Top 10 Tight Ends in the 2024 NFL Draft
For 2024, the tight end hype is all about one man, and his name is Brock Bowers. He will be an NFL Draft first-round pick, and many managers will not allow the talent to fall. However, the majority of teams will not be drafting Bowers, and that does not equate to fading every other tight end in this class. The class isn’t 2023, where it’s pulsing with four or five top names that can be placed in any order. However, the top two names may find themselves with better fantasy football upside and ability than any of them in 2023.
Most of the names on this list are athletes who need skills honed, while a few are more sturdy and consistent at a position begging for stability in fantasy. Some tight ends take years to find production. Logan Thomas had to switch positions to find his production. If you find a starter late or early at this position, the opportunity cost is usually worth the menial investment that managers make. Instead of going into 2024 thinking Bowers or bust, let’s dive into nine other tight ends who may deserve more recognition and could find themselves starting for NFL franchises in the near future.
Here, we’ll take a deeper look at the top 10 tight ends in this talented 2024 NFL Draft class.
1. Brock Bowers, Georgia
The top tight end prospect in the last three years, Georgia’s Bowers is a name dynasty managers have been excited about for some time. He’s a very fast tight end who gets used in a multitude of ways and can seemingly beat any type of defender that’s on him. Additionally, he is too fast for a lot of linebackers and has the body control to beat defenders in the air. Overall, Bowers has the makeup of a top tight end and offensive option for some lucky NFL franchise.
Bowers will have a new quarterback under center in 2023 but don’t expect his production to slow down. He’s averaged over 15 yards per catch in both of his collegiate seasons and was only 58 yards from a 1,000-yard season in 2022 as a tight end. For reference, former Iowa Hawkeyes Sam LaPorta was seen as a very productive tight end for the college game. LaPorta’s best season was a 670-yard, three-touchdown season.
In two seasons, Bowers has scored 20 touchdowns. Needless to say, he’s a monster at his position. Many dynasty managers will likely take him top six in rookie drafts. After Marvin Harrison Jr., Drake Maye, and Caleb Williams, it’s officially “get your guy” season in 2024. Some will see Raheim Sanders or TreVeyon Henderson above him, but a fair amount of managers will understand the talent of Bowers and the advantage he could give their dynasty team long term.
2. Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Ja’Tavion Sanders was a highly touted athlete in his original recruiting class, and he proved to be a dynamic target for the Texas Longhorns in 2022. He had 613 yards receiving yards while scoring his five touchdowns on the season, all scores coming in the Longhorns’ first six games. Additionally, he had multiple five-plus catch games in 2022. Not to mention, he showed good chemistry with quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Furthermore, Sanders is a prospect likely on the level of Trey McBride coming into 2022 rookie drafts. Sanders is a large and athletic target that dynasty managers would likely be thrilled to take with a second-round pick. Really, he feels like an ideal final piece in any NFL offense. He’s a playmaker at the position and should currently be viewed as the TE2 in the 2024 class. While won’t reach Brock Bowers’ level of hype ever, an NFL team will get an Evan Engram-like athlete who will be a threat sooner than later.
3. Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina
Bryson Nesbit has the luxury of having Drake Maye as his quarterback in the upcoming 2023 season. Nesbit is a strong and big tight end who should be heavily targeted this season for the Tar Heels. Nesbit has good hands and can fight his way through tackles to gain extra yardage. Also, he lines up outside at times and can be a big playmaker with the proper NFL fit and coaching.
Nesbit is coming off a 2022 season where he accrued 35 catches and 504 yards, an impressive 14.5 yards per catch average. Nesbit’s physical traits are what will intrigue dynasty managers, and he should be a rising name throughout the pre-draft process. There are plenty of targets in this offense, and he has already hit production levels that are enticing in college tight ends.
Overall, I’d expect Nesbit to be a Day 2 pick or taken early on Day 3 in the NFL Draft. All in all, he should become a player that dynasty that managers won’t mind investing in come the third round of rookie drafts.
