It’s that time again. Dynasty rookie fever SZN is here! The NFL Draft is now in the rearview, and rookie drafts will start flying daily. Before you dive head-first into our Draft Simulator and run 3,000 rookie drafts in preparation, please read up on this talented prospect class as I roll through my quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positional primers. Check out our expert consensus dynasty rookie draft rankings as you prepare for your leagues.

Motrin and Tylenol can’t quell this fever. The only medicine is more rookie mock drafts.

• DBro’s Dynasty Rookie Draft Primers: WR | QB | RB
• 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
• Fitz’s Rookie Fantasy Football Outlook: Round 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator

2024 Rookie TE Primer

2024 TE Class by Career YPRR
+ percentiles vs. Day 1-2 TEs [Since 2015]

1. Brock Bowers (2.64) [99th percentile]
2. Jaheim Bell (2.31) [91st]

3. Ja'Tavion Sanders (1.81) [66th]
4. Erick All (1.74) [65th]

5. Ben Sinnott (1.61) [53rd]
6. Cade Stover (1.60) [51st]
7. Dallin…

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) March 25, 2024

Brock Bowers (LVR)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 2nd
  • PFF receiving grade: 6th

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 3rd
  • PFF receiving grade: 3rd

• 2021 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 3rd
  • PFF receiving grade: 3rd

Scouting report:

• Bowers is an agile steamroller. He’s incredibly hard to bring down. Georgia utilized him in motion with screens a ton, and for good reason. It was free yards essentially each play as the first defender usually tasked with bringing down Bowers failed at their assignment. He was second among all tight ends in missed tackles forced in 2023. He sheds defenders with ease in the open field with a combination of strong legs and upper body strength.
• Bowers was utilized all over the formation. Out wide (running go routes). In-line or in the slot where he was too quick for linebackers to hang with him and too physical for nickels to have a chance at shutting him down. In motion, he mauled opponents with screen targets. Bowers flashes good body control with solid adjustments to back-shoulder throws and targets outside of his frame.
• He has exceptional change of direction and bend. He can beat zone coverage sitting down in between defenders or excel against man coverage. Since 2021, among all tight ends with at least 25 man coverage targets, he ranks 12th in Yards per route run, immediately ahead of Michael Mayer. His hands are as good as they come, with only a 4.4% drop rate in college (eight drops across three seasons).
• As a blocker, Bowers is able to hold his patch of grass in pass protection. His functional play strength translates. He has a good initial punch with strong hands. He wasn’t tasked with being isolated on blitzing linebackers, corners, or edges. On many plays, Bowers was asked to help seal the edge. He is a tenacious run blocker that can clear a path. He’s not an elite blocker, but he should be able to play every down in the NFL with the ability to become one of the best blockers in the league if it all gels.

Player Comp: George Kittle

Dynasty Outlook: This is a nightmare fuel landing spot. It’s tough, but it’s hard to pick a worse landing spot for Bowers. Ok, I know there could have been worse landing spots for the talented rookie, but there aren’t many. Bowers got the draft capital that would usually automatically salivate. Still, the problem is that this is the same team that spent a second-round pick on Michael Mayer last draft cycle. Yes, it was largely different coaching staff and entirely different front office staff that made that pick, but Mayer will still compete with Bowers for snaps when the team is in 11 personnel. With that said, with only Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers highlighting the wide receiver room the Raiders may run a ton of their offense in 12 personnel. That would help both Bowers and Mayer. This situation feels eerily similar to the muddied depth chart that Dalton Kincaid was thrust into. It took Kincaid time to take over, but he eventually did. Many will take a similarly rosy outlook for Bowers, but there are some fundamental differences here. While we might hope for the best with Bowers’ snap rate, the offensive ecosystem for Bowers stinks. An offense led by Josh Allen and one led by either Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew won’t have nearly the scoring potential. Also Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers are both proven target earners. OH, and also, why don’t we toss on top of this bonfire the run-loving nature of Antonio Pierce as if everything previously stated wasn’t enough? This putrid situation that this talented rookie has been thrust into has pushed him into the late first conversation in 1QB and Superflex formats.

