2024 NFL Draft Prospects: Undervalued Tight Ends (2024 Fantasy Football)

After years of underachieving, rookie tight ends had a bit of a renaissance in 2023. Lions rookie Sam LaPorta finished the season as the TE1 in all formats, while Bills rookie Dalton Kincaid finished as the PPR TE11, thanks to a second-half breakout.

History tells us 2023 was an anomaly and not the new norm. One look at the recent tight ends drafted into the NFL, however, and it’s easy to see it becoming a trend. Along with LaPorta and Kincaid, fellow rookies Michael Mayer, Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Davis Allen each had breakout moments of their own in year one. The 2022 year-two breakouts included Trey McBride, Jake Ferguson, Cade Otton and Isaiah Likely.

The rich get richer and the position grows even stronger with Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. If you miss out on those two, below are three additional under-the-radar NFL Draft prospects to target at the tight end position.

Undervalued TE Targets

Theo Johnson (TE – Penn State)

Penn State tight end Theo Johnson, a former high school wide receiver still learning the ins and outs of the tight end position, is an intriguing undervalued tight end prospect in this year’s draft class. He’s still pretty raw as a tight end but he’s practically free with a late-fourth round average draft position (ADP) in Superflex rookie drafts.

Johnson is listed as a tight end but Penn State used him in-line, in the slot, out-wide and as an H-Back. Johnson’s ideal size (6-foot-6) and his aforementioned versatility will be coveted by many across the NFL. Don’t be surprised when he becomes a late riser as we get closer to April’s NFL Draft.

When looking at under-the-radar prospects, you have to look for traits and do a bit of projection of what someone could blossom into. Considering Johnson never had a single 100-yard receiving game in college, here’s hoping the tight end lands in a situation that allows him to out-produce his collegiate statistics.

Ben Sinnott (TE – Kansas State)

Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott is a pass-catching tight end who is more comfortable in the slot than in-line blocking. Though possibly lacking elite athleticism and strength to be a full-time tight end, Sinnott’s versatility and reliable hands should earn him a role at the next level.

The former walk-on finished 2023 with a career-high 49 receptions, 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns before declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. Sinnott will have to land in the right situation but he has the skillset to out-produce those numbers in the NFL.

At Kansas State, Sinnott excelled as both a downfield target and near the line of scrimmage on screens. The majority of Sinnott’s downfield targets were seam shots from the slot but he also lined up out wide at times. Sinnott’s versatility and underrated yards after the catch (YAC) ability will entice many across the league.

Jaheim Bell (TE – Florida State)

Florida State tight end Jaheim Bell is an undersized, seam-stretching tight end with untapped potential. Similarly to Sinnott, Bell’s playing weight and strength might keep him from playing the more traditional in-line tight end but he could excel as a thicker slot receiver.

Bell is a well-traveled prospect who has seen varying levels of success at both South Carolina and Florida State. Bell burst onto the scene in 2021 with 30-497-5 in his first full season at South Carolina. His breakout performance came in the Gamecocks’ 38-21 victory over UNC in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl — 159 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

The following season, Bell only managed 25-231-2, forcing the tight end to enter his name into the transfer portal. Bell would eventually sign with Florida State, where he would finish with career-highs in both receptions (39) and receiving yards (503) in 2023.

Bell’s size (6-foot-1, 244 pounds) is likely to push him down a few rounds but he’s too good of a value to pass up as the TE8 in early Sleeper rookie ADP. Even if Bell is more H-Back than slot/TE on the next level, it doesn’t take much for round five rookie picks to return value.