The tight end position has always been volatile for fantasy owners, with only a handful of players that are a lock to start all 16 weeks in your lineup. For me, and I assume many other users as well, the idea of drafting TE talent early is drastically outweighed by the other skill positions that will undoubtedly score more total points at the season’s end (save for Travis Kelce’s WR5 and Darren Waller’s WR11 outputs last season). Tight end premium scoring systems has leveled the playing field a bit in recent years, but I still find myself year in and year out taking a stab at a young TE and padding my bench with at least one backup.
There are lots of talented, yet inconsistent players in the TE6-TE15 range, but one candidate for a legitimate explosion is the Seahawks’ newly acquired tight end, Gerald Everett.
Ranked TE24 and rostered in only FOUR percent of ESPN leagues, Everett most likely won’t even crack your league’s draft board. I’m here to plant a few thoughts into your head to consider drafting Everett with one of your final picks.
Everett is entering his prime at 27 years old and is reunited with former Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator, Shane Waldron, with whom he played his first four seasons as a member of the Rams.
Pete Carroll held out all four contending tight ends from Seattle’s first preseason game, so the depth chart has yet to be unfolded to viewers. However, the word out of camp is that Everett is making an immediate splash with his new squad.
“This is I think the fanciest, sweetest-looking receiver/tight end mix that we’ve had. He’s like a wide receiver, he’s got terrific after-the-catch run ability, really aggressive and he’s a good blocker too,” Carroll said of his tight end last week.
Team beat writers and Carroll have also praised Everett’s YAC abilities and red zone dominance.
“This is a guy with an excellent range of ability, and probably the thing we like best is how competitive he is,” Carroll stated. “He’s really tough. Runs with the ball as hard as anybody we’ve had here in the receiver position. He’ll make yards after the catch. He’ll make big plays. He’s going to break some plays, a very natural catcher, really comfortable in all situations.”
Paired with perennial MVP candidate Russell Wilson, who targeted tight ends 27 percent of the time in the red zone in 2020 and has 25 percent of the time throughout his career, Everett could be a red zone machine – especially with much of opposing secondaries keying in on receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
“We all are trying to develop some kind of comradery, and some kind of chemistry, but Russ and I have definitely been clicking since back in April and June, going out to San Diego and running routes,” Everett said. “Just leading into training camp, it just feels good having a guy that can be anything. A dual-threat quarterback.”
2021 Gerald Everett prediction: 49/630/6 and a top-eight tight end finish. You’ve been warned.
Ranked TE16 (+3 vs ECR) on The Wolf’s Big Board as of this week, Everett is poised to dramatically outperform his current 215 ADP.
