Fantasy Football Player Notes
2024 Draft Rankings
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1.
Sam LaPorta
DET
Sam LaPorta was a revelation as a rookie, catching 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns to finish as the overall TE1. What can LaPorta do for an encore in Year 2? It might be hard for Sammy Ballgame to improve upon or even equal his 2023 touchdown total, but it's reasonable to think he could improve upon his average of 52.3 receiving yards per game and his 7.4 yards per target. LaPorta's age-22 season was a triumph, and he could be one of the top tight ends in the league -- and in fantasy football -- for years to come. Based on the splash he made at such a tender age, there's a strong case to be made that LaPorta should be the first TE selected in 2024 fantasy drafts.
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2.
Travis Kelce
KC
Once the gold standard at the TE position, Travis Kelce will still be the overall TE1 for a lot of people in 2024 fantasy drafts, but he will no longer be a unanimous choice. Kelce finished the 2023 regular season for 93-984-5. That would be a terrific season for any other tight end, but it was the first time since 2015 that Kelce fell short of 1,000 yards. The statistical decline suggests that the 34-year-old Kelce is starting to slow down, But then Kelce went on a postseason rampage, with 32-355-3 in four playoff games. Obviously, playing with QB Patrick Mahomes is a big plus for any pass catcher. Kelce might not be a first-round pick in fantasy leagues anymore, but he's still an immensely valuable asset.
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3.
Mark Andrews
BAL
An ankle injury in Week 11 ended Mark Andrews' regular season prematurely, but before he went down, he was having a characteristically productive season, ranking fourth among tight ends in fantasy scoring. Andrews' yearly finishes in fantasy points per game (0.5 PPR) since his second-year breakout in 2019: TE4, TE4, TE1, TE3, TE4. Over that fruitful five-year run, he's averaged 4.9 receptions, 60.6 receiving yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game. Andrews should once again be a prominent contributor in the Baltimore passing attack in 2024 and should be one of the first five tight ends to come off the board in fantasy drafts.
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4.
Trey McBride
ARI
Trey McBride had an impressive second-year breakout in 2023, finishing with 81 catches for 825 yards and three touchdowns, good for a TE7 fantasy finish in PPR scoring. McBride's 2023 season got off to a slow start. He had two or fewer catches in each of his first five games, and after seven weeks he was TE30 in PPR fantasy scoring. Then, Cardinals TE Zach Ertz went on IR with a quad injury, and McBride caught fire in an expanded role. From Week 8 on, McBride was TE3 in PPR scoring, averaging 6.6 catches and 65.5 receiving yards per game. McBride became the go-to receiver for An Arizona offense thin on talent at the WR position. The Cardinals took WR Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick of the NFL Draft, but the talented McBride figures to be the No. 2 target in the Arizona offense and a high-end fantasy tight end for years to come,
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5.
George Kittle
SF
If you value week-to-week consistency, George Kittle might not be the tight end for you. But if you're an adrenaline-fueled roller coaster enthusiast, Kittle is your guy. In 2023, Kittle had seven games in which he produced 16 or more PPR points and six games in which he produced 6 or fewer PPR points. The drawback with Kittle is that he doesn't see as many targets as other top tight ends. Over the last three seasons, Travis Kelce has averaged 8.5 targets a game, Mark Andrews has averaged 7.8, and Kittle has averaged 6.0. Kittle's well-rounded skill set can actually be a hindrance, since the 49ers like to leverage his exceptional blocking ability. But Kittle is quite a pass catcher, too. He's topped 1,000 receiving yards in three of the last six years and has averaged 9.8 yards per target for his career -- almost a full yard better than Kelce's career average of 8.9 yards per target. The TE5 in fantasy scoring last season, Kittle will again be a good bet for a top-five positional fantasy finish in 2024. Just realize it might not always be a smooth trip.
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6.
Kyle Pitts
ATL
Kyle Pitts was regarded as one of the best TE prospects to enter the league in years when the Falcons drafted him No. 4 overall in 2021. But after debuting with a 68-catch, 1,026-yard season as a rookie, Pitts has been considered a disappointment the last two seasons. Pitts played 10 games in 2022 before a torn MCL ended his season prematurely. He ranked TE18 in PPR fantasy scoring when he went down, with 28 catches for 356 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, Pitts had 53 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns, finishing TE13 in PPR scoring. There are reasons to be optimistic that Pitts will rebound in 2024. Arthur Smith, notorious for not getting the ball into the hands of his best playmakers, was dismissed as Atlanta's head coach. Also, it's possible that Pitts was still bothered by the lingering effects of the knee injury, as we learned that he had also sustained PCL damage in addition to the MCL tear. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in the offseason, dramatically upgrading the QB position. Pitts has immense athletic talent and entered the league with a sterling college résumé. This might be a good time to buy in, with two dissatisfying seasons likely meaning a discounted price for Pitts in 2024 fantasy drafts.
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7.
Dalton Kincaid
BUF
The first tight end selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Dalton Kincaid had an uneven but promising rookie year, finishing with 73 catches for 673 yards and two touchdowns, good for a TE11 finish in PPR scoring. Kincaid was especially productive over a five-game midseason stretch when fellow Bills TE Dawson Knox was out with a wrist injury. With Knox on the shelf, Kincaid averaged 7.4 targets, 6.2 catches and 56.2 receiving yards per game. He also scored both of his touchdowns over that span. In games that Knox played, Kincaid averaged 4.9 targets, 3.8 catches and 35.6 receiving yards per game. Kincaid has considerable talent and plays with one of the NFL's best quarterbacks in Josh Allen. The Bills traded away WR Stefon Diggs and let WR Gabe Davis walk in free agency. They added WR Keon Coleman in the second round of the draft, but with Buffalo having so many vacated targets, Kincaid is poised to play an enhanced role in the Bills' passing game, making him one of the more desirable tight ends for fantasy.
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8.
David Njoku
CLE
David Njoku was superb in in 2023, his seventh NFL season, establishing new single-season highs in receptions (81), receiving yards (882) and touchdowns (6). But Njoku was far more productive with Joe Flacco at quarterback than he was with Deshaun Watson and other QBs. In the six games he played with Flacco (including the playoffs), Njoku averaged 6.2 receptions and 80.5 receiving yards per game, and he had four TD catches. In 11 games with QBs other than Flacco, Njoku averaged 4.6 receptions and 44.7 receiving yards per game, and he had two TD catches. In the five full games Watson played, Njoku averaged 4.0 catches and 35.2 receiving yards a game, with one TD catch. Njoku is one of the most athletic tight ends in the league, and despite his ample NFL experience, he'll only be 28 when the new season begins. The question is whether Njoku can replicate the success he had with Flacco as his quarterback if the Browns, as expected, open the season with Watson as their starting QB.
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9.
Evan Engram
JAC
After being considered a fantasy disappointment for the majority of his first five years in the league, Evan Engram has become one of the most productive pass catchers at the position. Engram finished TE6 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring in 2022, then finished TE2 last year (though it should be noted that three TEs finished less than 3 points behind Engram). With 114 catches in 2023, Engram shattered his previous single-season high by 41 receptions. He also had a career-high 963 receiving yards, though Engram averaged a career-low 8.4 yards per catch. As QB Trevor Lawrence's favorite security blanket, Engram had four games with double-digit reception totals in 2023 and eight games with seven or more receptions. Drops are seemingly always an issue for Engram, and he hasn't scored more than four touchdowns in a single season since he was a rookie in 2017. But Engram has become a high-quality fantasy asset and will be a good bet to once again return TE1 value in 2024.
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10.
Jake Ferguson
DAL
One of the best fantasy values at the TE position in 2023, Ferguson had an average draft position of TE25 in PPR leagues, according to FantasyPros ADP data, but finished TE9 in PPR scoring. A fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin in 2022, Ferguson emerged as a dependable target for QB Dak Prescott, finishing with 71 catches for 761 yards and five touchdowns. There might not be much more room for statistical improvement out of Ferguson, but he should once again be a prominent part of the Dallas passing attack in 2024.
