The Denver Broncos selected tight end Greg Dulcich in the third round of the NFL draft last week to replace Noah Fant, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade.
Drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, Fant was a pass-catching TE for the Broncos, As opposed to being solely an inline TE, which is counted on for run-blocking — like in 12 personnel (1 running back, 2 tight ends). It’s the reason Madden gamers draft TE Mercedes Lewis in franchise mode fantasy drafts if their offensive philosophy is establishing the run (Gamertag: joshkellem).
Dulcich, though, doesn’t appear to mind blocking. He said, “I’m great at blocking. That’s what I was mainly asked to do at UCLA — we’re a run-first team, so I never shy away from that. I take pride in being a tough player that blocks at the point of attack. I’m nasty in the trenches for sure.”
Draft pundits don’t necessarily agree with Dulcich’s opinion, ranking him poorly as a blocker in run-blocking grades. Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett believes the tight end has what it takes to improve, though.
“I think the good thing about him is the type of person he is,” Hackett said. “He was a walk-on when he got there, and he fought his way into the tight end room and was very effective. I don’t think he’s afraid of any bit of hard work, and he’s a great man. That’s why I’m excited to have him.”
Dulcich’s blocking probably won’t be much of a factor anyway in 2022 because as the third-string tight end, he won’t be relied on as a key blocker, at least not this season. With time, he can improve — and he believes he’s already more than capable of doing the job adequately in Year 1.
