Tag: tight end

Broncos host CSU TE Dallin Holker on pre-draft visit

The Broncos brought in CSU tight end Dallin Holker for a pre-draft visit. He’s projected to be a late-round pick.

The Denver Broncos hosted Colorado State tight end Dallin Holker on a pre-draft visit earlier this month, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Holker (6-3, 241 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.66 seconds at the NFL combine. He started his college career at BYU in 2018, hauling in 19 receptions for 235 yards and one touchdown as a freshman.

Holker then went on a Mormon missionary trip from 2019-2020. He returned to the football team in 2021 and totaled 14 receptions for 200 yards and one score. After being limited to three games in 2022, Holker transferred to Colorado State ahead of the 2023 season.

Holker had a breakout season last fall, totaling 64 receptions for 767 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Those numbers were better than his three-year totals in 28 games at BYU (42/521/3).

The 24-year-old tight end is now projected to be a fifth– or sixth-round pick in the NFL draft. The Broncos hold five picks in that part of the draft.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27. We are tracking all of Denver’s pre-draft prospect visits on Broncos Wire.

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Will the Saints trade Taysom Hill to the Broncos? ‘We’ll see’

“I feel like Sean (Payton) has tried to get everyone to go to Denver … so we’ll see,” Dennis Allen said of a potential Taysom Hill trade.

Since joining the Denver Broncos last year, coach Sean Payton has brought more than two dozen former New Orleans Saints players and coaches with him to his new team (22 ex-Saints are currently with the Broncos).

Two of those players were acquired via trade — Payton sent a sixth-round pick to New Orleans in exchange for tight end Adam Trautman during last year’s NFL draft. Four months later, Denver sent a seventh-round pick to the Saints in exchange for kicker Wil Lutz.

As the 2024 NFL draft draws closer, perhaps the Broncos will consider trading another late-round pick to New Orleans for a distressed asset.

Saints tight end/offensive weapon/special teams ace Taysom Hill is facing an uncertain future with the Saints in part due to his contract. After Denver hired former New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael earlier this offseason, Saints coach Dennis Allen was asked if Carmichael tried to take Hill with him to the Broncos.

“No, that conversation has not been broached,” Allen said with a laugh, according to John Sigler of Saints Wire. “Look, I feel like Sean (Payton) has tried to get everyone to go to Denver with him, so we’ll see.”

If the Broncos do trade for Hill, either during the draft or later this summer, they would likely ask him to adjust his contract. Hill is currently set to have a $15.7 million cap hit in 2024. Denver can’t afford to eat up that much cap space on a gadget player, especially when they’re already eating $53 million after releasing Russell Wilson.

Assuming Hill would be willing to take a pay cut, trading a late-round pick might be an intriguing option for the Broncos. Denver currently holds three picks in the fifth round and two picks in the sixth round. Hill will be a name to keep an eye on as the Broncos approach the late rounds of the draft later this month.

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Broncos met with TE Ben Sinnott at the Senior Bowl

The Broncos got a close look at Kansas State TE/FB Ben Sinnott at the Senior Bowl. He’s projected to be a mid-round pick.

The Denver Broncos had “extensive talks” with Kansas State draft prospect Ben Sinnott at the Senior Bowl, the tight end revealed during his media availability at the NFL combine in February.

The Broncos got a close look at all of the tight ends at this year’s Senior Bowl because quality control coaches Logan Kilgore (National team) Zack Grossi (American team) were assigned to coach TEs at the all-star game. Sinnott played for Grossi’s squad.

Sinnott (6-4, 250 pounds) is a tight end/fullback hybrid who ran a 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.59 seconds at the combine. He posted career highs in receptions (49), receiving yards (676) and touchdowns (six) as a senior last fall.

After earning first-team All-Big 12 recognition in 2022 and 2023, Sinnott now projects as a mid-to-late-round prospect. If picked by the Broncos, he would likely get opportunities at both TE and FB, similar to the role that Nate Adkins played last season.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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What Condition the Position is in: Assessing Raiders level of need at TE heading into the Draft

What Condition Raiders tight end Position is in heading into the Draft

With the draft weeks away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ tight end position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.

Starter: Michael Mayer
Depth: Harrison Bryant, Zach Gentry, Cole Fotheringham, John Samuel Shenker

Mayer was expected to be a plug-and-play tight end. It didn’t quite happen that way. He didn’t have his second NFL catch until Week five. And he didn’t have his first NFL touchdown until Week 10. But you did see flashes of why he was drafted at 35 overall and the Raiders will give him another shot to live up to his potential as a starter. Bryant never lived up to the receiving number he put up as a senior at Florida Atlantic. But he’s been a passable NFL second tight end. The rest of the tight ends will compete for the final roster spot.

Condition: Stable

Notes: With Mayer in place and Bryant added to the team, the Raiders can focus on other positions of need in the draft.

Broncos met with TE Brevyn Spann-Ford ahead of NFL draft

The Broncos had a pre-draft visit with Minnesota tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford, who is projected to be a sixth-round pick.

The Denver Broncos met with Minnesota’s Brevyn Spann-Ford ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, the tight end revealed at his pro day on March 14.

Spann-Ford (6-6, 260 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.77 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.67 seconds at the NFL combine earlier this offseason. He spent five years with the Gophers and is now set to go pro as a 24-year-old rookie.

Spann-Ford totaled 95 receptions for 1,061 yards and seven touchdowns in 56 games at Minnesota. He posted career highs in receptions (42), receiving yards (497) and touchdowns (two) in 2022.

