These 2020 rookies are ranked for long-term dynasty purposes based on talent, coaching, supporting cast, and other factors. To get their outlook for 2020 alone, view our site projections, available in early May.
Remember to download Greg Cosell’s 2020 NFL Draft Guide for detailed breakdowns on the skill sets of many of these prospects.
1. Adam Trautman (NO, 3rd round, 105th overall from Dayton)
The most telling thing about Trautman, other than his fantastic college production (70/916/14 in his final season at Dayton) was the fact that the Saints traded their entire 2020 Day Three haul — four picks in all — to move up into the back end of the third round to draft him. That’s notable, considering Jared Cook is 33 and has no guaranteed money left on his contract beyond the 2020 season.
Trautman had solid athleticism for his size — especially in agility drills — and put together one of the best positional drills performances in Indianapolis, as well, showcasing his solid hands and nuance for running routes. Additionally, Sean Payton considers him a true, “traditional” TE with the ability to contribute as an in-line blocker. That could get him on the field as a rookie, but this dynasty ranking is based mostly on the fact that he landed in a great spot with a team that might move on from Cook after the 2020 season. He doesn’t have redraft value unless Cook were to go down or his production were to fall off a cliff.
2. Cole Kmet (Chi, 2nd round, 43rd overall from Notre Dame)
The Bears have spent the last few seasons trying to find competence at the TE position. Signing Trey Burton didn’t work out. Drafting Adam Shaheen in the second round in 2017 didn’t work out. So they threw money — probably too much, with $9 million guaranteed — at a declining (already declined?) Jimmy Graham, took a flyer on Demetrius Harris, and still used their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Kmet.
Kmet is huge — 6’6”, 262 pounds — and looks the part of a more “traditional” TE. He’s a good blocker but doesn’t really have a vertical element to his game and probably doesn’t have the quickness to line up as an “X” receiver to the backside of bunches, the way someone like Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz does. If you really like Kmet, you can probably compare him to another Eagle TE, Dallas Goedert; though our Greg Cosell thinks Goedert was a better athlete coming out.
Kmet doesn’t fit the profile of the high-level fantasy TE, but he can still be a solid contributor by using his size in the red zone. He fits best on a team where his blocking ability — though he needs to get stronger — can be useful in the run game, and that’s the case in Chicago. He’s not a draftable redraft asset, but I could see him making a low-level fantasy impact as a rookie.
3. Devin Asiasi (NE, 3rd round, 91st overall from UCLA)
The 2019 NFL Draft was generally regarded as a fantastic one for tight ends. The Patriots didn’t draft one, despite Rob Gronkowski’s (temporary) retirement. The 2020 NFL Draft was generally regarded as a fantastic one for wide receivers. The Patriots didn’t draft one, despite having one of the slowest groups of WRs in the game. Instead, they used back-to-back third-round picks on tight ends in a 2020 draft class generally regarded as terrible for the tight end position. Hey, Bill Belichick marches to the beat of his own drum!
That’s not meant to insult Asiasi, who was someone I didn’t know a whole lot about, but I came away impressed after watching him. He’s a better athlete on film (though his Combine tests weren’t so hot) than someone like Cole Kmet, and I think he provides the versatility that the NFL game craves from the TE position in today’s game. A late bloomer who was a big-time recruit for Michigan but then transferred to UCLA, Asiasi had just one productive season in college — he caught 44 of his 52 career passes in his junior (and final) season.
Ultimately, I think it’s a good sign that Belichick trusts UCLA coach Chip Kelly and traded up for Asiasi. I’m sure they had plenty of conversations about him. While he needs to get stronger and has some hands issues, he shows a feel and nuance for route running and impressive play speed that translates to the NFL. He’s not draftable in redraft leagues as a rookie, but he might have the best chance at producing some sort of fantasy value of any TE in this class, and he’s an intriguing dynasty pick in the mid to later rounds of a rookie draft.
4. Harrison Bryant (Cle, 4th round, 115th overall from Florida Atlantic)
Bryant’s tape shows something that should immediately make people excited — he lined up all over the formation for Lane Kiffin’s Florida Atlantic club. That’s good news, because at just 243 pounds, he lacks the ideal size for an in-line TE. But he’s a fascinating developmental prospect for coach Kevin Stefanski, who quite clearly wants to use 12 personnel as a foundation in Cleveland.
A very good route runner with smooth movement and some after-the-catch ability, Bryant isn’t “explosive” but should provide plenty of athleticism to separate from the formation. He posted 1004 receiving yards in his senior season at FAU, and consistently got better throughout his college career.
While Bryant is buried as a rookie behind Austin Hooper and David Njoku, it’s possible the Browns could choose to try to trade Njoku at some point, which would open up a role for the talented Bryant in 2021. But if the Browns keep Njoku in 2021 — they did exercise his fifth-year option — we could be waiting a while for Bryant to be productive.
5. Colby Parkinson (Sea, 4th round, 133rd overall from Stanford)
Oh look, a Stanford TE got drafted! Tall (6’7”) but skinny (252 pounds), Parkinson needs to get stronger at the point of attack because his big, lean frame makes him easier to move off his spot than I’d like to see. But man, he is a massive target in the red zone, and if he can get stronger, there’s a lot of untapped potential here, because Parkinson can run for a man his size, too (4.77 40-yard dash).
