NY Jets: 4 mid-round tight ends to target in the 2021 NFL Draft

The NY Jets have an abundance of roster needs to address in the 2021 NFL Draft. From the offensive line to cornerback, general manager Joe Douglas will surely have his hands full.

Not to mention the gaping hole at the quarterback position that will likely be filled with the No. 2 overall pick. But perhaps one of the more underrated needs on the roster is at tight end.

The Jets enter the draft with a very similar tight end depth chart to the one that they deployed last season. The only change at the position has come with the addition of veteran Tyler Kroft who replaces special-teamer Daniel Brown on the roster.

But Kroft is more of a blocker than a true receiving threat and will likely do nothing more than fill a part-time role on offense and special teams.

The star of the show — using that phrase generously here — is Chris Herndon who returns for his fourth year in New York and will be looking to bounce back after two disappointing seasons.

After a promising rookie campaign, Herndon has fallen off a cliff missing essentially all of the 2019 season due to a suspension and multiple injuries. He followed that up with a disastrous 2020 season in which he totaled just 31 catches for 287 yards despite starting all year.

The Jets’ organization clearly still has some optimism that Herndon could turn things around in the new offensive scheme under offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

But it might be in their best interest to explore an addition in the draft.

They’re unlikely to target the position early — meaning guys like Kyle Pitts and Pat Freiermuth are not being considered. But what about in the middle of the draft?

Let’s take a look at four tight ends the Jets could target in the middle rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Next: 4. Tre' McKitty

4. NY Jets draft target: Tre’ McKitty, TE, Georgia

Tre’ McKitty is a classic example of a prospect who will likely be a more productive NFL player than he was in college.

A former three-star recruit, McKitty chose Florida State over the likes of Auburn, Florida, and Oregon after receiving significant interest from a number of schools. However, he never quite lived up to expectations in college.

McKitty’s most productive season came back in 2018 when he hauled in 26 catches for 256 yards and two touchdowns. A similar season came in 2019 before he transferred to Georgia in his senior season.

The 22-year-old played in seven games in 2020, but managed just six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. Modest production, but it should be noted that it came on just 10 targets.

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McKitty was utilized mostly as an in-line move tight end serving primarily as a blocker. He’s hardly the greatest athlete, but when asked to contribute in the passing game, McKitty has been effective.

The Florida native has excellent body control and uses all of his 6-foot-4, 246-pound frame to box out defenders. His lack of speed and athleticism limits his separation skills, but he’s competent in contested-catch situations.

McKitty has fine straight-line speed, but he lacks the elusiveness to be much of a threat after the catch. That said, he isn’t an easy ball carrier to bring down and has fantastic hands.

McKitty could be an excellent complement to Herndon and provide a boost to the Jets’ run game as an in-line blocker.

Expect him to find more success in the NFL than he did in college.

Next: 3. Jacob Harris

3. NY Jets’ draft target: Jacob Harris, TE, UCF

Jacob Harris is one of the most incredible stories in this year’s draft class. Harris didn’t start playing football until his senior season at high school as soccer was his first love.

In fact, he originally committed to play soccer at Florida Gulf Coast before having a change of heart and opting to walk on as a football player at Western Kentucky. He would go on to redshirt his only year with the program.

Harris was homesick, however, and returned home to Florida in 2016, sitting out of football for a year. He returned in 2017, but didn’t play his first collegiate game until 2018 and didn’t record his first catch until 2018 at the age of 21.

That’s primarily because he wasn’t a true wide receiver (no, not a tight end either) until 2019 as he played safety and kick returner in high school.

Harris finally emerged as a regular contributor on offense in 2020 hauling in 30 catches for 559 yards and eight touchdowns. Still, he was hardly seen as a legitimate NFL prospect, that was until a standout performance at the 2021 College Gridiron Showcase.

Standing at 6-foot-5, 219 pounds, Harris ran an unreal 4.40 40-yard dash. He’s an athletic freak and his size has many NFL teams looking at him as a tight end in the pros.

Of course, he’s incredibly raw as a blocker and has had issues with drops in the past, but you can’t teach the natural traits that he has. Harris has the potential to be a dynamic matchup nightmare in the receiving game while doubling as a stout special teamer.

The biggest downside, unfortunately, is that he turns 24-years-old later this month meaning that he’s certainly old for an athletic project.

But Mike LaFleur is looking for speed and dynamic ability on offense. And Harris definitely fits the bill.

Next: 2. Hunter Long

2. NY Jets draft target: Hunter Long, TE, Boston College

On to more of a traditional tight end, Hunter Long excelled in his junior season at Boston College hauling in 57 catches for 685 yards and five touchdowns in just 11 games.

He led all FBS tight ends in catches as a high-volume target in Boston College’s offense. And as such, many have him touted as one of the better tight ends in this year’s class.

At 6-foot-5, 254 pounds, Long has prototypical size for the position and has plenty of experience as an in-line blocker. He isn’t a dynamic athlete, but Long is a reliable pass-catcher who runs smooth routes.

His standout 2020 season saw him earn second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors. Long may never be a Travis Kelce-type receiving tight end, but he’s well-rounded and should compete for playing time early in his career.

Essentially, Long is what the Jets were hoping they’d get in Herndon, albeit without the injury concerns and with a little less athleticism.

Long is a capable blocker, reliable receiver, and fluid route-runner. His ceiling is probably along the lines of someone like Austin Hooper in that he doesn’t do anything special, but he has few glaring weaknesses.

The Jets could look to target Long either late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 if he’s still available. Pairing him with Herndon and the newly-signed Kroft would give the Jets a rock-solid trio of tight ends who are all capable blockers.

That would be good news for both the Jets’ new rookie quarterback and the team’s running game that struggled without a truly competent blocker for most of 2020.

Next: 1. Tommy Tremble

1. NY Jets draft target: Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame

Tommy Tremble could be next in the long line of Notre Dame tight ends to find success in the NFL. And much like the aforementioned McKitty, Tremble is very likely to be a much more productive pro player than he was in college.

Tremble never topped 20 catches in a season at Notre Dame with his best year coming in 2020 when he amassed 19 catches for 218 yards. He was a product of a deep skill-position group, and thus saw fewer targets than his predecessors.

But make no mistake about it, Tremble has all the traits necessary to be a very solid NFL player.

At 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, combines good size with above-average athleticism that makes him a dual-threat as both an in-line blocker and receiving threat.

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Tremble is a physical blocker who is comfortable as a move tight end and has experience lining up as both a fullback and H-back as well. On top of that, he’s a smooth route-runner with sharp footwork giving him potential to develop into a dynamic receiver.

He lacks experience having only played two seasons at Notre Dame before turning pro, and that lack of experience is evident on tape. Tremble is unrefined as both a blocker and receiver.

He has a tendency to rush his blocks and almost seems to overpursue defenders by lunging. And as a receiver, he could make better use of his large frame to shield defenders from the ball. As of now, he relies too much on body catches which led to some issues with drops.

But at just 20-years-old (he turns 21 in June), Tremble has all the traits to become a well-rounded, dynamic tight end in the NFL.

He’ll need some time to develop, but if you’re looking for upside on Day 2, Tremble makes a ton of sense for the Jets or any other team eyeing an upgrade at tight end.