Ja’Tavion Sanders (CAR)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 17th
  • PFF receiving grade: 13th
  • YAC/reception: 14th

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 22nd
  • PFF receiving grade: 18th
  • YAC/reception: 70th

Scouting report:

• Immediate and easy speed. He can stretch the field and get deep down the seam. Sanders isn’t an elite route runner. He was tasked with screens and straight-line shots down the seam on many plays, but he has the athleticism and fluid hips to evolve in the NFL.
• Sanders is an upright runner and not an overwhelming tackle-breaker. He forced only 11 missed tackles over the last two years, but with his speed, he can still generate YAC.
• His play strength shows up during his routes at the catch point. Sanders plays through contact well in his routes. He has the upper body strength to deal with physical corners or linebackers in coverage. Sanders is a beast at the catch point. There are plenty of bang-bang plays in his film where he makes a catch in traffic and immediately gets popped and holds onto the ball. Sanders finished his collegiate career with a strong 53.6% contested catch rate and zero drops in his final season.
• Sanders has a decent initial punch but needs to work on his anchor when blocking. He will hit defenders initially and disengage. When he locks a defender up, he has some reps where he will blow them off the line and drive them back. With better technique and more consistency, Sanders could easily become an average to above-average blocker.

Player Comp: Charles Clay

Dynasty Outlook: Sanders heads to Carolina after being selected in the fourth round. Sanders only has to compete with Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas, and Stephen Sullivan for snaps. If you’re a Sanders fan, this was one of the dream landing spots you were hoping for. Ok, well, there are concerns with Bryce Young to deal with, but in terms of playing time path and decent draft capital, it was a pretty good run out for Sanders. Sanders should be selected somewhere in the third round of rookie drafts and could get bumped up the board a smidge in tight-end premium formats.

2024 TE Class by Career YPRR
[minus all team plays involving a screen pass]

1. Brock Bowers – 2.66
2. Jaheim Bell – 2.29
3. Ja'Tavion Sanders – 2.12
4. Erick All – 1.84
5. Cade Stover – 1.80
6. Dallin Hooker – 1.71
7. Ben Sinnott – 1.65
8. Jared Wiley – 1.61

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) March 28, 2024

Erick All (CIN)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 3rd
  • PFF receiving grade: 16th

(*2022 limited to only three games played*)

• 2021 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 10th
  • PFF receiving grade: 30th

Scouting report:  

• All comes with a decent injury history with an ACL tear in 2023 and a season-ending back injury in 2022. Before being sidelined in 2023, he was seventh in receiving yards and 11th in missed tackles forced among tight ends. All was headed for a big breakout campaign. Overall his statistical output jumps off the page in metrics that I care about. Last year among all tight ends with at least ten man coverage targets, he ranked first in Yards per route run and eighth in PFF receiving grade against man coverage. 
• All is a fluid mover. He is a friendly underneath target with impressive start/stop ability. He ran some whip routes at Iowa that will open your eyes. He has smooth change of direction and quickly turns from receiver to rusher once the ball is in his hands. 
• He has a good understanding of manipulating defenders and leverage. He moves like a big wide receiver in his routes with suddenness in and out of his route breaks. 
• Yes, he had a 13.8% drop rate in college, but many of these drops were the concentration variety. I’m not overly concerned about his drops because he also makes plenty of catches in tight spaces with defenders bearing down on him. 
• All will cash his NFL paychecks because of his receiving talent and not his blocking prowess. He only managed 26 pass blocking snaps over the last five years of his collegiate career. 
• While All was unable to athletically test, there are plenty of instances on film that suggest he has an easy 4.5 (4.6 40-yard dash at worst) speed. In 2021 against Penn State, he snags a pass, puts his foot down on the accelerator, beats Kalen King to the corner (4.61 high school 40 times), and begins to pull away from him down the boundary. 