Somewhat surprisingly, Parkinson’s solid sophomore campaign (7 TD on just 29 catches) turned into a weird junior season (1 TD on 48 catches), but TDs can be fluky, even in college. He lands in a spot where he can develop behind veteran Greg Olsen, and his selection is probably a reflection on the fact that Will Dissly is coming off two nasty injuries in two seasons (patellar tear, Achilles tear). Parkinson is buried on the depth chart for now, but the Seahawks are never shy about letting rookies play if they earn it — just look at Dissly (who was also a fourth-round pick) two seasons ago.
6. Dalton Keene (NE, 3rd round, 101st overall from Virginia Tech)
The Patriots lost FB James Develin to retirement, but they signed Dan Vitale away from the Packers, and could be developing Keene to fill somewhat of that role as well, as he lined up everywhere in college and was used as a blocker quite a bit. Keene caught just 59 passes in three seasons at Virginia Tech, adding 11 rushes as a junior as well. His role as a jack-of-all-trades appealed to the Patriots, though it could be some time before he picks up the nuances of Josh McDaniels’ offense. Keene has very good athleticism and the Pats traded up for him, but it may be most likely he profiles as a Kyle Juszczyk type of player who is super useful to his club but never a true fantasy asset.
7. Brycen Hopkins (LAR, 4th round, 136th overall from Purdue)
The son of former NFL lineman Brad Hopkins, Brycen gives you everything you want on film from the “modern” TE with the exception of one thing — perhaps the most inconsistent hands in the entire class. He posted 61/830/7 in his final year at Purdue, and his 4.66 speed is very exciting for a guy who weighs 245 pounds. He has the athletic profile to replace Gerald Everett in the Rams’ two-TE sets if the Rams let Everett walk after his 2020 contract year. The cap-strapped Rams have already extended TE Tyler Higbee, so it seems inevitable that Everett will walk.
8. Albert Okwuegbunam (Den, 4th round, 118th overall from Missouri)
“Albert O,” as he is affectionately known, absolutely blew up the NFL Combine, running 4.49 in the 40 at 258 pounds, though he didn’t do jumps or agility drills. He’s coming off a college career during which he scored 23 TD on just 98 receptions (23.5%!). He needs to work on his extremely basic route running and play strength, but teams will always love working with someone who has the physical tools Okwuegbunam has. The problem for fantasy is that he’s buried behind 2019 first-rounder Noah Fant, recent signing Nick Vannett, and multiple others on Denver’s loaded TE depth chart. Clearly, the Broncos plan to develop Albert O, so don’t expect a fantasy impact soon.
9. Tyler Davis (Jax, 6th round, 206th overall from Georgia Tech)
Davis originally went to UConn as a quarterback, but converted to tight end and caught 47 passes — with 7 TD — before transferring to Georgia Tech for his final year. He posted 17/148/1 receiving with the Yellow Jackets, as he was used mostly as a blocker to help a completely rebuilt offensive line and a new offensive scheme. It probably says something that Davis was voted a team captain in his only year in Atlanta. The reason he ranks even this highly on this list is because of opportunity, frankly. The Jags signed Tyler Eifert to a one-year deal this off-season, and 2019 third-rounder Josh Oliver missed virtually his entire rookie season with hamstring and back injuries.
10. Josiah Deguara (GB, 3rd round, 94th overall from Cincinnati)
Short and undersized for the TE position (6’2”, 242 pounds), Deguara isn’t expected to play a traditional TE position for the Packers. Mostly, he’s expected to play fullback and H-back. If that sounds like Kyle Juszczyk… well, that’s because that’s exactly what coach Matt LaFleur wants to do. Deguara caught 92 passes and scored 12 TD in his career at Cincinnati, though his value is going to be in dictating personnel matchups while helping the Packers’ run game. His receiving ability is just an added bonus. In a draft that frankly pissed a lot of Packer fans off, Deguara’s selection was one of the biggest culprits — it’s not that he isn’t a useful player, it’s that LaFleur is fully leaning into a smashmouth run game without surrounding QB Aaron Rodgers with weapons.
Other TEs of Note
Stephen Sullivan (Sea, 7th round, 251st overall from LSU) — Sullivan is a raw but explosive athlete who caught just 46 passes in college but has enticing developmental skills for a receiving TE.
Hunter Bryant (Det, UDFA from Washington) — It must have been horrendous medicals (knee) that dropped Bryant from a potential Day 2 pick to undrafted. If he’s healthy, he’s arguably the most complete TE prospect in this class.
Thaddeus Moss (Was, UDFA from LSU) — A foot injury that required surgery pushed Randy’s son to the ranks of the undrafted. He also missed the entire 2018 season with a foot injury. He’ll have a shot to make an impact on a horrendous TE depth chart in Washington.
Charlie Woerner (SF, 6th round, 190th overall from Georgia) — A big-time recruit who caught just 34 passes and scored 1 TD in college. A good blocker who could move to fullback.
