The Pewter Report analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each position in Tampa Bay as the Bucks look to three-peat as NFC Southern champions.
quarterback
running back
wide receiver
Next is the tight end position, which is the youngest group in the NFL. Veterans Cam Breitt and Kyle Rudolph are gone, as is future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, who retired after the 2021 season. The Bucks have drafted two tight ends in 2022, Kade Otton and Ko Kiev. They are believed to be veterans returning to a very inexperienced chamber.
Ideally, the Bucks’ new offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, has 12 (1 back, 2 tight ends, 2 receivers) and 13 (1 back, 2 tight ends) to establish a running game. 3 players, 1 receiver) want to run a lot. Will Tampa Bay’s tight-end room hold up to the challenge? Or will the lack of experience mean Canales is heading into the 2023 season with an 11-man squad (one back, one tight end, and three receivers)? I wonder? That will be decided in training camp and preseason once the pads come in.
Bucs TE Strength: Untapped Potential
Bucs TE Ko Kieft – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
It’s crazy to think that second-year tight ends Cade Otton and Ko Keeft can lead Tampa Bay’s tight end room, but that’s what happens in 2023. As well as the running back and safety positions, the Bucks have decided to use youngsters in tight end moves. The most experienced tight end is David Wells, who is in his third season in the league, but he’s not strong enough to be on the practice team, let alone on the roster.
Otton With 42 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season, he is expected to be a tight end to watch in the passing game. The former fourth-round pick scored a clutch touchdown in come-from-behind wins against the Rams and Saints. His first NFL TD was against Los Angeles, where he proved to be the game winner with seconds left. At just 24, Otton has been working on his fitness this season and should be a better blocker in 2023. The Bucks are hoping to improve on last year’s catch average of 9.3 yards for walkers.
Keeft returns as Jack-of-all-trades tight end. He can line up in the backfield as a fullback, start moving like a h-back, or line up at the line of scrimmage as a regular tight end. Keeft is also a core special teamer and will be no less than No. 3 on the depth chart. Like Otton, he has a lot of room to grow and improve in his sophomore season.
Bucks TE Payne Durham – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
The Bucks spent a fifth-round pick in Purdue’s Payne Durham, and scored 21 touchdowns in four seasons with the Boilermakers, including eight as a senior. Durham isn’t fast, but he has a nice 6-foot-5, 255-pound build and knows how to box out defenders and make competitive catches. He was a big weapon in the Red Zone during his college days, and will likely be leveraged as such by new offensive coordinator Dave Canales. Durham could move up to No. 2 on the depth chart with a great camp and preseason.
Undrafted free agent Tanner Taura made headlines in the offseason. The big 6-foot-6, 251-pound rookie did a great job of being open and catching balls at OTAs and minicamps. Bucks will be interested to see how he blocks when padded in camp. Taura is battling Wells and Domink Daffney for the fourth and final spot on the depth chart. Special teams will be a big factor in determining which tight ends will be on the 53-man roster.
Best-case scenario in TE
Tampa Bay’s tight end room is full of possibilities. This position could turn from a big question mark to a big exclamation mark in the Bucks’ offense if Otton and Durham deliver one-twos in the receiving game and Keeft remains an anvil in the running game.
Bucs TE Weaknesses: Inexperience
Bucks TE Cade Otton – Photo Credit: USA Today
There are so many questions about the Bucks tight end room, starting with two returners from a year ago. Where is Cade Otton’s weapon ceiling in the passing game? And could Ko Kiev be more than just an extra blocker?
Factor in the fact that the Bucks have four other tight ends, including two rookies who haven’t even seen the pads yet, and Tampa Bay doesn’t really know what’s in that position. Is there enough “grown-up strength” in the trenches where such a young group is in dire straits? That question can’t be answered until you put the pads on at training camp.
Does anyone in the group have enough speed in the tight end position to be considered a real threat in the passing game? The Bucks found themselves without Travis Kelsey or George Kittle on their roster. But can Otton produce even more big plays? And with only 4.87 points in the 40-yard dash, will Payne-Durham be strong enough to break tackles and create run-after-catch opportunities?
Worst case scenario in TE
Worst-case scenario, the Bucks just have the talent for Day 3 at tight end, Otton’s performance is about the same as a year ago, and Durham is just an average target in the passing game due to lack of separation. It means no. If this is the case, consider Dave Canales reducing his 12 man and relying on his 11 man to play.
