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Chris Herndon

Adam Gase high on 2nd-year tight end

I have some interest in Chris Herndon. He had a really solid rookie season, and I think there could be a nice rapport there with Sam Darnold.

Herndon is listed as a tight end, but he’s got some wide receiver in him. They’re more interest in using him as a pass catcher rather than a blocker. He’s a player who’ll line up outside at times.

Herndon finished his rookie season with 502 yards and 4 TDs. In the last 10 years, only six tight ends have finished with better numbers in their first year. Miami has produced two more notable tight ends, and Herndon had better rookie numbers than either of them.

BEST ROOKIE TIGHT ENDS (last 10 years)
YearPlayerNoYdsAvgTDPoints
2010Rob Gronkowski, N.E.4254613.010114.6
2017Evan Engram, NYG6472211.36108.2
2016Hunter Henry , S.D.3647813.3895.8
2010Aaron Hernandez, N.E.4556312.5692.3
2013Tim Wright, T.B.5457110.6587.1
2017O.J. Howard, T.B.2643216.6679.2
2018Chris Herndon, NYJ3950212.9474.2
2010Tony Moeaki, K.C.4755611.8373.6
2018Mark Andrews, Balt.3455216.2373.2
2010Jermaine Gresham, Cin.524719.1471.1
2013Zach Ertz, Phil.3646913.0470.9
2012Dwayne Allen, Ind.4552111.6370.1
2013Jordan Reed, Wash.4549911.1367.9
2010Jimmy Graham, N.O.3135611.5565.6
2013Mychal Rivera , Oak.3840710.7464.7
2015Will Tye, NYG4246411.0364.4
2017George Kittle, S.F.4351512.0263.5
2017David Njoku, Clev.3238612.1462.6
2018Dallas Goedert, Phil.3333410.1457.4
2013Tyler Eifert, Cin.3944511.4256.5
2015Clive Walford, Oak.2832911.8350.9
2009Brandon Pettigrew, Det.3034611.5246.6
2014Jace Amaro, NYJ383459.1246.5
2018Jordan Thomas, Hou.2021510.8445.5
2018Ian Thomas, Car.363339.3245.3
2016Austin Hooper , Atl.1927114.3345.1
2011Kyle Rudolph, Minn.262499.6342.9

New York’s new coach, Adam Gase, says he’s noticed. "He's a unicorn type of player," Gase said at the combine.. "I don't think you'll find a lot of tight ends that are able to be on the field all three downs. Obviously, he's a very good receiver, he's very good in the run game, and he did a really good job in pass protection last year.”

I would think that after about 10 tight ends are chosen in fantasy drafts, it will be time to start thinking about Herndon. He’ll presumably be more comfortable and productive in his second season.

I would say this with more confidence if Gase had a stronger history of working with tight ends. Gase didn’t get much of anything out of Mike Gesicki last year. Previously he brought Julius Thomas to Miami without much result.

Gase hasn’t had a top-15 tight end in any of the last four seasons. Using standard fantasy scoring, Thomas was the 25th-best tight end in 2017. Gase was more successful with tight ends when he was the offensive coordinator in Chicago in 2015. Zach Miller and Martellus Bennett were the 16th- and 26th-best tight ends in the league that year, combining for 87 catches and 8 TDs.

ADAM GASE TIGHT ENDS
YearPlayerNoYdsAvgTDPtsRk
2015Zach Miller, Chi.3443912.9573.916
2015Martellus Bennett, Chi.534398.3361.926
2017Julius Thomas, Mia.413889.5356.825
2016Dion Sims, Mia.262569.8449.633
2018Mike Gesicki, Mia.222029.2020.263
2016MarQueis Gray, Mia.1417412.4017.460
2017Anthony Fasano, Mia.121078.9116.763
2018Nick O'Leary, Mia.88610.8114.670
2016Dominique Jones, Mia.7618.7112.171
2016Jordan Cameron, Mia.8607.5112.072
2018A.J. Derby, Mia.34816.0110.877
2018Durham Smythe, Mia.6508.305.095
2017MarQueis Gray, Mia.11010.002.4101
2017A.J. Derby, Mia.22010.002.0103

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index