This 2022 NFL draft tight end class is the best I've seen in nearly a decade and has the chance to really stand out when we look back at it in a few years. It could truly be one of the best ever.
No, it doesn't have a star prospect. There isn't a Kyle Pitts or a T.J. Hockenson, and I'd be shocked to see any of the 2022 tight ends go in the top 10. In fact, there isn't even a surefire first-round pick. So why is the 2022 group so special?
Simply put, it has more potential No. 1 and No. 2 NFL tight ends than any other recent class, led by Colorado State's Trey McBride. Beyond a handful of Day 1 starters, there's an abundance of talented receivers and effective blockers who will play important situational roles right out of the gate while continuing to develop.
Let's answer six big questions about the tight end group this year and its top prospects, including how it stacks up with other recent classes. Who are the potential standouts -- and the later-round sleepers -- and why might they shine in the NFL? Let's dive in.
How does 2022 compare to recent tight end classes?
There is a lot of competition here. A tight end has gone in the first eight picks twice in the past three drafts: The Lions took Hockenson at No. 8 overall in 2019, and the Falcons took Pitts at No. 4 this past April. We also saw three first-round tight ends back in 2002, when Jeremy Shockey, Daniel Graham and Jerramy Stevens were Day 1 selections.
Don't expect either of those things to happen in this cycle. In fact, no tight end going in the first is more likely than two being selected -- which we last saw in 2019.
The 2010 tight end class that included Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham is arguably the greatest of all time, though members of the 2013 group -- including Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz -- might disagree. It's tough to imagine this class taking that title from either, but it certainly has a chance to be the strongest since 2013 and the third-best all-time.
Who are the top prospects of the group?
Colorado State's Trey McBride and Texas A&M's Jalen Wydermyer are at the top of the class. Both know how to get open, catch the ball well with wide catch radiuses and run hard after the catch. You'll see both make plays downfield, too. McBride is the better blocker and gets the slight edge, but Wydermyer is big and strong enough to hold his own as an in-line blocker, too.
McBride's numbers are outstanding this season. Through 10 games, he has 78 catches for 919 yards, and five of those games saw him go over 100 yards. But despite being a big 6-foot-4 target, he has just one touchdown catch, which came in the middle of September. Wydermyer, meanwhile, has 35 catches for 474 yards and four TDs in his 10 contests.
Both are Day 1 starters and should come off the board in the top 50 picks. Scouts Inc. currently has McBride at No. 30 overall and Wydermyer at No. 32.
How many tight ends could go on the first two nights?
Eight tight ends have been drafted in the first three rounds just once since 2006 (2019), but that's how many we have on the Scouts Inc. board with a third-round grade or better.
Beyond McBride and Wydermyer, that includes Washington's Cade Otton, Ohio State's Jeremy Ruckert, Alabama's Jahleel Billingsley, Iowa State's Charlie Kolar, Nevada's Cole Turner and San Jose State's Derrick Deese Jr. Cincinnati's Josh Whyle isn't far behind.
Turner went off against Hawaii earlier this year -- 12 catches for 175 yards -- and his releases jump out on that tape. Turner's ability to separate causes matchup problems for linebackers, and his 6-foot-6 and 240-pound size causes issues for defensive backs when he splits out wide.
I love Deese's background. He played receiver in junior college, and his father is a former NFL offensive lineman. He's listed at 6-foot-4 and just 235 pounds, but he's strong and a great hands catcher with a wide catching radius. Deese has 44 catches for 687 yards and four TDs on the season.
Who is the best pass-catcher of the class? What about blocker?
The most talented receiver -- and the biggest wildcard -- in the class is Alabama's Billingsley. He's a true junior with just 12 catches (for 191 yards and three touchdowns) in five games, and he's undersized. That makes him a risky pick in the early rounds, but the talent is undeniable when watching the Southern Miss and Ole Miss tapes. Against the Golden Eagles in September, Billingsley had five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
He's as good as, if not better than, any tight end in this class at uncovering, and he has the speed to get behind the coverage. I have him with a third-round grade, and I think he could be the fourth or fifth tight end off the board -- which means he could be a real draft steal for the team that takes him.
As for the top in-line blocker, it's McBride. He has blown just one block -- pass or run -- on 376 tries. But Georgia's John FitzPatrick is definitely in the conversation. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, he has a higher center of gravity -- but he's powerful, and he finishes well. FitzPatrick is a potential late-rounder.
Are there any good Day 3 values or sleepers?
Plenty of talented tight ends have been drafted on Day 3. The 49ers' George Kittle went early in the fifth round in 2017, and he has two 1,000-yard seasons over his five-year career.
This year, I like Coastal Carolina's Isaiah Likely on Day 3. He flashes the ability to make highlight-reel catches, and he's a smooth open-field runner after the catch. Check out his Arkansas State tape; he had eight catches for 232 yards and four touchdowns in that game. And on the season, Likely has 44 receptions for 77 yards and nine scores.
Grayson McCall finds and hits a streaking Isaiah Likely for a 99-yard Coastal Carolina touchdown.
San Diego State's Daniel Bellinger is another late-rounder to watch. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds, he joins McBride and FitzPatrick in the mix for the class' best blocker. He gets off the ball, keeps his hips down and moves his feet. As a pass-catcher, Bellinger snatches the ball out of the air and has good straight-line speed for his size. He has 26 catches for 283 yards and two TDs.
What is one thing you still want from this tight end class?
Some of the production could be better. Washington's Otton -- who has a second-round grade with Scouts Inc. -- is averaging only 8.9 yards per catch and has one touchdown catch this year. As mentioned, Billingsley has just 12 catches, and he had 18 catches in 12 games last year. FitzPatrick has just five catches. We value tape more than anything else, but seeing these players finish the season stronger statistically would be ideal for evaluators -- and would mean a few more potential risers.