With the NFL Draft right around the corner, we take a look at one of the top tight ends expected to come off the draft board late in the first round – Dalton Kincaid out of Utah.
High School
Dalton played only one season of high school football during his senior year at Faith Lutheran High School in Summerlin, Nevada. He spent most of his high school career playing basketball – he even won an AAU championship as a senior. Importantly, the skills he honed through basketball allowed him to shine once he reached the collegiate level. Coming out of high school, he was an unranked prospect given his limited football play.
College
Dalton played college football for two seasons at the University of San Diego where he accumulated 68 catches, 1,209 yards, and 19 touchdowns. He then transferred to the University of Utah and played three seasons there. In a COVID-shortened 2020 season with Utah, he played only five games, putting up nominal stats. In 2021, he played 13 games racking up 36 receptions, 510 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
In 2022, he exploded. Dalton, as the focal point of the Utes offense, caught 70 balls for 890 yards and put up 8 touchdowns. He led the team in those three categories. An eye-jumping stat from the 2022 was that Dalton put up an astounding 2.42 yards per route run. His YPRR was second amongst all Power 5 tight ends in 2022, only behind Michael Mayer. His YPRR also ranks 8th best in the past decade amongst Power 5 tight ends.
He suffered a back fracture in the final regular season game, but was medically cleared this past month.
Strengths
Having his roots in basketball like so many tight ends before him (Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzalez), he is an excellent baller. His ability to track the ball and pluck it out of the air gives him a sizeable advantage against defensive backs. Dalton is also extremely sure-handed, he’s only had 2 drops across 138 targets in his final two seasons with Utah. If the ball’s in his vicinity, he’s bringing it down.
In addition, due to his size (6’4”) and weight (242 lbs), he’s able to shed defenders and break through tackles to rack up yards after the catch. While not a burner, his 4.71 40-speed is ranks in the top third of TEs. Many analysts have drawn comparison to Travis Kelce. At the NFL level, the ceiling is high.
Weaknesses
Because he was primarily a ball-catcher, his blocking ability is lacking. He could be more refine his craft, but a team that wants to optimize Dalton will draft him as a pass-catcher, much in the vein of Kyle Pitts.
While Dalton is also able to bring the ball down when it’s near him, he could be more physical generally. He’s got some twitch to him and solid route running, but the more physical defenders could affect ability to get the timing down, which is critical at the pro level where the passing windows are smaller and timing must be precise.
Conclusion
Many football analysts hold Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid above the rest of the talented tight ends coming out this year. Dalton Kincaid gets the edge over Michael Mayer due to his ceiling and athletic ability. While the floor is lower (lacking blocking chops), his upside is much greater.
Thank You For Reading Dalton Kincaid Dynasty Rookie Profile
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