Now that the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has concluded, let’s look at the immediate ramifications it had on the values of the incoming rookie class. This is Tight End Stock Up/Stock Down (2024 Combine Edition). It is a seven-part series covering the pertinent risers and fallers of the combine. If you want to see how these changes are reflected in our rookie rankings, check out our Rankings Page. This series will not feature offensive linemen since they are not part of the fantasy football landscape. If you want to see the testing numbers for the offensive lineman, they are available at NFL.com.
Stock Up
Theo Johnson, Penn State
Theo Johnson was easily the best tight end at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Aided by the absence of Brock Bowers, he was able to dominate the week. He looked excellent in the onfield portion of the combine and destroyed most of the drills he took part in. His size measured as great with him checking in at 6’6″ and 258 lbs. This makes him one of the biggest tight ends in the class, paired with his great hands he could be a potential sleeper. He had a limited college production profile will prevent him from gaining too much steam in drafts which is exactly why he is a rookie to target.
He tested elite across the board. His Vertical Jump and Broad Jump were both elite and among the best in the group. Add in speed scores that were at the top of the class and he shows mountains of untapped potential. These scores will not be enough to get him into the top three in tight end rookie rankings, as Brock Bowers, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Ben Sinnott all seem etched in stone, but he is sure to be a top-five rookie tight end.
Tip Reiman, Illinois
Tip Reiman came out of nowhere to explode onto the rookie draft scene this week. We at The Fantasy Football Universe are approximately 100 offensive rookies into this draft class and even we had almost no idea who Tip Reiman was. It was difficult to go two minutes without hearing his name mentioned by the announcers. Reiman measured in as great at nearly 6’5″ and 271 lbs. That combined with high-end drill results across the board have him as an exciting, yet unknown tight end prospect.
His 40-yard Dash time of 4.64 was elite as were his 10-yard and 20-yard Split times. He also chipped in great scores on the Shuttle and 3-cone Drill. It’s difficult to accurately project a prospect that came out of nowhere, and it’s even more difficult when it’s a tight end. At the end of the day, even an obscure tight end has the potential to be elite when he comes with this level of size and speed. Reiman could soon find himself forcing his way into my top-five rookie tight ends, especially if he is able to secure good draft capital and a favourable landing spot at the 2024 NFL Draft.
Stock Down
Dallin Holker, Colorado State
Dallin Holker was one of the tight ends outside the top-five who appeared to have real sleeper appeal, but outside of an interesting double-catch at the combine, he did very little to impress. His size was the major issue as he weighed-in at only 6’3″ and 241 lbs, both below average by tight end standards. While his size isn’t a total dealbreaker, you would expect a player of his frame to be far more speedy and explosive. His speed testing and explosiveness metrics were not immediately damning but as I stated above, they are below what is expected of him.
His agility scores were a redeeming quality which could serve to salvage his value but again, the weigh-in will drive off roughly half of the interest in him. There are two schools of thought surrounding rookie tight end scouting and one of them is that size is the only factor. For that reason alone, his limited size will send him plummeting down draft boards.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Ja’Tavion Sanders was the consensus TE2 for most fantasy managers coming into the weekend, but that has changed for many, including myself. The main appeal to Sanders was that while he wasn’t Brock Bowers, he was seen to have mountains more athleticism than the rest of the tight end class. That proved to be anything but the truth as he tested in the mid-range of this class on most drills.
He had great speed, but was slower than many expected. That combined with him weighing in at only 6’3″ and 245 lbs will hurt his value significantly. He isn’t small or slow, he is just smaller and slower than expected. While these disappointing results could see him fall out of the TE2 spot, his college production profile should be enough to see him fall any further than TE3. The main reason he is a major faller for me is that unless his draft cost drops significantly, I would rather draft Theo Johnson or Ben Sinnott far later in the draft. Using a second-round pick on Sanders now seems like a fools bet.
The RAS Score data is from ras.football and was the result of the hard work of Kent Lee Platte aka Math Bomb.
