despite that. I’m very interested to see how he’s used in the NFL.
8. Jared Wiley | TCU | 6’ 7”, 255 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: Late 4th
2023 Stats: GP 12, Rec 47, Yds 520, TD 8.
skyfire322: Jared Wiley comes into the NFL as a 6’7″, 250 lb TE with an arm length of 33 1/4″. He was a first-team All-Big 12 tight end in 2023 because of his contributions to TCU’s passing game. TCU utilized his length to their advantage, as he was often used in their passing game, lining up as an in-line TE. Wiley has excellent ball-handling skills and is a quarterback’s dream, as the quarterback rating was 112.4 when he was targeted in the past three seasons. He’s also very fluid and has good strength to run through arm tackles. However, He has difficulty transitioning into a route runner. He tends to run in a straight line instead of making a move to avoid the tackle. He also has difficulty in blocking, making it hard for him to be used as an every-down TE and may be considered one-dimensional. If he can bulk up and work on his blocking, he can become a very reliable TE2 for any high-powered, pass-first offense.
BEST OF THE REST
9. Devin Culp | Washington | 6’ 4”, 250 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 5th
2023 Stats: GP 15, Rec 16, Yds 208, TD 2.
10. AJ Barner | Michigan | 6’ 6”, 245 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 6th
2023 Stats: GP 15, Rec 22, Yds 249, TD 1.
11. Erick All | Iowa | 6’ 4”, 245 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 6th
2023 Stats: GP 7, Rec 21, Yds 299, TD 3.
12. Dallin Holker | Colorado State | 6’ 5”, 255 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 6th
2023 Stats: GP 12, Rec 64, Yds 767, TD 6.
13. Baylor Cupp | Texas Tech | 6’ 6”, 245 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 6th
2023 Stats: GP 12, Rec 11, Yds 114, TD 2.
14. Tanner McLachlin | Arizona | 6’ 5”, 245 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 7th/UDFA
2023 Stats: GP 13, Rec 45, Yds 528, TD 4.
15. Brevyn Spann-Ford | Minnesota | 6’ 7”, 270 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 7th/UDFA
2023 Stats: GP 12, Rec 25, Yds 239, TD 2.
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