TIGHT ENDS
The countdown is on. The time to prepare before the 2023 NFL Draft is rapidly coming to a close. Broto Player Comparisons are tweaked and updated to showcase all of the incoming rookies. Several data points are used to create confidence comparisons relevant to fantasy football production specifically. Analytical data is pulled and referenced from Peter Howard’s extensive public CFB database. Confidence comparisons are then formulated by our transcendent mathematics magician and Broto’s lead data analyst Santiago Casanova @BRotoFFCasanova.
To help prepare managers for their upcoming dynasty league rookie drafts, we will get better acquainted with some of the incoming prospects and their potential fantasy football player comparisons.
The 2023 NFL Draft class runs deep with tight end talent. Let’s look at some of my top-ranked players at the position and their Broto Player Comps.
2023 Broto Fantasy Player Comparisons: Wide Receivers
2023 Broto Rookie Player Comparisons: Running Backs
Michael Mayer - Notre Dame
Broto Fantasy Player Comparisons
Michael Mayer stands alone as the 2023 NFL Draft’s TE1, boasting four positive player comparisons in Trey McBride, Mark Andrews, Evan Engram and Jonnu Smith. The tight end position is admittedly the most difficult to draw high-profile player comparisons as collegiate production and athletic grades rarely translate directly to immediate NFL success. Mayer pulling comparisons of top NFL tight ends such as Andrews and Engram alongside an elite rookie profile such as Trey McBride spell positive things for the rookie’s future upside as a superstar NFL talent.
Dalton Kincaid - San Diego/Utah
Broto Fantasy Player Comparisons
Dalton Kincaid has long been rumored to receive first-round NFL Draft capital with some scouts elevating his prospect grade above Michael Mayer. Although Kincaid presents a respectable collegiate profile, his upside as an NFL tight end is nowhere near that of Mayer’s. A top player comparison to Heath Miller is both fair and generous when projecting Kincaid’s impact as a rookie.
Darnell Washington - Georgia
Broto Fantasy Player Comparisons
Darnell Washington is a mammoth of a human with unmatched strength and freaky athleticism. His ability as a pure-blocker does not translate directly to fantasy but will undeniably increase his draft stock and snap counts as a rookie, hopefully speeding up his development as a vertical threat in the process. Washington is a raw route-runner with jaw-dropping potential as a red zone target and YAC monster over the middle of the field. The Georgia prospect does not boast any high-end player comparisons but that does not mean he cannot reach his proposed ceiling as a truly elite offensive weapon.
Sam LaPorta - Iowa
Broto Fantasy Player Comparisons
Hailing from a long lineage of NFL tight ends from the aptly named “TE University”, Iowa’s Sam LaPorta has been flying under the radar as one of the top tight end prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class. LaPorta has accumulated four years of plus production at Iowa, leading the team in receiving during his junior and senior seasons. He also possesses plus athleticism in every category, boasting a 90th percentile 40-yard dash (4.59s), 85th percentile speed score (108.4), 76th percentile burst score (122.8), 90th percentile agility score (11.16) and 78th percentile catch radius (10.16). If LaPorta finds a positive landing spot on NFL Draft day, there is a good chance he winds up as the top tight end in the 2023 rookie class.
Zack Kuntz - Penn State/Old Dominion
Broto Fantasy Player Comparisons
Zack Kuntz destroyed athletic records at the 2023 NFL Combine, setting a perfect Relative Athletic Score of 10.00 out of a possible 10.00 as the most athletic tight end in NFL Combine history. Kuntz's raw upside as an athletic vertical threat with minimal production against decent competition leaves him with no positive player comparisons. Kuntz should be viewed as a project player by the NFL and fantasy managers alike. If you do not have the patience to nurture his development then the selection is best used on someone else.
Much respect, thank you for reading. If you have any continued thoughts and would like to share, I am always available for an open conversation on Twitter: @PsychWardFF or Instagram: @psychwardff.
You can find my other works as the Lead Writer and DOC at BRoto Fantasy Football.
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By Matt Ward
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.