Today, we move on to the tight end rankings for the 2024 NFL draft. This year’s class is not like last year. In fact, it is almost the opposite. After the top one or two tight ends, there isn’t much depth and it’s kind of a mixed bag. This is not the year if your team needs a tight end badly.
Of course, as always, check out my previous article on the wide receivers. If you are a Packers fan make sure to order your draft guide as well. Let’s get to the tight ends!
2024 NFL Draft Tight Ends: The Top Five
- Brock Bowers, Georgia: Who else would it be? Brock Bowers is the best overall tight end prospect we have seen in a good five years. Had he been able to enter the 2023 NFL draft, he would have been TE #1 and gone in the first round. That is how good he is. Bowers can do everything. His only real weakness is he’s just an okay in-line blocker, but when blocking on the move and in space he’s pretty good.
- Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas: Ja’Tavion Sanders is still a work in progress and is still learning to play tight end after having been a defensive end in high school. He has just three years at the position. While he didn’t have a great workout at the combine/pro day, the upside is there and he can be used as a chess piece to be moved around.
- Theo Johnson, Penn State: Theo Johnson is the ultimate lottery ticket. He probably has the highest upside in the whole class after Bowers. He is a freak athlete that has yet to reach his potential. He ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at 6’6 and 260 pounds. He’s just been inconsistent in his career. He should be a monster in the red zone, as evidenced by his 7 TDs this past season. His blocking and overall receiver play needs development.
- Jared Wiley, TCU: Jared Wiley tested out a lot better than I think people thought he would. But if you watched his film, you would see an athletic pass catcher. He is 6’6 250 and runs a 4.65 40-yard dash. He also improved as a blocker each season. The former Horned Frog can be a little bit of a linear athlete, but has the size and athleticism to be a receiving threat in the NFL.
- AJ Barner, Michigan: AJ Barner is another mountain of a man in this class. He started out at Indiana, but they didn’t seem to know how to use him. He showed some flashes as a receiver this past season. He is already a good blocker, but just needs to develop more as a receiver. His upside is not real high due to his lack of high end speed (4.84 40-yard dash). He won’t be a seam threat, but could be a solid overall Y-tight end.
2024 NFL Draft Tight Ends: Best Of The Rest
6. Ben Sinnott, Kansas State: Ben Sinnott is seen as a kind of sleeper candidate in this class. He is probably the top TE/H-Back player in the class. He’s a former walk-on and a good blocker. Sinnott is also just under 6’4, but is 250. He is thick and well built, and is a solid blocker. He tested really well, though. The former Wildcat has been compared by some to Dallas Clark or Kyle Juszczyk. He’s not a player you want lined up as a Y every snap.
7. Jaheim Bell, Florida State: Jaheim Bell is definitely another player you move around almost like a chess piece. He is a bit small to play tight end at 6’2 241, but he is really athletic and has shown he can do multiple things. He can play fullback, running back, H-back, and tight end. Yes, he can play running back — he had 74 carries in 2022 for South Carolina and didn’t look bad. Bell can definitely be a weapon on offense if used right.
8. Cade Stover, Ohio State: Cade Stover is a former defensive end who moved back and forth between the two positions his first two seasons. He finally started to show something as a receiver in 2023. Stover is already a decent blocker, but tested pretty well outside of his short shuttle. There may be more upside there.
9. Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota: Brevyn Spann-Ford is essentially a 6th offensive tackle. He is a massive man at almost 6’7 and weighted 260 at the Combine, but has played around 270. Despite his size, he has never been much of a red zone threat, perhaps due to his middling explosiveness and poor agility. When you draft him, you know exactly what you are getting.
10. Tanner McLachlan, Arizona: Tanner McLachlan is a late-bloomer who started off at Southern Utah and transferred for his final two seasons in 2022. The jump in competition seemed a bit too much in 2022, but he started showing flashes in 2023. He is a tall and athletic pass catcher, but is also already 25. The former Wildcat is probably already at his athletic peak and may be at his peak as a player, as well. McLachlan is also only an okay blocker. His upside is that of a #2 tight end.
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