In the 2021 NFL Draft, 11 tight ends were selected. One of them was the earliest tight end picked in the draft’s history. However, only one more went in the second round. Then, three were picked in the third, two in the fourth, and four in the fifth round. Finally, Pro Football Focus (PFF) credited four undrafted rookie tight ends with at least one target in 2021. Thus, there wasn’t a lot of draft capital attached to most of the class. Nevertheless, looking back at the rookie tight end class’s production yields a pair of legitimate fantasy options. However, two more tight ends are worth tracking in the offseason and early in the regular season as possible sleepers.
Second-Year Tight Ends
Routes and Yards per Route Run (Y/RR) are from PFF, Yards per Target (Y/Tgt) is from Pro-Football-Reference, Target Share (Share%) is from Sports Info Solutions, and snaps are from the NFL Snap Count Leaders page.
The production among last year's rookie tight end class was light. Only one of them eclipsed 1,000 yards, and the second-highest mark failed to crack the 500-yard threshold. Further, the third-highest yardage total was short of 250. The top-two tight ends are forthcoming as the standouts and only definite fantasy options in 2022. However, since the tight end position has not historically provided immediate production, a couple more options are watchlist worthy, hoping they improve in their sophomore campaign.
Standouts
Kyle Pitts (TE - ATL): 33.8 Average Draft Position (ADP) in Point per Reception (PPR), TE3
Expectations were so high for Pitts last year that finishing as the TE10 in per-game PPR scoring was disappointing. Still, he had spectacular underlying statistics relative to his peers. According to PFF, out of 35 tight ends targeted at least 40 times, including the postseason, Pitts was fourth in Yards per Route Run (2.02 Y/RR).
Further, according to Pro-Football-Reference, he was third among qualified tight ends in Yards per Target (9.3 Y/Tgt), fifth in targets (110), 12th in receptions per game (4.0), and sixth in receiving yards per game (60.4). Thus, Pitts brilliantly blended efficiency and volume. Sadly, he scored only one touchdown, significantly hurting his fantasy scoring.
Pitts should have touchdown scoring regression, and he might take a step forward in development, too. Interestingly, Pitts was essentially a tight end only in the positional designation. According to PFF, he aligned inline at just a 21.8% clip versus 34.2% wide and 43.8% in the slot. Perhaps, head coach Arthur Smith will attempt to create more mismatches against linebackers and safeties this year by increasing Pitts' inline usage with the addition of big-bodied rookie receiver Drake London as a weapon to move around as well. However, even if Pitts is deployed identically to his rookie season, Pitts is a great bet to finish as a top-five fantasy tight end. Pitts is an excellent selection near his ADP, given the questions behind the top tight ends.
Pat Freiermuth (TE - PIT): 106.5 ADP, TE11
Freiermuth wasn't nearly as efficient as Pitts. Nonetheless, he finished just outside of fantasy-starter territory as a rookie, ranking 16th in PPR scoring per game at the position. Pittsburgh's passing game will look drastically different in 2022 after the retirement of wholly washed-up Ben Roethlisberger. Therefore, it remains to be seen who will garner the most attention from whoever starts at quarterback for the Steelers, either rookie Kenny Pickett or Mitch Trubisky.
It's unlikely Freiermuth will surge to the top of the pecking order. Still, he should have an integral role in the offense. Moreover, he's a big target in the red zone who thrived in that area of the field last year. Freiermuth was third among tight ends in 2021 in touchdowns (seven) and tied for second in targets (20) in the red zone. He's being drafted in the correct range among tight ends. However, there's not much separating him from significantly cheaper dart throws. Therefore, the opportunity cost of passing on the players at other positions being drafted around Freiermuth's ADP is too great to pick the second-year tight end. Still, he should flirt with a top-10 finish at the position.
Sophomore Sleepers
Brevin Jordan (TE - HOU): 267.0 ADP, TE30
The Texans desperately need their youngsters to step up in the passing game behind established No. 1 receiver Brandin Cooks. Perhaps, Jordan's role can grow in his sophomore campaign, sitting atop the current projected depth chart. In their pre-draft write-up, PFF lauded Jordan's speed and Yards After the Catch (YAC) ability. Additionally, they credited him with an impressive 21 broken tackles on 105 catches in his college career. Thankfully, his YAC and tackle-breaking ability translated to the NFL as a rookie.
According to PFF, out of 54 tight ends targeted at least 25 times, Jordan's 5.0 YAC/Reception was above-average, ranking tied for 24th. Jordan also had four forced missed tackles on his 20 receptions. He's not a player gamers should draft in most leagues. However, gamers who took a late-round tight end should put him on the watch list and see how he's used in Week 1.
John Bates (TE - WAS): Undrafted
Bates is a possible early-season streamer if Logan Thomas cannot suit up early in the year. Thomas had ACL surgery on December 17, 2021. The tight end is rehabbing now and reported that he's ahead of schedule, but the original timeline of 10 months would mean he'd miss a few weeks.
If Thomas misses a few games, Bates might handle a full workload. With Thomas out in the final five weeks (Week 14 through 18), Bates played 71%, 62%, 75%, 92%, and 100% of Washington's snaps. During that stretch, he was tied with Pitts for the 15th-most routes (121). Unfortunately, his stellar route participation resulted in just eight receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown. Regardless, in deeper leagues, Bates' mere presence running routes might be enough to provide hope for streamer appeal if Thomas misses the first few weeks.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.