The 2021 NFL Draft class had an elite tight end prospect in Kyle Pitts. However, the gap between him and everyone else in the class was massive. Colorado State’s Trey McBride is the top tight end for most scouts this year. However, who is the TE2? Could it be Greg Dulcich?

The former UCLA Bruin wasn’t a highly recruited player out of high school. Instead, he was a zero-star prospect as a hybrid wide receiver/tight end. The La Canada Flintridge, California native, enrolled at UCLA in 2018 at a reported 215 pounds. After starting his college career as a wide receiver, the coaching staff asked him to move to tight end.

After two years of limited production, Dulcich had a solid 2020 season. He led the team with 517 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns that year. In 2021, Dulcich saw his production improve as he had a career-high 42 receptions for 725 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Dulcich is still a developing prospect.

Greg Dulcich 2022 NFL Draft Profile

 
* Recruit Stars via 247Sports

Greg Dulcich College Statistics

Greg Dulcich Dynasty Fantasy Analysis

Let's start with his less-than-ideal athletic testing numbers. Dulcich had a SPARQ-X score of 102.4, putting him in the 37th percentile, according to Player Profiler.

His measurements are also not elite, according to MockDraftable. Dulcich ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, putting him in the 68th percentile. While that is good, it's not elite like Pitts in 2021, who ran a 4.44 40-yard dash (98 percentile) at his pro day. In addition, Dulcich's short shuttle time was 4.37 seconds, putting him in the 50th percentile.

Now let's look at the good with Dulcich. His college dominator score is 27.3 (83rd percentile), breakout age is 20.4 (70th percentile), and college YPR is 18.6 (98th percentile). His broad jump of 122 inches measured in the 88th percentile, while his wingspan measured 80.75 inches in the 77 percentile.

Unlike wide receivers and even running backs, athletic testing doesn't carry much water with tight ends. For example, Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL and arguably one of the best, if not the best, in NFL history. He ran a 4.61 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2013. Similarly, Rob Gronkowski ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2010. Not every tight end has to run a sub 4.5 40-time to be elite like Pitts.

Dulcich isn't the fastest or the flashiest on the field, but he is very reliable. UCLA repeatedly targeted him in the middle of the field on third and fourth downs. Regardless of the coverage, Dulcich would find where he needed to be and made himself an open target for the quarterback. Whether it was against zone or man coverage, Dulcich was one of UCLA's top options when they needed a first down. His hands are natural and strong at the catch. Defenders struggled to get their hands on the ball once it entered Dulcich's catch radius.

While most of his work at UCLA was in the middle of the field and between the numbers, Dulcich can make plays downfield. For example, in 2021 against California, Dulcich had an impressive catch down the sideline for a touchdown. Dulcich quickly got downfield, turned his head, and located the ball despite tight man coverage. He then made the catch and got his feet inbounds before the defender could push him out of the end zone. Plays like that highlight the possible upside for Dulcich.

Despite the non-elite speed and athletic testing, Dulcich showed good movement and the ability to sink his hips on his routes. Defenders couldn't body up Dulcich either. He repeatedly would create separation at the top of his route against man coverage with his hands and upper body strength if the situation called for it.

Unlike Pitts from a year ago, the fantasy football community won't drool at the upside and potential with Dulcich, nor should they. However, his natural ability to get open, move the sticks, and secure the catch are appealing traits to NFL teams. Therefore, they are also appealing to fantasy players.

Dulcich will never turn into an elite fantasy tight end or someone you can plug and play every week. However, he could have low-end TE1 appeal in a few years, depending on which NFL team drafts him.

For example, if Dulcich lands with the Jacksonville Jaguars, his dynasty outlook is appealing. Dan Arnold and Evan Engram are entering the final year of their contracts. Despite an awful rookie season, Trevor Lawrence remains one of the highest upside quarterbacks in dynasty. After a year of rotational work behind Arnold and Engram, Dulcich could step into a starting role in 2023 with Lawrence as his quarterback.

On the contrary, if Dulcich lands with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his dynasty outlook becomes gloomy. The Steelers spent a second-round pick on Pat Freiermuth last year, and he had an impressive rookie season. In this hypothetical situation, Dulcich would likely never get the opportunity to earn a starting role, thus limiting his dynasty value.

Player Comp

George Kittle lite (ceiling) | Gerald Everett (floor)

The ceiling comp might make you laugh, but there are reasons for the comparison. Kittle and Dulcich have similar athletic testing numbers, according to MockDraftable.

Furthermore, Dulcich had a better college dominator, college YPR, and breakage than Kittle, according to Player Profiler.

Now, none of this means Dulcich will become the next Kittle. That WON'T happen. However, their testing numbers are similar, and their play on the field is too.

Both are strong-handed receivers who can move the chains and create after the catch. Also, both struggled to score touchdowns despite their dominance between the 20s. Dulcich had 10 touchdowns in his final two years at UCLA. Similarly, Kittle had 10 touchdowns in his college career at Iowa, all coming in his last two seasons. Furthermore, Kittle has struggled to score touchdowns in the NFL. He has 20 receiving touchdowns in 67 career NFL games. Depending on which team drafts him, Dulcich could face a similar fate.

The biggest difference between Kittle and Dulcich coming out of college is their blocking abilities. Kittle was far and away a better blocker coming out of Iowa than Dulcich is now. However, Dulcich is still learning the position and has the upside to become a good blocker, especially in the running game.

I'm not saying UCLA's Greg Dulcich is the next George Kittle, but they have some very similar athletic numbers. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/rDeoiKeQ0i

- Mike Fanelli (@Mike_NFL2) April 18, 2022

The worst-case scenario for Dulcich is if his NFL career takes him down an Everett-like situation. He is a solid low-end starting tight end who isn't an impact player on all three downs. If Dulcich's career goes that way, his fantasy value takes a massive blow. However, he would still be a potential streaming option in redraft leagues and a decent No. 2 tight end in dynasty.

Depending on which team drafts Dulcich and the draft capital spent, I would pick him as early as the late second round of rookie drafts in 1QB leagues. In SuperFlex leagues, I would spend an early to mid-third round on Dulcich. He won't be the next Kittle, but he could become a solid dynasty asset.

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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive follow him @Mike_NFL2.