Player Comp: Noah Fant

Dynasty Outlook: The Bengals smashed this draft class and selected another one of my man crushes of this draft class with Erick All. Consider me ALL IN on All (ok, I’ll see myself out after that dad joke). Let’s get this out of the way. No, I’m not worried about his injury history. The back injury that led to the premature ending of his 2022 season was proven to be in the rearview after he started crushing souls in 2023 without issues. His 2023 season was cut short due to a torn ACL, which is the only injury recovery that concerns me, but hey, I’m an ardent believer in modern medicine and science. All should make a complete recovery from that injury as well. So, what’s left to debate here? Landing spot? Ok, he’s tied to Joe Burrow, with only Mike Gesicki above him on the depth chart for receiving work. Draft capital? He was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft despite his final season being cut short and All being unable to athletically test, which, by the way, his film more than confirms he is PLENTY athletic. Analytical profile? All has ranked top-ten in Yards per route run in each of the last two collegiate seasons in which he was healthy enough to garner at least 20 targets (per PFF). Oh, also, he ranked first in Yards per route run and eighth in PFF receiving grade against man coverage (among all tight ends last year with at least ten man coverage targets). All is a wondrous gift that the dynasty community is giving you this year by letting him slip in drafts. SMASH THE DRAFT BUTTON in the late second round or early third round of rookie drafts if he’s there (he will be).

PUT MORE RESPECT on Ben Sinnott's name.

In 2023 (per PFF)

9th in rec grade & YPRR
4th in MTF

The ceiling stats that we REALLY should care about

Among all TEs with at least 10 man coverage tgs

14th in rec grade
15th in YPRR

OH & he is a SAVAGE with blocking. He arguably is… pic.twitter.com/D4HdtmC5lT

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) April 10, 2024

Ben Sinnott (WAS)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 10th
  • PFF receiving grade: 9th

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 48th
  • PFF receiving grade: 36th

Scouting report:

• Sinnott has a strong lower half that serves him well as a blocker and as a receiving option. Sinnott can push defenders off their mark as a blocker and utilize his legs to break tackles as a receiver. He forced the third-most missed tackles among tight ends last year.
• Sinnott is an underrated athlete. He uncovers quickly in routes with smooth hips while having decent speed and strong tackle-breaking ability. Sinnott was mostly utilized as an underneath receiving option, but he was also given the occasional seam shot. He has the speed to threaten down the seam. Sinnott is talented enough as a receiving option to develop into a trusted third option in an NFL passing game.
• Kansas State used him as a fullback at times or as a pulling option on rushing plays. Sinnott had no issues clearing the road. He’s a solid blocking option across the board, with at least a 71.4 PFF grade in both pass pro and run blocking last season.

Player Comp: T.J. Hockenson

Dynasty Outlook: How many boxes must Ben Sinnott check for the dynasty community to WAKE UP and love him as much as I do? An easy path to playing time? Check. Zach Ertz is all that stands in his way from being an every-down tight end immediately. Mouth-watering draft capital for a tight end? Sinnott was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft. Marvelous analytical profile?  In his final season in college, not only did he rank ninth in Yards per route run and PFF receiving grade, but he was also fourth in missed tackles forced and 15th in Yards per route run against man coverage among FBS tight ends (per PFF). High-end athleticism? Sure thing. Sinnott has an 81st percentile 10-yard split, a 97th percentile vertical jump, a 94th percentile broad jump, a 96th percentile three-cone drill, and an 81st percentile 20-yard shuttle time. Sinnott continues to be disrespected in rookie drafts. I will DRAFT HIM EVERYWHERE! He should be gone by the end of the second round of rookie drafts, and yet I continue to see him drop into the third round.

Jaheim Bell (NE)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 13th
  • PFF receiving grade: 18th

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 28th
  • PFF receiving grade: 16th

• 2021 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 1st
  • PFF receiving grade: 8th

Scouting report:

• Tough to tackle in the open field. Bell is a quarterback’s best friend with his abilities after the catch. He has the speed to turn a short check-down into a big gain at any time. Over the last three seasons (minimum 20 targets), he has ranked inside the top 12 in both YAC per reception (11th, 10th, first) and missed tackles forced (seventh, eighth, fourth).
• Bell is a smooth operator in routes. He has easy acceleration in and out of his breaks. He is tough to push off his routes with his thick, muscular frame.
• Bell will be a matchup problem in the NFL. He’s too physical for nickel corners to handle and too quick for linebackers to hang with at times on crossers.

