NFL Player News

Vokolek is slated to sign with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Vokolek played in 10 games in his final season at Nebraska, catching 20 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. His blocking and catching ability steadily improved over his college career, and though he still needs to develop his fundamental skills, he has the size and strength to stick on an NFL roster.

The 49ers selected Willis in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 247th overall.

Willis doesn't stand out as a receiver, but he served as a do-everything H-Back for Oklahoma. Given the way San Francisco has used Kyle Juszczyk, it's not particularly surprising to see them select Willis late in the draft. He isn't likely to make an immediate impact, but Willis could ultimately emerge as a useful piece in the 49ers offense.

The Jets selected Kuntz in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 220th overall.

Kuntz had a lot of helium heading into the draft, thanks to his standout athletic profile. The 6-foot-7, 255-pounder ultimately slid down the board due to his relative lack of production in college at a combination of Penn State and Old Dominion. Kuntz is a raw prospect, but with some patience, he could emerge as a viable target in the Jets' pass-catching corps.

The Dolphins selected Higgins in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, 197th overall.

Higgins emerged as Stanford's most productive wide receiver the last two seasons, tallying a combined 104 receptions, 1,204 yards and six touchdowns. He tested very well at the combine in terms of both his speed and burst, and he has a big frame (6-foot-3, 235 pounds) that will allow him to play as either a move tight end or big slot as a pro. That's an interesting fit in Miami, as they lack proven options at both positions.

Trautman was traded by the Saints along with a seventh-round draft pick to the Broncos on Saturday in exchange for a sixth-round selection, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The 2020 third-round pick reunites with former Saints head coach Sean Payton in Denver. Trautman never lived up to his draft status and couldn't really separate himself as the team's top option throughout his tenure in New Orleans, eventually ceding the starting role to Juwan Johnson in 2022. It remains to be seen if that will change much with promising second-year tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) atop the Broncos' depth chart and explosive athlete Albert Okwuegbunam also waiting in the wings, but the change in scenery could benefit Trautman if he's able to carve out steady snaps in his new locale.

The Rams selected Allen in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 175th overall.

Allen (6-foot-6, 245 pounds) is a bit slight and lacks speed (4.84-second 40), two details that might make it difficult for him to emerge as an NFL starter, but as a depth tight end he could be useful due to his polished skill set. Allen was never remarkable but was always steady and reliable at Clemson, where he started the last three years, a span in which he turned 112 targets into 83 receptions for 898 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Buccaneers selected Durham in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 171st overall.

Durham (6-foot-6, 253 pounds) lacks speed (4.87-second 40), but the Purdue product was a surprisingly productive pass catcher for a tight end who would normally profile as more of a blocker. While Durham is probably too slow to threaten the seam, the fact that he caught 101 passes over the last two years seems to indicate that he has some ability as a pass catcher, if only underneath. Unfortunately for Durham's fantasy prospects, he's unlikely to prove as good of a pass catcher at any point as incumbent starter Cade Otton.

The Colts selected Mallory in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 162nd overall.

Indianapolis already has one of the more crowded tight end rooms in the NFL and it gets even more so with the addition of Mallory out of Miami (FL). That said, Mallory is a different type of tight end than most of the other options in Indianapolis; he's on the smaller side (6-4, 239) in terms of frame but he was a solid producer in college with 14 career touchdowns and 115 receptions. Mallory also turned in a solid combine (4.54 40, 36-inch vertical). It's unclear how exactly Indianapolis will use him because he won't help much as a blocker, but perhaps he could earn reps as a big slot option.

The Titans selected Whyle in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 147th overall.

Whyle (6-foot-7, 248 pounds) could be a little slight with too poor of reach (31 and 1/2-inch arms) to hold up well as a three-down tight end, but he might be able to overcome his narrow frame thanks to his plus athleticism. The Cincinnati product ran a 4.69-second 40 at the combine and showed the ability to be a high-efficiency receiver on modest target volume, though his efficiency fell off a cliff when his target rate jumped in 2022 (8.1 YPT on 41 targets in 2021 down to 5.9 YPT on 55 targets in 2022). That should be fine in Tennessee, where it's unlikely that they'd need to depend on him as a frequent target, but if so it's just another reason why Whyle's fantasy upside is likely capped in Tennessee.

Ferguson could face competition for targets this season from second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker.

A fourth-round pick in 2022, Ferguson flashed some upside as a receiving option last year when Dalton Schultz was out of the lineup, and he ascended to the top of the depth chart at tight end when Schultz signed with the Texans. Schoonmaker is even more of an athletic specimen than Ferguson, but the newcomer to the roster is still a developmental project with raw receiving skills after mostly playing quarterback in high school. Given his head start in establishing chemistry with Dak Prescott, Ferguson still figures to be the Cowboys' top option at tight end in 2023, with Peyton Hendershot also figuring into the mix behind him alongside Schoonmaker.