After competing in the Senior Bowl this spring, Spann-Ford is now projected to be a late-round pick in the NFL draft. Most mock drafts have him going off the board in the sixth round, where the Broncos currently hold picks Nos. 203 and 207 (view all of Denver’s picks here).

Adam Trautman re-signed during free agency and Greg Dulcich is healthy, but the Broncos could use more depth behind them. Spann-Ford might be a realistic late-round target for Denver.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Broncos spoke with TE Theo Johnson at the NFL combine

The Broncos had an informal meeting with Penn State tight end Theo Johnson at the NFL combine. He’s projected to be a fourth-round pick.

The Denver Broncos had an informal meeting with Penn State’s Theo Johnson at the NFL combine in February, the tight end confirmed during his media availability in Indianapolis.

Johnson (6-6, 259 pounds) was among the National team tight ends who were coached by Broncos quality control coach Logan Kilgore at the Senior Bowl. After competing in Mobile, Johnson was invited to the combine. He ran a 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds and 20-yard shuttle in 4.19 seconds at the combine.

Johnson spent four years at PSU, hauling in 77 receptions for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns in 44 games. He posted career highs in catches (34), receiving yards (341) and touchdowns (seven) last season.

Johnson is projected to be a fourth-round pick later this month. The Broncos currently hold pick No. 121 in the fourth round and Johnson might be a potential target at that spot.

Denver re-signed Adam Trautman during free agency and Greg Dulcich is healthy going into the offseason program, but the team does not have much tight end depth behind them.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Wisconsin football offers a class of 2026 tight end

Wisconsin football offers a class of 2026 tight end

Wisconsin football extended an offer to class of 2026 tight end Adam Gehm on Saturday.

Gehm is currently unranked on 247Sports. The Badgers are the Pennsylvania native’s second collegiate offer, joining Miami (OH).

Related: Evaluating the Big Ten’s next targets for conference expansion

The 6’5″ tight end recently posted visits at Penn State, Florida, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. He also has one upcoming at Michigan State. While the offer sheet may be empty at the moment, Gehm is getting plenty of interest from power programs.

The tight end position should be a priority for Wisconsin in the upcoming recruiting cycles. The current depth at the position is minimal — though an infusion of talent is on the way, first with top-ranked 2024 tight end Grant Stec.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Broncos had a virtual pre-draft visit with TE Trey Knox

The Broncos had a virtual pre-draft visit with South Carolina tight end Trey Knox. He’s a late-round/UDFA prospect.

The Denver Broncos had a virtual pre-draft visit on Zoom with South Carolina’s Trey Knox last month, the tight end confirmed during a recent interview with The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Knox (6-3, 240 pounds) did not run a 40-yard dash at the NFL combine after working his way back from a hamstring injury, but he did run a 20-yard shuttle in 4.54 seconds.

Knox spent four years at Arkansas, originally playing as a wide receiver. In 45 games with the Razorbacks, Knox hauled in 81 receptions for 883 yards and nine touchdowns, including five scores in 2022.

Knox transferred to South Carolina ahead of the 2023 season. Playing as a tight end last fall, he totaled 37 receptions for 312 yards and two scores.

Knox is projected to go undrafted later this month, but it’s possible he could be a late-round pick. The Broncos do not currently hold a pick in the seventh round, so barring a trade, he is likely an UDFA candidate for Denver.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Here are Adam Trautman’s contract details with the Broncos

Broncos tight end Adam Trautman will have a salary cap hit of $3 million in 2024.

The Denver Broncos re-signed tight end Adam Trautman to a two-year deal last week. Terms of the contract are now known.

Trautman’s deal has a total value of $7.5 million. He received a $3 million signing bonus that will be prorated as $1.5 million salary cap hits over the next two years.

This year, Trautman will have a base salary of $1.5 million, which is guaranteed. That salary combined with his prorated signing bonus gives the tight end a total salary cap hit of $3 million in 2024.

Next year, Trautman’s base salary will jump to $2.745 million ($500,000 guaranteed), and he can earn an additional $255,000 through per-game roster bonuses. Those figures combined with his prorated signing bonus will make Trautman’s total salary cap hit $4.5 million in 2025.

If the Broncos cut Trautman next year, the team would take on a $2 million “dead money” cap hit (his prorated bonus plus $500,000 guaranteed salary) with a net savings of $2.5 million.

Denver, of course, will hope Trautman plays well enough to finish his deal. The 27-year-old veteran served as the team’s No. 1 tight end in 2023.

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Broncos re-signing TE Adam Trautman to 2-year contract

The Broncos are re-signing tight end Adam Trautman to a two-year contract.

The Denver Broncos are re-signing tight end Adam Trautman, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Trautman is returning on a two-year deal worth $7.5 million.

Trautman (6-5, 253 pounds) entered the league with the New Orleans Saints as a third-round pick out of Dayton in the 2020 NFL draft. His role in the Saints’ offense decreased when coach Sean Payton stepped down in 2022.

Last year, Payton joined the Broncos and he traded a sixth-round pick to the Saints in exchange for Trautman and a seventh-round pick. Due to injuries at the position, Trautman ended up serving as Denver’s No. 1 tight end in 2023, catching 22 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns.

Trautman has 82 career receptions for 845 yards with seven touchdowns in 60 games (40 starts). He played in all 17 games for the Broncos last year, earning 12 starts.

Trautman has earned just north of $4.7 million through his first four seasons in the NFL, according to Spotrac.com. Now entering his fifth season, Trautman turned 27 years old last month.

After re-signing with Denver, Trautman will reunite with Greg Dulcich, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins in the tight end room.

We are tracking all of the team’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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