Player Comp: Chigoziem Okonkwo

Dynasty Outlook: Well, the NFL just told us what they thought about Bell as a prospect. That was stated loudly with his fall all the way to the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Bell is worth a taxi squad spot, but it’s possible he doesn’t even make the team with Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Mitchell Wilcox all above him on the depth chart. In tight-end premium formats, he’s worth a stash, but in every other dynasty format, I’ll be avoiding him as there are better darts to throw late.

Cade Stover (HOU)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 8th
  • PFF receiving grade: 12th

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 54th
  • PFF receiving grade: 64th

Scouting report:

• Stover is a one-speed runner. He has a quick first step and gets up to top speed quickly, but he lacks the second gear to really chew up yards after the catch.
• Stover has a strong upper body and a thick lower half that helps him break some tackles. He’ll deploy a stiff arm or two in the open field and can pinball off defenders with momentum built up. Stover’s hands are like vice grips with a 50% collegiate contested catch rate and only two drops.
• He is a linear athlete. His hips aren’t as loose as you’d want to give Stover elite upside at the position, but he can uncover quickly underneath when it’s called for.
• Stover should be able to beat zone coverage at the next level, but you likely won’t see him winning many reps if he gets lined up outside. He’s not explosive enough of an athlete or a top-shelf talent in terms of refinement with his route running to expect that from him.

Player Comp: Hayden Hurst

Dynasty Outlook: Stover was drafted in a range where I figured he would go (fourth-round) in the NFL Draft, so I don’t have any reservations about his draft capital. The issue is his landing spot doesn’t offer any hope for early, consistent playing time unless Dalton Schultz gets hurt. Schultz just signed a three-year deal, which keeps him in Houston for at least the next two seasons. This leaves Stover as a taxi squad player or someone worth a late fourth-round pick in tight-end premium leagues.

Theo Johnson (NYG)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 64th
  • PFF receiving grade: 53rd

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 30th
  • PFF receiving grade: 29th 

Scouting report:  

• Johnson opened plenty of eyes this year in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. He earned separation with ease while shining in red zone drills. Johnson is a big red zone target who operates well with targets above his head, as he can play above the rim. He struggles more with some passes outside of his frame, which are either behind him or low. 
• He was utilized heavily with screens and out routes, but when we have seen Johnson used downfield and up the seam, he has produced. He has the straight-line speed to run past linebackers and get downtown. 
• Johnson needs to work on sinking his hips on comebacks and hitches. He can uncover on underneath routes, but he looks lumbering at times when he needs to drop those hips or change direction quickly. 
• Johnson has decent play strength, but he needs to do a better job deploying it after the catch. For an athlete of his caliber and size, it’s surprising that he only forced seven missed tackles and 5.0 yards after the catch per reception in college. 

Player Comp: Logan Thomas

Dynasty Outlook: Assuming Darren Waller does retire, Johnson will compete with Daniel Bellinger for playing time. Johnson and Bellinger share some similarities as tight ends with staunch physical profiles but lackluster collegiate receiving ledgers. Johnson is a late fourth-round rookie draft pick in tight-end premium leagues or a waiver wire pickup after the draft. The receiving depth chart behind Malik Nabers isn’t outstanding. If Johnson can earn the starting gig in year one, he could at least be a matchup-dependent streaming type. 

Dallin Holker (NO)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 34th
  • PFF receiving grade: 43rd

Scouting report:  

• Holker’s NFL career will be defined by his receiving utility. Last season, he lined up in the slot or out wide on 75.4% of his snaps. He never registered higher than a 57.5 PFF run-blocking grade in any season. 
• He can uncover quickly on underneath routes with decent hips and nice short area agility (94th percentile three-cone drill). Holker is a build-up speed guy, though. He lumbers through his routes for the most part without the raw speed to run away from defenders on crossing routes. If he’s asked to stretch the seam, expect a defender to be in his back pocket at the catch point. 
• Holker does a strong set of hands with plenty of catches made in traffic and only a 5.9% drop rate last season. 
• He transitions from receiver to runner fairly well, with good vision to create some after-the-catch in space. He lacks the top end athleticism though to create explosives or generate game breaking YAC.

