Harmon's rankings: Tight ends
OK, so it's now Tony Gonzalez ... and everybody else. When do you take him? I've seen Gonzalez drafted as early as late third round and as late as early sixth. The highest returning TD total after Gonzalez is held by fan favorite Boo Williams. Shannon Sharpe ended his Hall of Fame career in 2003 with eight TDs. After that, there were five players with four TDs and a boatload of players with two or three.
Unless your league rewards you mightily for catches and yardage earned by tight ends, I'd suggest holding back and looking for value in later rounds. Whatever you do, don't get suckered into a run on tight ends after Gonzalez's selection. The point differential among remaining TEs is not great enough to draft one that early. Those who went "all in" on Todd Heap just after Gonzalez and Shockey in '03 know what I mean.
Remember, some coaches love the tight end and will utilize the position more than others. The potential is there for big years from Jason Witten and Daniel Graham later in the draft. And I am the first to admit that Kellen Winslow is so very intriguing.
Harmon's position rankings: QB | RB | WR | K | D
RECEIVING | |||||||||
Player | Rec | Yds | TD | 100 | Avg | Bye | |||
1. Tony Gonzalez, KC | 71 | 916 | 10 | 1 | 12.9 | 5 | |||
Outlook: He can't be contained. Gonzo is the man. | |||||||||
2. Todd Heap, Bal | 16 | 206 | 1 | 1 | 12.9 | 6 | |||
Outlook: Heap will return to be the man you saw in '02. He's ready to make the leap. | |||||||||
3. Alge Crumpler, Atl | 44 | 552 | 3 | 0 | 12.5 | 9 | |||
Outlook: Vick will spread the ball around in the new-look Falcons offense. He's got a shot to shine. | |||||||||
4. Kellen Winslow, Cle | Played for University of Miami (Fla.) in '03 | 8 | |||||||
Outlook: Welcome to the party. Garcia loves the safety valve of a TE, and with an unproven receiving corps in Cleveland he'll play a big part from day one. | |||||||||
5. Randy McMichael, Mia | 49 | 598 | 2 | 1 | 12.2 | 3 | |||
Outlook: Does disappear on occasion, but when he's on he's as good as anybody. | |||||||||
6. Jeremy Shockey, NYG | 48 | 535 | 2 | 1 | 11.1 | 6 | |||
Outlook: His injury woes keep him out of the top five, but he still hauled in 48 passes in '03. He could break out in '04. | |||||||||
7. Boo Williams, NO | 41 | 436 | 5 | 1 | 10.6 | 8 | |||
Outlook: The one time "Boo"-ing your hometown guy is appropriate. Brooks loves his latest weapon, and his maturation process means more check-downs to his TE. | |||||||||
8. Erron Kinney, Ten | 41 | 381 | 3 | 0 | 9.3 | 9 | |||
Outlook: Steve McNair knows how to distribute the ball, and the TE is key to his success. | |||||||||
9. Dallas Clark, Ind | 29 | 340 | 1 | 1 | 11.7 | 6 | |||
Outlook: Manning knows how to find the open man, and Clark stands as one of the best young TEs in the game. | |||||||||
10. Itula Mili, Sea | 46 | 492 | 4 | 0 | 10.7 | 7 | |||
Outlook: Seattle stands to score a lot of points this season, and there's no doubt that Mili snares his share of passes. | |||||||||
11. Antonio Gates, SD | 24 | 389 | 2 | 1 | 16.2 | 10 | |||
Outlook: An intriguing sleeper at the TE position. The former basketball player is athletic and Philip Rivers' only hope. | |||||||||
12. Freddie Jones, Ari | 55 | 517 | 3 | 0 | 9.4 | 6 | |||
Outlook: Dennis Green will fuse Jones' image onto young McCown's brain. Even with stud wideouts Fitzgerald and Boldin, he'll need Jones to succeed. | |||||||||
13. Marcus Pollard, Ind | 40 | 541 | 3 | 0 | 13.5 | 6 | |||
