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Regardless of Rob Gronkowski’s plans for the 2022 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went into the 2022 NFL draft with a plan to rebuild their depth at tight end.
They started those efforts by selecting Washington’s Cade Otton with the first pick of the fourth round, giving them a well-rounded prospect who is well-versed in handling any task thrown at him.
“I’d say my versatility,” Otton told the media just after he was drafted, when asked about his best attribute. “In college, I was trusted to do pretty much everything you can do at the tight end position. Whether that was in-line blocking, running routes outside, blocking in space, blocking from the fullback position – all sorts of routes. I think I can offer all of those things to the team and bring a lot of versatility from the tight end position. I know they have other guys like that. So, I think this could be a really good thing for the offense and the team as a whole.”
Those traits will be put to good use in Tampa Bay, where Gronkowski has set the gold standard for both receiving and blocking at a high level. If Otton gets the chance to learn from Gronkowski should he return for another season, it could help him develop those skills even further at the next level.
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