The NFL Draft takes place next week, so today we continue our final look at the top players by position, moving to tight end, along with a comparison to a class of 2020 or 2021 prospect.
NFL DRAFT: Comparing top QBs with current recruits | RBs | WRs
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
1. COLE KMET, Notre Dame
Recruiting: Notre Dame beat out Ohio State, Michigan and others for Kmet's commitment. The four-star tight end cited his visit to South Bend for the Irish’s win over Texas as a big reason why they won out.
College stats: In 23 games over three seasons, Kmet totaled 60 catches for 691 yards and six touchdowns, all of which came in his junior year.
Projection: The former four-star prospect is expected to go somewhere in the second round.
Comparison: Michael Mayer, 2020
Farrell’s take: Kmet is a huge but athletic tight end who could land in the first round of the NFL Draft. He was a solid pass-catcher out of high school who could stretch the field a bit. Mayer is also going to Notre Dame and has similar traits. He could have the same type of success as Kmet.
2. ADAM TRAUTMAN, Dayton
Recruiting: A high school quarterback who later switched to tight end, Michigan State offered Trautman a preferred walk-on spot, Toledo showed interest as did some Ivy League schools, but he eventually committed to play at Dayton.
College stats: This past season, Trautman finished with 70 receptions for 916 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was Dayton’s top receiver in each of the last three seasons.
Projection: Trautman could be a fringe second-round pick but is expected to go somewhere in the third round.
Comparison: Theo Johnson, 2020
Farrell’s take: Trautman was a converted quarterback out of high school who wasn’t recruited heavily but had smarts and athleticism. Johnson is an athletic tight end and a big target who will be a mismatch at the next level. He didn’t change positions the way Trautman did but he could end up having more overall success.
3. HUNTER BRYANT, Washington
Recruiting: Washington was always considered the frontrunner for Bryant and in the spring of his junior year, he committed to the Huskies over UCLA, USC, Oklahoma and many others.
College stats: In 26 games over three seasons, Bryant had 85 receptions for 1,394 yards and five touchdowns, three coming this past year.
Projection: Bryant could go somewhere late in the second round but is more likely to be a third-round pick.
Comparison: Jermaine Terry, 2021
Farrell’s take: Bryant is a very athletic player who didn’t test as well as expected at the NFL Combine and his stock has slid as a result. Terry is an athletic pass catcher who should have a huge career in the Pac-12 and surpass Bryant’s career numbers.
4. BRYCEN HOPKINS, Purdue
Recruiting: Hopkins committed to Purdue in mid-December of his senior season over Florida, his only other listed offer. Vanderbilt, Memphis and others were showing interest.
College stats: Hopkins played in 40 games at Purdue and caught 130 passes for 1,945 yards and 16 touchdowns. He had seven scores this past season.
Projection: Hopkins could be a fringe third-round selection but might fall into the fourth round.
Comparison: Thomas Fidone, 2021
Farrell’s take: Hopkins was lightly-recruited and raw out of high school and the Florida offer was not committable. Purdue has done a great job developing him and he’s a very athletic kid who can score from many places on the field. Fidone is a bit more athletic overall but he reminds me of Hopkins now.
5. ALBERT OKWUEGBUNAM, Missouri
Recruiting: Early in his senior season, Okwuegbunam committed to Missouri. Nebraska and Indiana among others tried to flip the high three-star prospect but he stuck with the Tigers.
College stats: Over 27 games in three seasons, Okwuegbunam totaled 98 receptions for 1,187 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had 11 scores in his freshman season.
Projection: Okwuegbunam is expected to go somewhere in the third or fourth round.
Comparison: Arik Gilbert, 2020
Farrell’s take: Okwuegbunam is a very athletic tight end who runs well which is why I compare him to Gilbert. Gilbert is obviously much more dangerous and polished at the same stage of development and could be a big wide receiver. Okwuegbunam could be one of the steals of the draft, which is why I liken him to a five-star.
