Greatest TE class ever?

[Lssd2012]

The top three prospects - Howard, Engram, Njoku - will enter the league and arguably be the best athletes at their position already. By the end of next year, would not surprise me at all if 1-2 of those players are in discussion for top 5 dynasty TEs. Not to mention the great depth this year in Butt, Hodge's, Leggins.

We could be looking at a TE renaissance next year. I know TEs typically take a while to develop but I think those top three guys could immediately do damage On the receiving end out of pure athleticism. I'd easily take any of those three right ends over any of the tight ends that have come out in recent years.

[Cameron Giles]

Howard
Engram
Butt
Hodges
Njoku
Leggett

A lot of potential there. Could definitely rival 2013: Eifert, Kelce, Ertz, Reed

[WideoutWizard]

Tight end prospects haunt me just thinking about them. I understand good tight end prospects prevail over time, but the odds of this are still lower than most would expect.

I will be doing the same thing I do every year, let someone else overdraft Engram and Howard (who I don't think is even that good), then wait for them to start slow and try to acquire them at the right time.

The thing about these tight ends is, even though everyone loves them, there advanced metrics and college numbers are not even that great.

In the end, the tight end position is esentially a crap shoot, and I'll be throwing my darts elsewhere in rookie drafts this offseason.

[Crwdstunna]

Looks better than most! Could definitely rival that 2013 class mentioned above. A lot of time still left in the draft process though.

[steelman]

I refuse to draft a TE. I'll sit back and wait for a TE to come to me via trade or waivers (I picked Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas off waivers once upon a time).

[People Mover]

In leagues where guys trade away TEs as if they didn't know they take time to develop, I would do the same. Unfortunately, the owners in my league know that it takes time for TEs to develop and don't trade them away to me for cheap. Therefore, I have to draft TEs I think will be elite. Maybe I should join a league where people are dumb enough to give up on young TEs early!

[trader_nation]

"here advanced metrics and college numbers are not even that great" Great and Howard's production can't even be used in the same sentence. They even managed to get worse in his SR year. He had a lot of hype going into college and didn't really deliver, will be interesting if it happens in the Pros too.

Year School Conf Class Pos G Rec Yds Avg TD
*2013 Alabama SEC FR TE 10 14 269 19.2 2
*2014 Alabama SEC SO TE 9 17 260 15.3 0
*2015 Alabama SEC JR TE 12 38 602 15.8 2
2016 Alabama SEC SR TE 13 37 445 12.0 2
Career Alabama 106 1576 14.9 6

[People Mover]

"here advanced metrics and college numbers are not even that great" Great and Howard's production can't even be used in the same sentence. They even managed to get worse in his SR year. He had a lot of hype going into college and didn't really deliver, will be interesting if it happens in the Pros too.

Year School Conf Class Pos G Rec Yds Avg TD
*2013 Alabama SEC FR TE 10 14 269 19.2 2
*2014 Alabama SEC SO TE 9 17 260 15.3 0
*2015 Alabama SEC JR TE 12 38 602 15.8 2
2016 Alabama SEC SR TE 13 37 445 12.0 2
Career Alabama 106 1576 14.9 6

Can a pizza boy deliver if he is never given the keys to a truck? What if he is never even given the pizza to deliver in the first place?

[Crwdstunna]

"here advanced metrics and college numbers are not even that great" Great and Howard's production can't even be used in the same sentence. They even managed to get worse in his SR year. He had a lot of hype going into college and didn't really deliver, will be interesting if it happens in the Pros too.

Year School Conf Class Pos G Rec Yds Avg TD
*2013 Alabama SEC FR TE 10 14 269 19.2 2
*2014 Alabama SEC SO TE 9 17 260 15.3 0
*2015 Alabama SEC JR TE 12 38 602 15.8 2
2016 Alabama SEC SR TE 13 37 445 12.0 2
Career Alabama 106 1576 14.9 6

Can a pizza boy deliver if he is never given the keys to a truck? What if he is never even given the pizza to deliver in the first place?

I see what you did there

[Death_From_Above]

TBH I have always let others draft TE's earlier than I would and then I wait till the next offseason to trade for them cheaper than the investment they made to draft them. Not saying it is the best strategy, just saying I dont think even this class will change me off that game.

[Cameron Giles]

"here advanced metrics and college numbers are not even that great" Great and Howard's production can't even be used in the same sentence. They even managed to get worse in his SR year. He had a lot of hype going into college and didn't really deliver, will be interesting if it happens in the Pros too.

Year School Conf Class Pos G Rec Yds Avg TD
*2013 Alabama SEC FR TE 10 14 269 19.2 2
*2014 Alabama SEC SO TE 9 17 260 15.3 0
*2015 Alabama SEC JR TE 12 38 602 15.8 2
2016 Alabama SEC SR TE 13 37 445 12.0 2
Career Alabama 106 1576 14.9 6

They made him block for four years. He flashed anytime they attempted to get him involved.

[joeday]

If you have an older vet like Olsen or Walker that you could take one of these guys and sit and wait then sure, but no way would I ever get my hopes up about a rookie TE. I can't think of a year that one ever panned out as a rookie.

[CAMVP]

If you have an older vet like Olsen or Walker that you could take one of these guys and sit and wait then sure, but no way would I ever get my hopes up about a rookie TE. I can't think of a year that one ever panned out as a rookie.

Gronk had 10 TDs as a rookie.

[Dynastychamp111]

If you have an older vet like Olsen or Walker that you could take one of these guys and sit and wait then sure, but no way would I ever get my hopes up about a rookie TE. I can't think of a year that one ever panned out as a rookie.

As a Gronk owner I would love for one of the top 2 TE to fall to me in the 2nd round. Im not the guy who will draft them in the first. I do like the TE class this year for sure.

[cha]

If you have an older vet like Olsen or Walker that you could take one of these guys and sit and wait then sure, but no way would I ever get my hopes up about a rookie TE. I can't think of a year that one ever panned out as a rookie.

Shockey had a good rookie season if I remember correctly. But yeah it is much more common for the TE to not develop at all or take a long time.