Tight end has never exactly been considered to be a glamor position when it comes to the NFL draft; however, it does seem that every couple of years there’s a really talented guy at the position who ends up going very early. Two years ago, for example, Atlanta selected Kyle Pitts with the 4th pick overall, while Detroit took TJ Hockenson at #8 two years before that. And this year, could be one of ‘those’ years as Mike Mayer of Notre Dame is currently generally considered to be a legit top ten prospect for the upcoming draft. Mayer isn’t quite the athlete as either Pitts or Hockenson, but he is a very talented all-around TE prospect who knows how to get open, has great hands, and makes plays with the ball after the catch; all that’s in addition to being a very good blocker.
In fact, it looks like it could be a pretty good at TE in 2023 with a relatively deep, talented class, although Mayer is probably still the only likely first-round candidate. Arik Gilbert, now at Georgia after stops at LSU and Florida (sort of), does have Kyle Pitts type physical skills, but the former national prep player of the year has yet to put it all together on the field and he’s had personal issues off the field. He also won’t start for the national champs as the Bulldogs who feature sophomore Brock Bowers at the position. In fact, Bowers is arguably the top prospect at the position in the country but won’t be draft eligible until 2024.
At the same time, there are a number of other potentially solid second-day type prospects this year including Sam LaPorta of Iowa, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, Cameron Latu of Alabama, South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft, and Darnell Washington, yet another Georgia Bulldog TE. Meanwhile, other small school TEs to watch include Zach Kuntz of Old Dominion, Noah Gindorf of North Dakota State and Sacramento State’s Marshel Martin.
Top 15 TE prospects for 2023:
May 9, 2023 3:41 PM
| # | Player | HT/WT | 40X | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Kincaid | 6-3.5, 246 | 4.75 | Utah | X | |
| Michael Mayer | 6-4.5, 250 | 4.70c | Notre Dame | ||
| Darnell Washington | 6-6.5, 265 | 4.65 | Georgia | ||
| Luke Musgrave | 6-5.5, 253 | 4.61c | Oregon State | ||
| Tucker Kraft | 6-4.5, 254 | 4.70c | South Dakota State | ||
| Sam LaPorta | 6-3, 245 | 4.60c | Iowa | ||
| Luke Schoonmaker | 6-5, 250 | 4.63c | Michigan | ||
| Brenton Strange | 6-3.5, 255 | 4.70c | Penn State | ||
| Zack Kuntz | 6-7.5, 255 | 4.55c | Old Dominion | ||
| Will Mallory | 6-4.5, 240 | 4.55c | Miami | ||
| Josh Whyle | 6-6.5, 241 | 4.70c | Cincinnati | FB | |
| Cameron Latu | 6-4, 242 | 4.65 | Alabama | ||
| Davis Allen | 6-5.5, 245 | 4.84c | Clemson | ||
| Payne Durham | 6-5.5, 253 | 4.87c | Purdue | ||
| Brayden Willis | 6-4, 240 | 4.65 | Oklahoma | FB | |
| Travis Vokolek | 6-6. 260 | 4.90 | Nebraska | ||
| Blake Whiteheart | 6-4, 245 | 4.70c | Wake Forest | ||
| Leonard Taylor | 6-5, 250 | 4.65 | Cincinnati | ||
| Noah Gindorff | 6-6, 265 | 4.75 | North Dakota State | ||
| Hunter Luepke | 6-1, 230 | 4.75 | North Dakota State | FB | |
| Theo Johnson | 6-6, 260 | 4,55 | Penn State | ||
| Joel Wilson | 6-4, 250 | 4.75 | Central Michigan | ||
| Kyle Patterson | 6-5, 260 | 4.80 | Air Force | X | |
| Brevyn Spann-Ford | 6-6, 270 | 4.85 | Minnesota | ||
| Masen Wake | 6-1, 260 | 4.85 | BYU | FB | |
| Ben Sims | 6-6, 260 | 4.75 | Baylor | ||
| Kemore Gamble | 6-4, 245 | 4.55 | Central Florida | ||
| Daniel Parker | 6-2, 240 | 4.80 | Oklahoma | FB | |
| Baylor Cupp | 6-6, 255 | 4.60 | Texas Tech | ||
| Easton Dean | 6-6, 255 | 4.75 | Iowa State | ||
| Jack Coletto | 6-3, 240 | 4.90 | Oregon State | FB/DE | |
| Daniel Barker | 6-4, 250 | 4.85 | Michigan State | ||
| Princeton Fant | 6-2, 235 | 4.80 | Tennessee | ||
| Thomas Greaney | 6-5, 255 | 4.90 | Albany | ||
| Jamal Turner | 6-4, 240 | 4.75 | Toledo | ||
| Derek Parrish | 6-2, 245 | 4.95 | Houston | FB/LB |
* e indicates estimated time; c indicates combine; p indicates pro day time
** X indicates player has an injury or illness issue; XX indicates serious injury or illness that could impact draft status; XXX indicates injury or illness that could be career threatening; O indicates off-field issue
