socrates
Footballguy
I would rank Kelce below Eric Ebron and Austin Seferian-Jenkins (and potentially Colt Lyerla), but he compares favorably with that next tier of this rookie class of Tight Ends. Tight End value is difficult to gauge. There are a number of intriguing young prospects at the position, so I would advise taking an inventory of them in your league to get a sense of how your leaguemates value them, then, depending on the scarcity or abundance of available talent at the position, I would deal accordingly. For every Jordan Cameron and Julius Thomas, there seem to be a number of guys who just don’t pan out, for one reason or another. In fact, I even signed and released both Cameron and Thomas a season before they broke out. Sometimes you need a combination of luck, patience and an available roster spot to burn to land the next emerging TE.Curious where people would slot him into the rookie class in terms of value.
To put it another way, what sort of rookie pick would you give up for Kelce?
I'm trying to gauge relative value of him here vs. the current rookie class since we've seen so little of him actually play in the NFL.
As for Kelce as a long-term prospect, there is much to like. He is a full-effort player. However, that can be a double-edged sword, as that can also expose him to injuries. Kelce plays angry and never shies away from contact. His athleticism and effort make him a very intriguing prospect. A word of caution, however: Kelce is returning from microfracture surgery, and history does not bode well for a speedy return, and trying to emerge as a first year player at the TE position is already a difficult task.