UCLA Football Tight End Greg Dulcich Declares For 2022 NFL Draft, Forgoing Final Year
The Bruins are now officially primed to see another tight end go pro.
UCLA football tight end Greg Dulcich declared for the 2022 NFL Draft on Wednesday, he announced on Twitter. Dulcich had more eligibility remaining, but instead elected to try his luck in April's draft.
Dulcich is the fourth Bruin to declare for the draft early, joining defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia, right tackle Alec Anderson and receiver Kyle Philips.
The Reese's Senior Bowl also announced Dulcich will be appearing in their showcase, which takes place from Feb. 1 through Feb. 5 in Mobile, Alabama. The Bruins have sent two players to the Senior Bowl in each of the past two years, but Dulcich is the only one to accept an invite so far this time around.
UCLA has produced several solid NFL tight ends over the years – with former first round pick Marcedes Lewis continuing to impress 15 years into his pro career – but that has taken a tick up since coach Chip Kelly and tight ends coach Derek Sage arrived in 2018.
Caleb Wilson racked up 965 yards and four touchdowns on 60 catches in 2018, then went to the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. Devin Asiasi replaced Wilson the following season, racking up 641 yards and four touchdowns on 44 catches before going to the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2020 draft.
Dulcich projects to be next in line after posting a career year in 2021 and earning a spot as a John Mackey Award semifinalist.
In 2020, Dulcich posted 517 yards and five touchdowns on 26 catches, getting named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team as a result. Dulcich followed that up with 725 yards and five touchdowns on 42 grabs in 2021, which was enough to bump him up to the All-Pac-12 First Team.
For his career, Dulcich had 1,353 yards and 11 touchdowns on 77 catches, and his 17.6 yards per reception exceed Lewis, Wilson and Asiasi's college marks. Considering Dulcich began his career as a walk-on receiver, that is quite the arc for the young tight end.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Dulcich was ranked as the No. 19 tight end prospect in this year's class on Sports Illustrated's The Draft Bible's latest big board. The outlet graded Dulcich as a "Backup" in terms of current value, but he earned the "Solid Starter" tag when graded on his potential value.
Multiple mock drafts have had Dulcich going anywhere from the fourth to seventh rounds. In an interview with All Bruins in September, The Draft Bible president Zack Patraw said Dulcich was going to be one of the highest risers of the season thanks in part to it being a relatively weak tight end class.
"He's an exciting tight end, I like what I see out of him when he's got the ball in his hands, he's shifty" Patraw said. "He's not gonna be like some kind of blazer, but you're gonna see a guy that's gonna run in the 4.6s, which is solid speed for a tight end. ... Solid hands, decent route-runner, loose lower body that makes it tough for these safeties and linebackers to keep up with him in his route running ability."
Patraw also said Dulcich was viewed as a better prospect than both Wilson and Asiasi.
UCLA will be left with Michael Martinez and Michael Ezeike at the tight end position moving forward, unless either transfer or declare for the draft themselves. A pair of four-star tight ends, Jack Pedersen and Carsen Ryan, signed on with the Bruins during the early signing period, so they are primed to contribute early as well.
But with Dulcich and Philips both officially gone, the Bruins have lost roughly half of their receiving production heading into 2022.
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