The tight end room of the New Orleans Saints is not the best it’s ever been, but there is an exciting class of tight ends entering the 2024 NFL draft that could have a bunch of fans drooling.
Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau and even Jimmy Graham are certainly serviceable for an NFL roster but the group’s lacking a real game-changer that some of the league’s best offenses have. A lot of people expected the Saints to draft a tight end last year, but they actually did the opposite and traded one away. It might be time for them to strike in the 2024 draft.
Here are some of the names you need to be sure to remember as the college football season starts to kick off in just a couple of days:
1 | Brock Bowers, Georgia
Bowers is a little bit undersized as far as tight ends go, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the best prospects in the history of the position. His size, just 230-pounds, hasn’t kept him from being a solid blocker as well. I think a team that has helped Juwan Johnson improve so much would be salivating at the chance to work with Bowers.
When to watch: Nov. 4 vs. Missouri
2 | Ja'Tavion Sanders, Texas
Sanders is an incredible athlete and has started to really put it all together and become the hyped prospect that he was coming out of high school. He’s definitely more of a receiving threat than dominant run blocker, but the upside he brings your offense might be enough to supplement.
When to watch him: Sept. 9 vs. Alabama
3 | Cade Stover, Ohio State
Stover is more of your traditional tight end despite not going into college as an offensive player at all. At 6-foot-4, 255-pounds he is big and strong and can be a possession catch threat at the next level. He is still new to the position, which is already one of the hardest to learn, but has all the tools to put it together and be a great NFL tight end.
When to watch him: Sept. 23 at Notre Dame (NBC)
4 | Jaheim Bell, Florida State
It’s going to be an odd comparison but given how the Saints use Taysom Hill, Jaheim Bell could be a great option for New Orleans. Bell isn’t a former quarterback but is definitely a Swiss army knife tight end. He spent time split between in-line, slot receiver and even at halfback. Hopefully he will be better utilized by Florida State than South Carolina and could see him stock rise pretty high.
When to watch him: Sept. 3 vs. LSU (ABC)
5 | Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
Spann-Ford is a massive and impressive athlete. He’s got the size to be an additional offensive tackle, 6-foot-7 and 268-pounds, but is a good enough athlete to do everything you need a tight end to do. He’s obviously a great blocker but has added 70 catches for 822 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver.
When to watch him: Aug. 31 vs. Nebraska (FOX)
