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Factoid

O.J. Howard

Top TE had lesser college production

O.J. Howard is the consensus top tight end in this year's draft, a status enforced when he ran a 4.51 at the combine -- crazy fast for a tight end that weighs 251 pounds. But he was never a huge part of the passing game at Alabama, never catching more than 45 passes or 3 TDs in his four seasons. Should teams be concerned?

Over the last 25 years, 26 other tight ends have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Fewer than a third of those players (eight) caught fewer touchdowns in their final season of college than Howard. On the other hand, nearly half of those players were productive receivers fairly quickly in the NFL. Two of them, Greg Olsen and Benjamin Watson, have continued to be solid fantasy players.

Final year of college numbers for other first round tight ends over the last 25 years, sorted by touchdowns, are shown below.

FIRST-ROUND TES, 1992-2016, FINAL COLLEGE SEASON
YearPckPlayerNoYdsTD
201021Jermaine Gresham, Cin.6695014
200628Marcedes Lewis, Jac.5874110
200830Dustin Keller, NYJ688817
200214Jeremy Shockey, NYG405197
20066Vernon Davis, S.F.618716
200221Daniel Graham, N.E.517536
19969Rickey Dudley, Oak.324696
199713Tony Gonzalez, K.C.446995
200014Bubba Franks, G.B.455655
200530Heath Miller, Pitt.415415
199215Johnny Mitchell, NYJ315345
200027Anthony Becht, NYJ355105
200324Dallas Clark, Ind.437424
201321Tyler Eifert, Cin.506854
199214Derek Brown, NYG223254
201410Eric Ebron, Det.629733
200131Todd Heap, Balt.456173
199722David LaFleur, Dall.304393
2017?O.J. Howard, ?455953
19959Kyle Brady, NYJ273652
200432Benjamin Watson, N.E.233242
199320Irv Smith, N.O.202622
20046Kellen Winslow, Clev.606051
200731Greg Olsen, Chi.404891
199527Mark Bruener, Pitt.343311
200228Jerramy Stevens, Sea.10881
200920Brandon Pettigrew, Det.424720

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index