When the Washington Commanders made the hiring of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy official last week, many fans wondered who would be his Travis Kelce in Washington’s offense.
Now, to be fair, that person isn’t out there this season. Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL and a future first-ball Hall of Famer. But, as we witnessed in Kansas City, the tight end is a critical position in the Andy Reid offense used by Bieniemy.
The Commanders have five tight ends on the 2023 roster: Logan Thomas, John Bates, Armani Rogers, Cole Turner and Curtis Hodges. Rogers, Turner and Hodges are all rising second-year players, while Bates enters his third season. Thomas could either be a cap casualty or back on a reduced number in 2023.
Washington loves Bates, but he’s a No. 2 tight end who catches everything and is a decent blocker but doesn’t scare the defense. Rogers and Turner are exciting prospects but have proven nothing. Each player battled an injury last season. Rogers, a former college quarterback, showed excellent promise on the rare occasion the ball was in his hands.
Turner’s season was wiped out with a hamstring injury in camp, followed by a concussion in Week 7.
While there is promise in the room, there is no standout. Could that mean the Commanders look for a tight end early in the 2023 NFL draft?
In their latest mock draft, The 33rd Team has the Commanders selecting Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid at No. 16 overall.
Dalton Kincaid (scouting report) has some mismatch qualities in the passing game. The Washington Commanders can get the most out of his ability. Pairing him with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson would be a boost to the Commanders’ passing offense.
Kincaid would be an interesting piece for the Commanders. However, they need to fix that offensive line first and add a cornerback. If the Commanders pick up some offensive line help in free agency and look to fill other holes in the draft, then perhaps a tight end early in the draft makes sense.
Imagining Kincaid with McLaurin, Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Brian Robinson Jr. is an exciting prospect for Bieniemy.
