Ranking Rookie TEs in the "year of the TE"

[jonesmaster]

Wanted to get a better sense of how people are ranking this years rookie TEs, and where you guys feel they should be going in rookie drafts.

Here is my tentative list:

1. OJ (Late First)
2. Engram (Early Second)
3. Njoku (Early Second)
4. Shaheen (Fourth)
5. Everett (Fourth)
6. Jonnu Smith (Sixth)
7. Hodges (Sixth - Eighth)

[Goddard]

Wanted to get a better sense of how people are ranking this years rookie TEs, and where you guys feel they should be going in rookie drafts.

Here is my tentative list:

1. OJ (Late First)
2. Engram (Early Second)
3. Njoku (Early Second)
4. Shaheen (Fourth)
5. Everett (Fourth)
6. Jonnu Smith (Sixth)
7. Hodges (Sixth - Eighth)

Someone doesn't like big Butts.

[cazzie33]

Missing G. Kittle who I would pick in the range between Njoku and Shaheen . Now I understand you won't have to NOW but if your draft is soon you can get a huge discount. Take him in the last rds. Come post pre-season drafts he will be in the 3rd / 4th rd range. Mark it down & remember you heard it here first !

[Space Cowboy]

Wanted to get a better sense of how people are ranking this years rookie TEs, and where you guys feel they should be going in rookie drafts.

Here is my tentative list:

1. OJ (Late First)
2. Engram (Early Second)
3. Njoku (Early Second)
4. Shaheen (Fourth)
5. Everett (Fourth)
6. Jonnu Smith (Sixth)
7. Hodges (Sixth - Eighth)

I'd bump Shaheen and Everett to mid to late 3rd due to their high ceilings, but overall good list. I'd add Butt as a 4th rounder.

[Unicorn92]

Almost agree i have everett at 4

[maxhyde]

definitely missing Butt, Kittle and Sprinkle....I am all in on the Reed backup not labeled VD

[A-train]

1. Howard ( mid 1st)
2. Njoku ( late 1st - early 2nd)
3. Engram ( late 1st - early 2nd)
4. Butt ( 3rd -4th)
5. Everett ( 3rd - 4th)
6. Shaheen ( 3rd -4th)

[kylejargon]

Missing G. Kittle who I would pick in the range between Njoku and Shaheen . Now I understand you won't have to NOW but if your draft is soon you can get a huge discount. Take him in the last rds. Come post pre-season drafts he will be in the 3rd / 4th rd range. Mark it down & remember you heard it here first !

Do not know if I would put him this high but I completely agree. Before too much longer George Kittle will be a high tight end. I heard 49ers tried to get rid of McDonald and Kittle went to Iowa where tight ends learn to block which will allow him to find a spot on the field.

[Goirish374]

My goodness...the Hodges Hate!

Hateges?

[BuckeyeNation]

Kittle became a popular stash in all of my leagues weeks ago. Picked him up in a few leagues right after the draft, then proceeded to drop him to stash somebody else a week or two later and before any of the news broke on him. Now he's long gone. Oh well..

I'm not sure what context everyone is using when making their rankings, but my list will be based on long-term fantasy contributions. I'm not going to rank them based solely on what their rookie pick values are. So I'm ranking based on who I think will be the biggest fantasy producers in 2-3 years. This may very go down as the best TE class ever, but I'm sure a lot of these guys won't amount to anything for will be picked up and dropped several times before they eventually breakout several years down the road.

Njoku- Young, raw, and risky to rank him #1 in such a strong TE class.. I've never been this high on an incoming TE since I started playing dynasty though.
Howard - Honestly I struggle putting him here. Super safe IMO and probably a RZ beast, I wonder if he'll become a high volume TE.
Everett- Love him as a pure pass catching TE. I'd never draft him over Engram, nor would I place similar value on Everett as I do the top 3 TES in this class right now, like I said this is projecting a few years down the road.
Engram - I like Engram, but from a fantasy prospective I'm not quite as high on him as others
Butt - Huge upside here, with tons of injury risk. I think he's either a stud or out of the league in 2-3 years. I don't think there's going to be much in between.
Shaheen
Hodges
Smith
Kittle
Sprinkle

[ColdZealDonkeyStrike]

Howard (mid-late 1st)
Njoku (1st/2nd)
Engram (Early 2nd)
Shaheen (late 2nd)
Everett (2nd/3rd)
Butt (3rd/4th)
Smith (3rd/4th)
Kittle (3rd/4th)
Hodges (5th)
Leggett (5th)

I like what I have seen out of Shaheen. He is a big boy, but is pretty fast and very agile for a guy that size. I see a Martellus-type player if he develops well.

[Servo]

I think far too many people are sleeping on Jonnu Smith.

[cazzie33]

definitely missing Butt, Kittle and Sprinkle....I am all in on the Reed backup not labeled VD

By that do you mean Niles Paul ???

[Chris_R]

I think far too many people are sleeping on Jonnu Smith.

I came to make this very same post. I mean, they took him in the 3rd round so they are obviously high on him, he will develop behind an old Delanie Walker and be coming into a very explosive offense to grow with one of the better young QBs in football. He's also got big time upside as a pass catcher. He checks the box for situation, opportunity, and athletic upside. I got him late 5th round or waivers after the draft in most places. I mean don't get me wrong I like Everett and Shaheen too, but how are they going 3rd round and Smith isn't getting drafted? After the top 3 I am going with the value later in the draft.

My favorite after the big 3 is Everett, but only if he is there in the 4th. But I probably prefer Smith in the 5th as the best combination of value, situation, and upside of every TE here.

[Death_From_Above]

I have them ranked:
1. OJ
2. Njoku
3. Engram
4. Shaheen
5. Hodges
6. Everett
7. Kittle
8. Butt
9./10./11. Smith, Leggett, Sprinkle

Obviously I have Hodges higher than most, and Butt lower than most. The top 3 will usually go in the top 15 picks after that it's if you have a guy there that you want in the late 2nd through 4th you might want to pounce cause its anyone's guess after that who likes who and when they are willing to pull the trigger.