Is there a rookie tight end with not-so-great talent but in a good situation?
Jason Wood
Kahale Warring's college tape doesn't project to the level of T.J. Hockenson, Irv Smith, or Noah Fant, but he did land in a potentially ideal situation. The Texans have used a revolving door of mediocre tight ends for years, and DeShaun Watson could use a trusted chain-mover in the middle of the field. Warring will face competition from Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas in training camp, but there are red zone targets and touchdowns aplenty for Warring if he earns a full-time role.
Sigmund Bloom
Josh Oliver is a small school talent but projects as a pure receiving tight end with no real competition for targets and snaps in Jacksonville. Kahale Warring is a tantalizing offensive talent but raw. Ryan Griffin has been released and his main competition for snaps is also young and with arguably lower ceilings in 2018 draft picks Jordan Thomas and Jordan Akins. Either they love Warring or aren't totally sold on Thomas/Akins or some of both, but you like any player who could be a top target for Deshaun Watson, which is possible when you consider the injury history of his #2 and #3 receivers.
Daniel Simpkins
This was a really difficult question because this was one of the better tight end classes on paper that we’ve ever had. Dax Raymond signing as an undrafted free agent with Chicago might be the best answer. Chicago has a budding offense in need of consistent pass-catching tight end production. Both Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen can serve that role, but both Burton and Shaheen have struggled to stay healthy so far in their careers. There is certainly room for a consistent and healthy producer there, but Raymond is a puzzling choice for a tryout. He is very thin for the position, has poor hands, and creates unnecessary contested catch situations. While it doesn’t cost the Bears anything in terms of draft picks, it does waste reps that could be given to another undrafted tight end who is more likely to pan out.
Chad Parsons
Josh Oliver is a middling talent but with Day 2 pedigree and a wide-open depth chart in Jacksonville. James O'Shaughnessy is nothing more than a placeholder transition to Oliver's future opportunity. Foster Moreau is another middling talent without much competition (at least for now) on the Oakland depth chart. Drew Sample would be a sneaky opportunity bet with Round 2 pedigree and Tyler Eifert and C.J. Uzomah low-probability bets to be with the team by 2020.
Jeff Haseley
Dawson Knox in Buffalo comes to mind. He's not a Top 3 or 4 tight end in this class, but he has an opportunity in Buffalo to make an impact, especially due to the injuries the team has endured at the position.
Andy Hicks
Jason, Chad, Sigmund, and Jeff all hit good options. Houston, Jacksonville, and Buffalo are not exactly roaming with talent at the tight end position, so any rookie drafted highly will be in play straight away. Nick Foles worked well with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert last year, but Josh Oliver will have to earn his playing time. In Houston, there are two draft picks from last year in Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas who showed flashes last year so Kahale Warring may have his work cut out, but it would be to the surprise of no one if Warring is in the starting rotation.
Dan Hindery
Arizona is an intriguing landing spot for Caleb Wilson. The Cardinals are likely to play at a fast pace and rank near the top of the NFL in pass percentage. Wilson is paired for the long-term with a 21-year old franchise quarterback. There is an opportunity here for Wilson but he may not be talented enough to grab it. Wilson is raw as a route runner and doesn’t do a great job of separating. He also fell all the way to the last pick of the draft despite some impressive testing numbers (4.56-second forty-yard dash).
Justin Howe
Foster Moreau certainly doesn't leap off the screen as a receiving prospect. Far more or a blocker than a downfield threat, he averaged barely 20 catches per year and 12.0 yards per catch at LSU. But for 2019-20 startability, there are few juicier tight end rooms to walk into than Oakland's, which glaringly lacks starting-caliber talent. At the moment, it appears Darren Waller and Erik Swoope lead the "charge" to start, which is great news for newcomers looking for snaps. If Moreau can lock down early playing time, there's sneaky TE2 potential off the bat in this offense. Derek Carr has had his struggles in the pocket and looked often to his tight ends last season (130 targets). Moreau tested well at the combine (a 104.4 Adjusted Explosiveness Index) and could be a prime recipient of that attention early on.