Outlook: The other half of the TE connection in Indy. Both are good for a handful of TD receptions. | |||||||||
14. L.J. Smith, Phi | 27 | 321 | 1 | 0 | 11.9 | 5 | |||
Outlook: The second-year man from Rutgers stands as a budding star in Philly. Owens will pull the double-team and open things underneath for Smith. | |||||||||
15. Bubba Franks, GB | 30 | 241 | 4 | 0 | 8.0 | 3 | |||
Outlook: You just gotta find Bubba. His TDs were down in '03, but he stands as one of Favre's favorite targets. If the wide receivers continue to develop, there will be lots of space for Franks to roam. | |||||||||
16. Jason Witten, Dal | 35 | 347 | 1 | 0 | 9.9 | 4 | |||
Outlook: The TE is important to Parcells' offense. Remember Bavaro? Well, Witten will be a star in this scheme. | |||||||||
17. Billy Miller, Hou | 40 | 355 | 3 | 0 | 8.9 | 4 | |||
Outlook: Forty catches is just the start for young Miller. He's a key to Carr's success. | |||||||||
18. Desmond Clark, Chi | 44 | 433 | 2 | 0 | 9.8 | 5 | |||
Outlook: Grossman will need to utilize the TE position. In the new offensive system, Clark stands to post big numbers. | |||||||||
19. Mikhael Ricks, NYJ | 37 | 434 | 2 | 0 | 11.7 | 4 | |||
Outlook: The veteran TE joins the Jets offense alongside a couple of big playmakers. | |||||||||
20. Daniel Graham, NE | 38 | 409 | 4 | 1 | 11.7 | 10 | |||
Outlook: Shuffled down based on his penchant for dropping passes in big games. Watch how training camp develops. | |||||||||
21. Jim Kleinsasser, Min | 46 | 401 | 4 | 0 | 8.7 | 9 | |||
Outlook: Now a true TE, Kleinsasser doesn't get cheated on any reception. You gotta love a guy who puts his head down for an extra half-yard. | |||||||||
22. Matt Schobel, Cin | 24 | 332 | 2 | 0 | 13.8 | 5 | |||
Outlook: The TE is a new QB's greatest friend. Palmer will rely heavily on Schobel as he gets his sea legs. | |||||||||
23. Anthony Becht, NYJ | 40 | 356 | 4 | 0 | 8.9 | 10 | |||
Outlook: Hurt somewhat by the addition of Ricks, but he'll still pull in his share of balls. | |||||||||
24. Jed Weaver, Den | 35 | 437 | 1 | 0 | 12.5 | 10 | |||
Outlook: Leaves 49ers after one year and heads to Denver. They reprogrammed Plummer to use the TE last year, but will that change without the great Sharpe? | |||||||||
25. Ken Dilger, TB | 22 | 244 | 1 | 0 | 11.1 | 8 | |||
Outlook: Not quite the option he once was, he'll battle Gruden favorite Rickey Dudley for catches. | |||||||||
26. Jay Riemersma, Pit | 10 | 138 | 1 | 0 | 13.8 | 7 | |||
Outlook: His totals were down in 2003 after a strong start to the season. Cowher is counting on him to be a bigger part of the offense in '04. | |||||||||
27. Eric Johnson, SF | 4 | ||||||||
Outlook: He missed a season due to injury, but the TE is an important part of the 49ers system. He may see a handful of TDs. | |||||||||
28. Kyle Brady, Jac | 29 | 281 | 1 | 0 | 9.7 | 9 | |||
Outlook: Still a viable receiver, he'll nab 30-40 balls this year. Leftwich will count on the veteran to help as they break in the young receiving corps. | |||||||||
29. Teyo Johnson, Oak | 14 | 128 | 1 | 0 | 9.1 | 10 | |||
Outlook: Johnson is a great athlete who should see the field more in 2004. He still will battle Doug Jolley at the position, but with Rice and Brown aging, Norv Turner will work in the former Stanford standout. | |||||||||
30. Mark Campbell, Buf | 34 | 339 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | |||
Outlook: Mularkey will strip the offense back and rebuild it from scratch. The first order of business is to hit the TE. | |||||||||
