8. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers
Hunter Henry has the potential to be one of the best tight ends in the league, but he certainly does not come without risk. If you believe the old saw that “the best ability is availability,” then Henry will be hit with a red flag in your eyes. His second season in the NFL ended early, with a knee injury and a kidney injury. He came back for OTAs the next year, but tore an ACL and missed the entire regular season, returning for the Chargers’ Divisional Round meeting with the Patriots. Then last year, Henry suffered a tibia plateau fracture to his left knee and missed five games. Those are some big question marks.
But when he is healthy, Henry is the kind of matchup weapon that offensive coordinators covet at the position. Despite missing five games last year, he still posted career-high numbers in targets (74), receptions (55) and yards (652). He also notched five touchdowns, and 36 of his 55 receptions, an impressive 65%, went for a first down.
Henry’s hands, route-running and athleticism make him such a threat in the passing game:
Henry runs a pivot route here and looks more like Julian Edelman than a tight end, both with the footwork on the route and the change-of-direction skills after the catch, as he makes a defender miss in the open field.
Obviously change is in the air in Los Angeles, as the Chargers are looking to a new quarterback in the first year post-Philip Rivers. But if he can stay healthy, Henry is the type of player who can make such a transition easier on the next guy, whether Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert.