The Tight End class from the 2023 NFL Draft is a loaded group, of very productive players. The Denver Broncos have not had a tight end with 700-plus receiving yards since Julius Thomas in 2013, when he had 788 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Let's look quickly at the past 10 years of tight end production for the Denver Broncos.
Denver Broncos Tight End Leaders in the past 10 seasons statistically
2022: Greg Dulcich - 411 yards, 2 TD
2021: Noah Fant - 670 yards, 4 TD
2020: Noah Fant - 673 yards, 3 TD
2019: Noah Fant - 562 yards, 3 TD
2018: Jeff Heuerman - 281 yards, 2 TD
2017: AJ Derby - 224 yards, 2 TD
2016: Virgil Green - 237 yards, 1 TD
2015: Owen Daniels - 517 yards, 3 TD
2014: Julius Thomas - 489 yards, 12 TD
2013: Julius Thomas - 788 yards, 12 TD
Just for you to get an idea, Greg Dulcich was no. 24 in receiving yards among tight ends in the NFL, which is very low, compared to other teams' tight ends. He missed seven games due to injuries and still led the Broncos within the position.
In NFL Free Agency, the Denver Broncos added Chris Manhertz to the tight end room, but he is a more blocking player. Additionally, Denver lost Eric Saubert and Andrew Beck. Injuries and inconsistency have been problems for the position group.
As of today, the Broncos' TE Room looks like this: Greg Dulcich, Albert Okwuegbunam, and Chris Manhertz. So adding a tight end to the team would make sense, especially in the upcoming Draft. With that being said, let's see some 2023 Draft Prospects at the position, that the Broncos could target ...
Darnell Washington - Georgia: Washington is a huge and tall tight end, a super strong player, as he showed in the NFL Combine. He can block, run good routes, and force defensive players to miss tackles on him. The thing with Darnell is that he might not be available at 67.
Sam LaPorta - Iowa: LaPorta has been one of the best tight ends in college football, and had over 30% of Iowa's receiving yards last season (most in FBS). He is a good blocker and has good hands. Remember that Iowa is a consistent tight end production school...
Tucker Kraft - South Dakota State: Kraft is a guy that can easily break tackles. He comes from the same university as Eagles TE Dallas Goedert. Kraft is a decent receiver, that was primarily used in short routes. The problems with him are injuries and blocking.
Luke Musgrave - Oregon State: Musgrave is a very interesting tight end. He is a great athlete and is a very secure receiver that was very targeted in the red zone. He is not that good as a blocker but could be a "Swiss Army Knife" type of player that could get a lot of interest from many teams.
Luke Schoonmaker - Michigan: Luke is an athletic tight end. In High School, he played not only football, but also played baseball, and as a football player, he has played multiple positions including QB. He is a good blocker and someone that can easily create YAC.