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11.
Dallas Goedert
PHI
By now, we have a pretty good handle on what sort of player Dallas Goedert is. He reliably puts up good reception and yardage totals, but he's not a prolific touchdown scorer, and he gets banged up quite a bit. Over his last five seasons, Goedert has averaged 4.1 catches and 48.6 receiving yards per game. But Goedert has never scored more than five touchdowns in a single season, and he's missed 14 games due to injury over the last four years. Goedert's efficiency numbers slipped in 2023. After averaging better than 10 yards per target in 2021 and 2022, he averaged 7.1 yards per target last season. he also averaged a career-low 10.0 yards per catch. Goedert's fantasy ceiling may be somewhat limited due to the presence of Eagles WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who give Philadelphia one of the best wide receiver combos in the league. Consider Goedert a low-end TE1 for 2024 fantasy drafts.
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12.
Brock Bowers
LV
Widely considered one of the best TE prospects to enter the league in recent years, Brock Bowers went to the Raiders with the 13th overall pick of the NFL Draft. The 6-4, 230-pound Bowers had at least 56 catches and 714 receiving yards in all three of his seasons at the University of Georgia. He also scored 31 touchdowns in 40 collegiate games, including five rushing touchdowns. Bowers has good speed, terrific hands, and he's an absolute best after the catch. He lacks prototypical TE size, but Bowers plays bigger than he measures. Although the Raiders have one of the shakier QB situations in the league and have a target-hog receiver in Davante Adams, Bowers should nevertheless become fantasy-relevant right away because of his extraordinary athleticism and pass-catching ability.
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13.
T.J. Hockenson
MIN
T.J. Hockenson would have been drafted as a top-six tight end in the vast majority of 2024 fantasy leagues if he hadn't torn his ACL and MCL on Dec. 24, putting his early-season availability for the new season in doubt. It's possible that the recovery from multiple ligament tears will keep Hockenson out until around midseason, and that he won't be his typically impactful self immediately upon his return. A healthy Hockenson is a fantasy difference-maker. He had 86 catches for 914 yards and six touchdowns in 2022, good for a TE2 finish in PPR fantasy scoring behind only Travis Kelce. Hockenson was having an even better season in 2023, with 95 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns before the injury. Monitor the reports on Hockenson's recovery throughout the offseason, and resist the temptation to overspend on a player trying to come back from major knee surgery.
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14.
Dalton Schultz
HOU
Dalton Schultz hasn't been able to recapture the glory of his 2021 season, when he had a career-high 808 yards and eight touchdowns to finish as the fantasy TE3, but he's been a decent fantasy performer over the last two years. Schultz had 57-577-5 in 2022 and 59-635-5 in 2023, finishing TE10 and TE11 in PPR fantasy scoring in those two seasons. Schultz re-signed with the Texans in the offseason, so he'll continue to play with impressive young QB C.J. Stroud. The problem is that Houston traded for WR Stefon Diggs in the offseason, so Schultz will likely be No. 4 in the target pecking order behind Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell, limiting his top-end fantasy potential.
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15.
Cole Kmet
CHI
Credit Cole Kmet for defying the limitations of the Bears' low-octane passing attack. Over the last three seasons, Chicago has finished 25th, 32nd and 28th in passing yardage, but Kmet has finished with 612. 544 and 719 receiving yards in those three seasons. He had a career-high 73 catches last year and scored six touchdowns, finishing TE8 in PPR fantasy scoring. The Bears spent the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft on QB Caleb Williams, so the Chicago passing game should have some added juice in 2024. The problem is that the Bears now have a WR trio of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, so Kmet faces stuff target competition that could cap his fantasy upside. Consider him a high-end to midrange TE2.
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16.
Pat Freiermuth
PIT
After averaging 9.5 and 9.9 PPF fantasy points per game in his first two seasons in the league, Pat Freiermuth averaged only 6.4 PPR points per game in 2023, as he was thwarted by uneven QB play and a hamstring injury that cost him five games. Freiermuth had seven TD catches as a rookie in 2021. He only scored two touchdowns in 2022 but ramped up his yardage, finishing with 63 receptions for 732 yards. Freiermuth is adept at working the middle of the field, has dependable hands and is tough to bring down after the catch. A nine-catch, 120-yard performance vs. the Bengals in late November showed what Freiermuth is capable of. The Steelers aren't exactly loaded at the WR position, so Freiermuth should see enough targets in 2024 to give him a chance at low-end TE1 fantasy value.
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17.
Juwan Johnson
NO
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18.
Luke Musgrave
GB
Rangy and athletic, Luke Musgrave has the tools to become one of the better pass-catching tight ends in the league. A second-round draft pick out of Oregon State, Musgrave produced modest rookie-year numbers: 34 catches for 352 yards and one touchdown. But Musgrave missed six games with a lacerated kidney and was averaging a respectable 7.3 PPR fantasy points per game before he got hurt. Musgrave gets to play with QB Jordan Love, a rising star. One concern, however, is that the Packers spent a third-round draft pick on another tight end last year, Tucker Kraft, who also had some impressive flashes as a rookie. Musgrave profiles as a midrange TE2 for 2024 fantasy drafts, but he could come on fast.
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19.
Hunter Henry
NE
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20.
Taysom Hill
NO
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21.
Cade Otton
TB
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22.
Tucker Kraft
GB
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23.
Chigoziem Okonkwo
TEN
A trendy sleeper choice a year ago, Chigoziem Okonkwo turned in a mildly disappointing season in 2023, but he's an intriguing post-hype sleeper candidate for 2024. After a promising rookie season in which he had 32 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns, Okonkwo boosted his reception and yardage totals in 2023, with 54 catches for 528 yards. But Okonkwo scored only one touchdown last season, and he went from 14.1 yards per catch and 2.61 yards per route run in 2022 to 9.6 yards per catch and 1.31 yards per route run in 2023. If young Titans QB Will Levis endures growing pains, Okonkwo's breakout chances could suffer. On the other hand, the Titans don't have a great deal of firepower at the WR position, which boosts Okonkwo's target outlook. Consider Okonkwo a midrange TE2 for 2024 fantasy drafts.
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24.
Ben Sinnott
WAS
The Commanders spent a second-round draft pick on Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott, signaling that they see him as their tight end of the future. Washington signed Zach Ertz in the offseason, but Ertz turns 34 in November and has lost 17 games to injury over the last two seasons. Sinnott had 49 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns at K-State last season. Keep an eye out for news on the Commanders' TE competition in early August. If Sinnott can win the starting job, he might be able to offer high-end to midrange TE2 value.
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25.
Isaiah Likely
BAL
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26.
Michael Mayer
LV
Michael Mayer had a somewhat disappointing rookie season for the Raiders, with 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. He seemed like a candidate for a second-year breakout, but then the Raiders spent their first-round draft pick on mega-talented University of Georgia TE Brock Bowers, seemingly kneecapping Mayer's 2024 fantasy value. Mayer was wildly productive in college, with more than 800 receiving yards in his final two seasons at Notre Dame. Mayer averaged only 2.9 targets a game in 2023, and it's hard to imagine his weekly target counts significantly increasing when he has to share targets with Bowers and superstar WR Davante Adams.
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27.
Noah Fant
SEA
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28.
Tyler Conklin
NYJ
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29.
Gerald Everett
CHI
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30.
Ja'Tavion Sanders
CAR
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31.
Mike Gesicki
CIN
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32.
Dawson Knox
BUF
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33.
Tyler Higbee
LAR
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34.
Jelani Woods
IND
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35.
Darren Waller
NYG
Darren Waller was routinely coming off the board in the fifth or sixth round of 2023 fantasy drafts, but he was a major disappointment last year, missing five games due to a hamstring injury and averaging 9.4 PPR fantasy points in the games he played. He finished the 2023 season with 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown. Waller was once among the most impactful tight ends in football, producing back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Raiders in 2019-2020. But Waller is entering his age-32 season and has missed 19 games over the last three years. Insist on a discount if you're thinking about investing in the oft-injured Waller for 2024.
