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With the 2022 NFL Draft less than a week away, the New Orleans Saints seem to be doing at least some work at the wide receiver position with Jarvis Landry visiting the team earlier this week. Most mock drafts point to the Saints taking at least one receiver in the first round, so it seems the team is doing its due diligence on the position. One position they haven’t touched at all during the offseason has been the tight end position. Last week, we looked at some veteran options the Saints could target, now lets take a look at some younger players the Saints could target in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Trey McBride TE, Colorado State
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McBride to most people is the best tight end in this class. He does everything so well. He can block in the run and as a pass blocker. His hands, route running, and ability to make contested catches throughout the Senior Bowl were all on display. While there isn’t a standout number one tight end in this class, most people believe McBride does everything the best among all tight ends and should be the first one taken most likely in the second day of the draft.
Greg Dulcich TE, UCLA
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Another Senior Bowl standout, Dulcich went from a walk-on to full time starter at UCLA and seemed to get better and better as his career with the Bruins. More of a receiving threat, Dulcich combined for 68 catches for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns and averaged 18.3 yards over the last 2 seasons. His yards after catch and ability to break tackles could allow Dulcich to leapfrog McBride as the first tight end taken off the board.
Jalen Wydermyer TE, Texas A&M
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Despite reports that Wydermyer disappointed in some of the meetings during the NFL Combine and what really was an underwhelming combine and pro day, there is still a lot to like from the junior. His size and hands alone make him one of the more interesting prospects in the draft. With some more consistent quarterback play, Wydermyer could’ve been talked about as one of the first tight ends to go off the board. At times, he does have some questionable drops and despite his size, will still need to improve as a blocker but the aggie certainly has the potential to play in this league.
Jeremy Ruckert TE, Ohio State
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Playing in a offense with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, who will go in the first round along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba who also looks like a first round pick, you won’t often get the looks you’d expect. Ruckert might be one of the better blockers in this draft, and offers high upside as a receiver. When in doubt, draft another Ohio State Buckeye as I always say.
Some other tight ends that should be available in later rounds:
Noah Gindorff, TE, North Dakota State
Grant Calcaterra, TE, SMU
Jake Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin
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