Outlook: If you look back to 2023, Murray and McBride played eight games together. In that time, the tight end collected 53 receptions, 538 yards, and 2 TDs; that's a 113-1,143-4 pace. Last year, that duo took the field 16 times. The final numbers: 111 catches, 1,146 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. That was good enough for fourth in the NFL in receptions and 11th in receiving yardage. He finished second in both categories among tight ends to Las Vegas' rookie Brock Bowers.

While it's difficult to complain too vociferously about a two-year stretch in which McBride has caught 192 passes for 1,971 yards there is one clear eyesore on his resume. Despite checking in at 6-foot-4, 246 pounds, McBride has scored just five times among those 192 receptions. His two receiving TDs last year tied him for 116th in the NFL. After McBride, New Orleans' Alvin Kamara had the most catches with only two touchdowns -- he had 68, which was 43 fewer than McBride.

Yes, the lack of productivity in the red zone is frustrating. Targets are opportunities, however, and McBride was eighth in the NFL in that department. Entering his fourth season and still just 25 years old, he offers more value and upside than anyone at the position not named Bowers.

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Outlook: The biggest victim of Jameson Williams's and Jahmyr Gibbs' ascension was LaPorta. He saw 37 fewer targets than in 2023 and was nearly invisible for the first half of the season. He did come on in the 2nd half though, piling up five double-digit fantasy games from Week 10 on. LaPorta remains one of the most reliable and consistent pass catchers on the team, and in the NFL, and although he might never reach the lofty numbers of his rookie season, he slots in as an easy top-10 option at the position.

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Outlook: Kraft was a nice surprise last season, busting out for 50 receptions, 707 yards, and seven scores. He was a legit big play threat from a position that the Packers have struggled to fill recently, as Kraft was 2nd among all tight ends with a 14.1 yards-per-catch average. With the renewed health of Jordan Love, and another defense stretching threat in Matthew Golden, Craft should have plenty of room to work, and is a strong bet to repeat his top-10 positional finish from a year ago.

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Outlook: The fact Hockenson was able to come back at all last season and make significant contribution is an amazing accomplishment. After a late 2023 ACL tear, Hockenson returned in Week 9 looking healthy and spry. His first big game came in Week 12 where he went over 100 yards. He only found the endzone once (during the playoffs), but he remained healthy the rest of the season, and enters 2025 once again near the top of the tight end rankings. While the position has seen an infusion of young talent recently, Hockenson was a top-three option before his injury, and will return to being the 2nd most targeted option on the team even with a young quarterback. Due to position, he's a little more insulated from any McCarthy growing pains, and slots easily as a top-10 tight end option.

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Outlook: I'm not sure where to begin with Kyle Pitts. Selected fourth overall in 2021, has his lack of productivity been due to scheme, injuries, or is he simply not as good as his draft capital suggests? Perhaps it's a combination of all three. One thing's for sure: he's finally ranked where he should be: as a TE2. What a slow, steady decline for a once-promising player many called a unicorn upon his arrival to the league. It started great -- a 1,000-yard season as a rookie. Since then, it's been anything but. He's already entering his fifth season, and it will be hard to shake his perception of a slightly above-average player that fantasy owners should not rely on. It's as simple as that. Take him in the double-digit rounds and hope for the best.

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Outlook: In 2024, the combination of Trautman, Krull, Dulcich, and Nate Adkins were collectively targeted 72 times, resulting in 51 receptions, 483 yards, and 5 TDs. For comparison, Engram averaged 102 targets, 78 receptions, 698 yards, and 3 TDs during his three-season run in Jacksonville, which included him missing eight games last year due to injury. On paper, the veteran tight end should be a massive upgrade for the Broncos passing attack.

There are some questions about fit, however, as the two tight ends that have shined in Payton's "Joker" role were Jeremy Shockey and Jimmy Graham. Engram resembles neither. He isn't nearly as physical as Shockey and lacks the verticality and red-zone prowess of Graham. He was a volume target for the Jags, but that approach doesn't fit what the Broncos do. So, where does that leave Engram? Odds are he'll split the difference, being more involved than last year's group of nondescript options while also not approaching the number of opportunities he saw in Jacksonville.

A year ago, you could make a case for Engram as one of the first five TEs off the board. Now, he looks like someone to group in with the likes of Jonnu Smith (Dolphins), Colston Loveland (Bears), Jake Ferguson (Cowboys), Tucker Kraft (Packers), and Dalton Kincaid (Bills) as a low-end TE1. With most of those other names being younger and boasting more upside, fantasy owners will need to decide whether they want the steadier hand in Engram over those with a higher ceiling.

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