Todd McShay ranks his top 10 tight end draft prospects

The 2021 college football season has come and gone, the Senior Bowl has been played and now the countdown to the 2022 NFL Draft continues.

The 2022 NFL Draft Combine is also quickly approaching, with its start date scheduled for March 1. With less than a month until the future NFL players measure in, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay broke down the top 10 tight ends on the board.

Todd McShay’s top 10 tight ends in 2022 NFL Draft

1. Trey McBride, Colorado State

McBride, a 6-foot-4 senior out of Fort Morgan, Colorado broke a myriad of records in his time at Colorado State, and he capped it off my winning the John Mackey Award as a senior, given annually to the nation’s top tight end. Mackey totaled 1,121 receiving yards and a touchdown on 90 receptions this season, and he amassed nearly 2,000 yards in four seasons, including three in which he received significant playing time. He projects as the No. 1 tight end in the 2022 NFL Draft.

2. Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina

Likely was a three-star tight end according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, before he committed to Coastal Carolina. He blossomed into a talented, draftable tight end in his time at Coastal, amassing a similar yards tally to McBride over four years. Likely, however, had 59 receptions — far fewer than McBride — but was one of the top redzone threats in the country, reeling in 12 touchdown passes as a senior.

3. Greg Dulcich, UCLA

With Dorian Thompson-Robinson frequently seeking out his tight ends in the past two seasons, Dulcich was the main beneficiary, catching five touchdowns in each of the last two years. He finished with 42 receptions for 725 yards as a senior.

4. Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M

A native of Dickinson, TX, Wydermyer made the wise decision to stay close to home when he committed to the Texas A&M Aggies, and the former On3 Consensus four-star tight end has done enough in three seasons to declare for the NFL Draft. A three-year contributor, Wydermyer had 447 yards as a freshman, 506 as a sophomore and 515 as a senior, catching 16 touchdown passes in three years.

5. Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State

Rucker, a former four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, was the No. 2 tight end in his class back in 2018, and the 6-foot-5, 252-pound tight end improved over the course of his Ohio State career. He finished with 26 receptions for 309 yards as a senior, both career highs, and scored three touchdowns in 2021. One of the larger tight ends in the class, Ruckert will certainly hear his name called in the NFL Draft.

6. Cole Turner, Nevada

Turner turned into one of the more accomplished tight ends in Nevada program history, and he became one of three members of the Wolfpack invited to the Senior Bowl — a first for the program. Turner was an All-Mountain West first team honoree as a junior, and a second team honoree as a senior. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end reeled in 600-plus yards in each of the past two seasons, including 19 touchdowns over that two-year span.

7. Cade Otton, Washington

Otton was a steady contributor for Washington in his four-year career, but he never eclipsed 344 receiving yards, the number he totaled as a sophomore back in 2019. He amassed toughly 1,000 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in four hears with the Huskies.

8. Charlie Kolar, Iowa State

Kolar had a huge senior season for the Cyclones, catching 61 passes for 756 yards, both career highs, and six touchdowns. He’s been a force for Iowa State in each of the past three years, amassing no fewer than 590 receiving yards per season and 20 touchdowns.

9. James Mitchell, Virginia Tech

Mitchell, who had 26 receptions for 435 yards and four touchdowns in 2020 for Virginia Tech, suffered a season-ending knee surgery in 2021 that required surgery. He finished with just five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, but he should still be selected in the NFL Draft.

10. Derrick Deese Jr., San Jose State

Deese had a big senior year for the San Jose State Spartans, generating legitimate NFL Draft buzz as he reeled in 47 catches for 730 yards and four tight ends. A 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end, Deese makes up for his smaller size with impressive pass-catching skills.