Player Comp: Brycen Hopkins

Dynasty Outlook: Holker signed with the New Orleans Saints as a UDFA. He is stuck behind Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, and Tommy Hudson. It’s a long shot that he makes the roster much less becomes fantasy viable. I’m avoiding him in Dynasty.

Jared Wiley (KC)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 19th
  • PFF receiving grade: 31st

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 48th
  • PFF receiving grade: 8th

Scouting report:  

• An underneath chain mover. Wiley was utilized on outs, screens, and stop routes, mostly at TCU. He uncovers quickly and has decent fluidity to his routes, but he won’t be a prioritized piece of a passing attack in the NFL. 
• Wiley isn’t a strong tackle breaker or YAC generator. With only five missed tackles forced in five seasons of collegiate football, he is a known catch-and-fall-down type. He does have strong hands, though, with only one drop in college. 
• Wiley can chip a defender on his way out for a route, but he isn’t a strong pass protector at this point. He sets up high on many of his pass protection reps, which allows rushers to get on an easy path under his pads. He has the functional strength to hold his spot at times, but you won’t see him blowing anyone off the ball. 

Player Comp: Cade Otton

Dynasty Outlook: The Kansas City Chiefs selected Wiley in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. The draft capital was a nice surprise, but I’m only mildly intrigued with him as a taxi squad player despite the landing spot. We played this same game with Noah Gray, and look how that turned out. Travis Kelce just signed a lucrative extension, and the team has spent significant draft capital on the wide receiver position over the last two years. Wiley will be lucky to see the field this season. Avoid him in rookie drafts.

Brevyn Spann-Ford (DAL)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 104th
  • PFF receiving grade: 135th

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 6th
  • PFF receiving grade: 7th

• 2021 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 17th
  • PFF receiving grade: 24th

Scouting report:

• He was a much-improved blocker from 2021 to 2023. He still has a propensity to drop his eyes and look lax when chipping, but his first punch and anchor improved. He can drive defenders back and hold his area well when locked in. Blocking is how he will make his mark in the NFL.
• Spann-Ford will be an inline tight end in the NFL and an underneath receiving option. He can be utilized against zone coverage, but he doesn’t have the juice or route-running chops to beat man coverage or win on the perimeter. He rounds his routes and isn’t crisp or sudden out of his breaks. He is a station-to-station receiving option. Across 95 collegiate receptions, he only forced 11 missed tackles.

Player Comp: Darren Fells

Dynasty Outlook: Spann-Ford signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a UDFA. He’s not even guaranteed to break camp this year with the team, as they already have Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot, and Princeton Fant on the roster. Avoid him in Dynasty rookie drafts.

A.J. Barner (SEA)

Stats:

• 2023 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 79th
  • PFF receiving grade: 45th

• 2022 (minimum 20 targets)
  • Yards per route run: 139th
  • PFF receiving grade: 114th

Scouting report:

• Tenacious run blocker. His hands are like vice grips. Once Barner has you in his grasp, good luck getting out. He can plow the road as a run blocker. Michigan used him as a puller at times to lead the way. His blocking contributions will define his NFL career.
• Barner is a tertiary option only for the passing game. He will leak out or run shallow crossers and out routes. With only 4.2 yards after the catch per reception and 0.99 YPRR in college, he won’t be a priority option in any passing game. A catch and fall down receiver.

Player Comp: Antony Auclair

Dynasty Outlook: Barner follows Jay Harbaugh from Michigan to the Northwest, as the Seahawks called his name in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Barner is an underwhelming receiving talent who will cash his NFL paychecks because of his blocking and special teams’ play. Avoid him in Dynasty rookie drafts.

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