4. McCallan Castles, Tennessee
Our first listed transfer is McCallan Castles of Tennessee in his first season for the Volunteers. Castles spent his first collegiate season playing at a lower level with UC Davis and finding some consistency with two seasons of over 300 receiving yards. New starting quarterback Joe Milton will be looking to grow with new targets following the departures of Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt, and Cedric Tillman in 2022.
Furthermore, Castles is a sizable target. Seeing him emerge as a top player on the team would not be shocking. He’s a graduate transfer who went through all spring practice and should be able to play right away. Additionally, he has good hands and is incredibly athletic. For him, it’s all about putting those skills on tape in an SEC setting. This offense needs a player with Castles’ experience, so watch out this fall as he ascends.
Due to his advanced age and lack of recruiting history, Castles may have to settle for the ceiling of being a top-five tight end in 2024’s class. That alone would be an impressive job to get drafted from the beginning. Plus, he certainly has the talent to make it happen. His age will matter little for dynasty leagues and from the tight end position. Expecting more than a two or three-year window from draft picks is hopeful at best.
Castles could be a Day 2 or Day 3 player but just needs the NFL coaching to expand his game. He’s a fine tight end dart late in a questionable tight end class after the top.
5. Brant Kuithe, Utah
Utah seems to keep rostering tight ends who are big and tough while possessing enough touch and finesse to be useful in the receiving game. Brant Kuithe has been with the Utes since 2018 and has found productive years while battling with talented players such as Dalton Kincaid and Cole Fotheringham. Kuithe had two seasons in 2019 and 2021 where he would gain over 600 yards while providing six endzone trips each year as well.
Furthermore, Kuithe is a tight end who welcomes physical contact and should be able to step up even further as the Utes 2023 starter. Similar to Kincaid, Utah trusted Kuithe to line up outside and in the slot to run his routes. He isn’t going to be breaking tackles or making a load of defenders miss, but he can catch the ball in the flat and work his way upfield for eight to 10-yard gains.
He isn’t the athlete Kincaid is, but Kuithe provided an offensive threat in a different form. Kuithe is closer to a Cade Otton-type athlete, a sure-handed receiver who thrives in the short game due to his size. Overall, could rise as high as TE3 in this class and should be a safe production bet in 2023. This means we may be looking at a future second or third-round pick in rookie drafts.
6. Cade Stover, Ohio State
Cade Stover has been a Buckeye since the 2019 season and finally was able to show some production in this offense in 2022. With the number of wide receivers Ohio State has produced and playing behind 2022 draft pick Jeremy Ruckert, should shed light on Stovers’ growth and role going into 2023. In 2022, despite breakouts from Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, Stover still caught five touchdowns while securing 406 receiving yards. Needless to say, those are admirable numbers for a player who is not an offensive focal point.
Stover could find himself following a path similar to Ruckert and become a second or third-day pick due to his pedigree, consistency, and willingness to play his role. He’s not a shifty tight end and has an athletic ceiling lower than most other tight ends we will talk about, but his sure hands and size will likely find a role at the next level. He feels like a Will Dissly-level talent, a player who could produce for fantasy given the role and the targets.
He likely won’t be anything above a team’s fourth option on offense, and that’s his best-case scenario. If he hits that, though, he should see a relatively decent amount of reps that may propel him into solid TE2 weeks. He should be a Day 3 pick who managers can feel safe taking in the late fourth or off the waiver wire, and then we hope his work ethic and consistency show through.
7. Jaheim Bell, Florida State
Jaheim Bell is a Seminole starting in 2023 after spending the last three seasons as a versatile option in the South Carolina Gamecocks offense. Bell’s best season came in 2021 when he would turn only 30 catches into 497 yards and five touchdowns, good for a 16.6-yard average per catch. Bell is an intriguing prospect due to his versatility and the fact that his rushes nearly tripled his catches in 2022.
Bell is a bruiting tight end who can lineup at fullback and could play a role at the goalline at the next level. He’s strong, and he’s capable of catching, but it’ll be important to see his usage this upcoming season for the Seminoles. The offense he transferred into arguably has more talent than the Gamecocks had, so watching if Bell can further ascend and grow is key to his draft slot.
