Tight End – South Dakota State

6’5, 255 lbs

On the heels of the first FCS Championship in South Dakota State history, Tucker Kraft announced he would be forgoing his final two years of college. With that, he will officially be entering the 2023 NFL Draft. He finishes his collegiate stint with 99 receptions for 1,211 yards and 9 touchdowns. Furthermore, he was named to the All-MVFC (Missouri Valley Football Conference) in each of his final two seasons. Not to mention earning All-American honors in both seasons. He’ll definitely be a tight end worth monitoring at the NFL Combine and throughout the offseason. 

Strengths

Blocking

Most tight ends can claim to be decent blockers, but Kraft takes this proficiency to another level. He never stops looking for his next target, even after leveling his first defender. Additionally, he’ll stay back, looking for another chance to provide additional support or to keep would-be tacklers away from his quarterback. While this doesn’t seem like it helps for fantasy football purposes, it does. Being a stout blocker will keep Kraft on the field more often and opposing defenders won’t initially know if he’s going to run a route or pop someone in the face first. Getting on the field is the goal right away, and his excellent blocking skills will help him in that regard. 

Control

Control has two meanings in this instance. First, Kraft’s hands are good enough to be a pass catcher in the NFL. Second, and more importantly, he has excellent body control for a man of his size. It’s almost poetic, at times, to see him stop and react to where the ball is going when the quarterback hurls it his way. Even after the catch, he makes some surprising maneuvers to churn up more yardage. Really, his effort is his bread and butter on the field and he never gives less than 100% on a play. Overall, these are things that an NFL team is going to love and give him snaps because of. 

Weaknesses

Route Running

In the time between the snap of the ball and the throw of the pass, there’s not a lot of finesse in Kraft’s game. At South Dakota State, he mainly saw targets on misdirection or play-actions plays. Additionally, he doesn’t always make sharp turns on his routes. His large frame clearly limits his ability in this department, but he still could get it done with what he was given.

Speed

Even for a tight end, Kraft has a little less than what we’d like from a Pro at the position. Overall, it works for him as he tends to absorb hits rather than create space with his feet. Don’t expect big, field-gobbling plays from him. On top of that, he’s not quick after first contact, meaning he’ll need that extra moment or two to get free of defenders.

Injury History

In 2022, Kraft missed seven games with an ankle injury which limited him to just 27 catches and 348 yards. Both are less than half of his numbers from the 15 games he played in 2021. However, he did finish strong with six receptions and 99 yards in his last two games. All in all, I’m not worried about this long-term in the NFL, but it is worth mentioning.

NFL Fit and Draft Capital

It’s highly unlikely that this South Dakota native finds himself as a Day 1 selection at this year’s NFL Draft. There are a handful of other tight ends that are getting a bit more buzz than him. As a more balanced athlete of the position, he’s a shoo-in for a Day 2 pick. He could slot into just about any NFL offensive scheme and provide sufficient production in his rookie campaign.

We’ve all heard the knock on rookie tight ends when it comes to fantasy football. That said, Kraft should definitely be on your dynasty radar. He’s built to have a long NFL career with many productive weeks along the way. You should draft him in the fourth round or even the late third round of your upcoming dynasty rookie drafts.

With the right landing spot on a squad that utilizes the position well, he will succeed. New England or the Detroit Lions both make sense. In either spot, he would manifest extra consideration. That being said, in your typical redraft leagues, I’m probably going to wait until he starts to show his talents before I add him from the waiver wire. Overall, his landing spot will be a big factor in his early career production, but he should absolutely be a target in your dynasty rookie drafts. 

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