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36.
Greg Dulcich
DEN
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37.
Jonnu Smith
MIA
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38.
Zach Ertz
WAS
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39.
Logan Thomas
FA
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40.
Theo Johnson
NYG
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41.
Donald Parham Jr.
LAC
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42.
Daniel Bellinger
NYG
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43.
Colby Parkinson
LAR
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44.
Hayden Hurst
LAC
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45.
Brevin Jordan
HOU
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46.
Jaheim Bell
NE
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47.
Noah Gray
KC
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48.
Erick All
CIN
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49.
Kylen Granson
IND
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50.
Cade Stover
HOU
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51.
Tanner Hudson
CIN
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52.
Jeremy Ruckert
NYJ
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53.
Cole Turner
WAS
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54.
Irv Smith Jr.
KC
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55.
Durham Smythe
MIA
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56.
Johnny Mundt
MIN
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57.
Will Mallory
IND
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58.
Jared Wiley
KC
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59.
Josh Oliver
MIN
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60.
Darnell Washington
PIT
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61.
Austin Hooper
NE
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62.
Harrison Bryant
LV
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63.
Foster Moreau
NO
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64.
Will Dissly
LAC
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65.
Dallin Holker
NO
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66.
Tip Reiman
ARI
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67.
Tanner McLachlan
CIN
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68.
AJ Barner
SEA
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69.
Tommy Tremble
CAR
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70.
Luke Schoonmaker
DAL
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71.
Pharaoh Brown
SEA
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72.
Adam Trautman
DEN
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73.
Brenton Strange
JAC
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74.
Brock Wright
DET
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75.
Davis Allen
LAR
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76.
John Bates
WAS
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77.
Bryson Nesbit
FA
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78.
C.J. Uzomah
PHI
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79.
Jordan Akins
CLE
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80.
Robert Tonyan
CHI
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81.
Jimmy Graham
NO
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82.
Mo Alie-Cox
IND
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83.
Lucas Krull
DEN
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84.
Charlie Kolar
BAL
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85.
Drew Sample
CIN
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86.
Brevyn Spann-Ford
DAL
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87.
Connor Heyward
PIT
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88.
Stone Smartt
LAC
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89.
Elijah Higgins
ARI
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90.
Drew Ogletree
IND
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91.
Peyton Hendershot
DAL
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92.
Zack Kuntz
NYJ
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93.
Luke Farrell
JAC
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94.
Josh Whyle
TEN
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95.
Jack Stoll
NYG
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96.
Charlie Woerner
ATL
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97.
Josiah Deguara
JAC
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98.
Trey Knox
MIN
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99.
Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.
PHI
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100.
Devin Culp
TB
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101.
Benjamin Yurosek
FA
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102.
Cameron Latu
SF
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103.
Ko Kieft
TB
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104.
James Mitchell
DET
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105.
Luke Lachey
FA
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106.
MyCole Pruitt
PIT
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107.
Marcedes Lewis
CHI
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108.
Stephen Sullivan
CAR
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109.
Quintin Morris
BUF
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110.
Kevin Rader
TEN
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111.
Julian Hill
MIA
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112.
Ben Sims
GB
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113.
Hunter Long
LAR
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114.
Mitchell Wilcox
NE
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115.
Grant Calcaterra
PHI
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116.
Jody Fortson
KC
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117.
Giovanni Ricci
CLE
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118.
Blake Bell
KC
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119.
Ian Thomas
CAR
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120.
Jesper Horsted
LV
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121.
Chris Manhertz
NYG
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122.
Ross Dwelley
SF
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123.
Geoff Swaim
ARI
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124.
Teagan Quitoriano
HOU
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125.
David Wells
TB
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126.
Brycen Hopkins
LAR
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127.
Sean McKeon
DAL
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128.
Payne Durham
TB
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129.
Kenny Yeboah
NYJ
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130.
Cole Fotheringham
LV
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131.
Trevon Wesco
TEN
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132.
Nate Adkins
DEN
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133.
Tucker Fisk
ATL
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134.
Shane Zylstra
DET
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