Tag: Zach Kuntz

Texans grab center, tight end in CBS Sports 2023 NFL draft Day 2 mock

The Houston Texans address their center need and add a tight end on Day 2 in the latest CBS Sports mock of the ongoing 2023 NFL draft.

The Houston Texans knocked it out of the park on the first night of the 2023 NFL draft.

Houston picked Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick, and then traded up with the Arizona Cardinals to the very next selection to take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson.

For Texans fans, there is no better high than what happened on Thursday night.

However, the rest of the draft carries on, and the Texans still have 10 selections remaining, including two third-rounders.

According to Chris Trapasso from CBS Sports, the best Day 2 selections for the Texans at Nos. 65 and 73 overall would be center John Michael Schmitz from Minnesota and tight end Zach Kuntz from Old Dominion.

The Texans’ tight end room is seemingly full with Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, and Brevin Jordan. Adding Kuntz would bring even more competition to the position.

Schmitz would fill a need the Texans have at center. Currently they have two veterans with Scott Quessenberry and Michael Deiter. Schmitz would also challenge for the position and could have a higher ceiling than Quessenberry and Deiter.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

NFL Draft: 6 Vikings offensive targets on day 3

The Minnesota Vikings currently have five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and there are gems to be found on day three.

The Minnesota Vikings are currently slated to have five picks in the 2023 NFL draft. They are likely to use them as currency to trade up and down in the draft.

What they won’t have is 10 picks on day three to add a lot of depth to the roster. Last year, the Vikings drafted six players in round four or later to add depth that was void due to Rick Spielman’s poor drafting.

This year, I expect the Vikings to pick five or less times on day three. Just because they will have less swings doesn’t mean they can’t find talented players. Here are six offensive targets the Vikings should prioritize on day three.

2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 tight ends

The 2023 NFL draft class of tight ends is very deep, and Doug Farrar’s top eight prospects at the position all have a lot to offer.

As much as the modern NFL is a 3×1 league in the passing game, the ways in which teams get to that equation are very different. Last season, the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, known above all for their explosive passing game, ranked second in the league in dropbacks with two tight ends on the field — their 245 such dropbacks left them behind only the Baltimore Ravens (338 dropbacks with two tight ends), who are far better known for such things.

With two tight ends on the field, Patrick Mahomes completed 166 of 230 passes for 1,707 yards, 831 air yards, 16 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 113.4. The Philadelphia Eagles, who met the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, had the highest passer rating (127.1) with two tight ends on the field.

No team had more dropbacks with three tight ends on the field than Kansas City’s 78 (the Houston Texans ranked second with 48), and in those 3TE sets, Mahomes completed 51 of 68 passes for 714 yards, 314 air yards, 11 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 149.0.

Of course, it helps to have a generational, slam-dunk Hall of Famer like Travis Kelce on your roster when going heavy at the position, but the overarching point is that tight ends are more important to a lot of NFL offenses than you may think — and not just the ones you know about.

So, when we turn our attention to the tight ends prospects in the 2023 draft class — a class as full of talent at the position as we’ve seen in years — it’s crucial to understand that there isn’t just one type of tight end important to NFL teams. The big receivers who don’t block obviously have better stans and get the most recognition for the most part, but it’s about more than that.

Here are the eight top tight ends in the 2023 NFL draft class.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Sports Info Solutions, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).

(All prospect measurement percentiles courtesy of MockDraftable.com). 

2023 NFL Draft: The top 9 safeties

2023 NFL Draft: The top 11 cornerbacks

2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 linebackers

2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior defensive linemen

2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 edge defenders

2023 NFL Draft: The top 5 offensive tackles

2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior offensive linemen

Podcast: Which combine darlings could the Browns target in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Which combine standouts would fit in Cleveland?

It was an impressive show put on by many at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine that is now in the books. I take a look at five players that should be on the radar of the Cleveland Browns that stood out in Indianapolis.

The tight end class is loaded with athletically gifted players so if the Browns look for depth in the draft they will have a list to choose from. A dynamic wide receiver that could change the offense and a slot corner/safety that could improve the defense.

You can watch this episode here for the video version or listen here for the audio version.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”BuIu1n8G” type=”player”]

3 tight ends to watch for Chiefs at 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

Here are three tight end prospects the #Chiefs should be keeping an eye on during on-field drills and testing on Saturday.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine continues over the weekend with offensive players hitting the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for on-field drills and workouts. You can watch the quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends workout from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

The Kansas City Chiefs added a number of young contributors to the team via the draft just a season ago. Several of those players posted impressive performances at the combine. The team will look to follow up its standout 2022 draft class by adding even more instant-impact players in 2023.

Keep an eye on the following three tight ends working out on Saturday. A head-turning performance could put any number of the players squarely on the radar for Brett Veach and company.