Is he Reggie Gilliam, or can he be more? His athletic ability would have me feeling he can be a bit more, but Bell needs the ball in his hands to really impact the game. I’m not sure an NFL team will be able to invest more than a Day 3 pick in him, but Bell could find some value next offseason from a waiver wire position for managers.
8. Erick All, Iowa
The theme for this 2024 tight end class is exceptional athletes who haven’t seemed to match their talents with their production. Erick All is a good example of that, but his opportunity with the Hawkeyes may allow him to become a draftable player in 2024. As is the case with many of the listed tight ends here, All is a terrific athlete who has the size and fearlessness to win over the middle. Every one of these late tight ends is able to catch and thrive on seam routes across the middle.
All is a good catcher of the football, and now he gets to learn at a school that has produced impressive tight ends in previous draft classes. All is an effort player who also is a terrific blocker. He should find his way on an NFL roster, but his skills may not be refined enough to confidently play right away. His best season for the Wolverines was a 38-catch, 437-yard effort in 2021, and those sorts of numbers can likely be replicated in 2023. He should be a Day 3 pick which may make him less than ideal to draft, but his NFL development may reach a level where we, as managers, will be willing to go all in on him.
9. Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
Brevyn Spann-Ford is heading into his final season for the Minnesota Gophers, and although his stats are not huge, he has shown growth and developed into a steady presence in the offense. Spann-Ford isn’t the fastest player but is a large target over the middle and has good hands. He caught 42 balls in 2022, displaying his ability and catching radius on most of the targets.
Spann-Ford is an athletic big tight end who should have no issues with the NFL’s physicality. He may take some time to develop, but his play has shades of Logan Thomas. He was a safe outlet for Tanner Morgan for years and may be an NFL team’s ideal TE2 option or backup right away. The production isn’t huge, but his effort is hard to deny. He’s fighting on every down in the Big Ten.
He may be drafted into a Jake Ferguson-type situation where he’s a Day 3 pick and clearly behind others. However, by Years 2 and 3, he should be worth more than the fourth-round dart you had to spend on to get him, if he even needs to be drafted as a rookie.
10. Michael Trigg, Ole Miss
Like Bryson Nesbit and Ja’Tavion Sanders, Ole Miss tight end Michael Trigg is an upcoming Junior who was a part of the 2021 recruiting class. Trigg hasn’t shown immense production at the college level, but he would come down with three touchdowns in 2022 on only 17 season catches. His regular season would end prematurely due to a broken collarbone in early October. With players such as Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath moving onto the NFL level, there are targets to be had in this 2023 Rebels offense, and Trigg could be a huge beneficiary.
Trigg’s mystery box of production and athleticism should keep him on the radar heading into this 2023 season. As a young player, he may need this year to ramp up his stock before ultimately returning next season. However, we’re projecting a level of talent from Trigg, and if his numbers do allow him to be a top offensive player for the Rebels, it may not be necessary for him to return.
This player’s value could rise to a top-five tight end in this class or even lower than 10th as he’s currently listed. While he needs massive amounts of molding, if he’s drafted, expect dynasty managers to give him a chance with their fourth-round darts.
Conclusion
This 2024 tight end class is full of a bunch of question marks while also displaying a lot of talent. A lot of these players will be stepping into the largest opportunity they’ve had in their college careers to this point. These schools have lost rushing and receiving talent, so these players will certainly be asked to step up.
Even if this list was done next spring and we had a clear idea of who is here, it’s obvious that 10 tight ends likely won’t warrant rookie pick draft capital. Keep these names in mind, and if they find themselves in an intriguing situation from Day 3 of the draft, don’t be afraid to stash and hold these tight ends through at least their first offseason.
The necessary strategy when it comes to tight ends is to locate traits you personally value at the position, then practice patience with them while they further their abilities and ascend in value. Unless you play in a league without a need to start tight ends, this position will always find guys from later rounds who find themselves in a placement of opportunity. This 2024 rookie class should provide value like that once again.
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