By Michael Stewart @TheTruthNYG
This will be part 4 in my series of 13 as we take a look at the tight end position in the upcoming NFL draft. The Giants are likely to let tight end Evan Engram find a new team and with Kyle Rudolph nearing the end of his career and possibly gone in 2022 as well, it seems logical that the Giants would invest a pick in this year’s draft for a tight end. Assuming they don’t sign one in free agency, let’s see who my top 5 tight ends are in this year’s draft.
- Trey McBride (Colorado State) 6’4/260: McBride is molded from a more traditional tight end that can move the chains and also provide solid blocking.
- Jalen Wydermyer (Texas A&M) 6’5/260: Wydermyer has good size with extreme athleticism and deceptive speed that creates major mismatches. Wydermyer can extend the play after the catch and should be a productive red zone target.
- Jeremy Ruckert (Ohio State) 6’5/252: Ruckert offensive stat line will not jump off the page as tight ends at Ohio State are not usually factored in the offensive game plan. However, Ruckert is a solid blocker with reliable hands that can be a highly productive tight end in the NFL.
- Cade Otton (Washington) 6’5/250: Otton is a solid two-way Tight End who runs crisps routes and has soft hands. Otton has good strength at point of attack and moves the chains effectively.
- Charlie Kolar (Iowa State) 6’6/260: Kolar has good size with soft hands and provides a reliable target; especially in the red zone. Kolar needs to develop his skill set as a blocker and should be adequate in that department at the NFL level. All the ingredients are there for Kolar to be 3 down tight end.
This tight end class is extremely close talent-wise, and we can easily see others not shown on this list leapfrog into my top 5 before the draft. The Giants should certainly consider a tight end in this draft, but the biggest question mark will be will they draft one on Day 2 or on Day 3?
This could depend on how the board develops into Day 2 and if a certain tight end is available; new GM Joe Schoen could pull the trigger. Keep an eye out for my article featuring the centers in the 2022 NFL draft.