Tampa Bay drafts their tight end of the future in the NFL Draft
With the 106th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Cade Otton.
In what is considered to be a solid tight end class, though not spectacular, Otton stands out as one of the more impressive prospect of the bunch. Although, Trey McBride was viewed by many as the most desired commodity amongst many Bucs fans, he was snatched up by the Cardinals five picks before Tampa was on the clock with the 60th pick.
The fact that Jason Licht didn't feel any sort of pressure to move up to draft McBride could be viewed as a vote of confidence in another tight end, whom he figured might be available later in the draft.
Now, it appears that former Washington Huskies tight end, Cade Otton, was his guy all along.
Otton has reliable hands, with a proven track record of hauling in passes in tight confines and contested scenarios. This may sound like a major reach, but he absolutely displays some Gronk-isms, mainly when running seam routes at deceptively quick speeds, and casually hauling in balls without breaking stride. He's got the ideal size for the position, too, listed at 6.5", and 250 pounds.
Otton is a pro-ready blocker—coming out of a well-coached program—with the mentality needed to be an asset in the run game at the NFL level. He has demonstrated a strong feel for the position and has received praise for being a player with a high football IQ. Otton has good straight-line speed and is pretty refined in terms of his technique, and ability to run sharp routes.
He is a player who the Bucs have showed interest in throughout the pre-draft process. He was brought into Tampa for one of their Top 30 visits.
With the aforementioned Rob Gronkowski apparently more focused on Gronk island than he is with monitoring the NFL Draft, the Buccaneers undoubtedly felt compelled to select a tight end at some point during this draft. The fact they managed to obtain one who is widely considered to be a future NFL starter at the position, with the potential to become much more, this late in the draft, feels like icing on the cake.
This is a fantastic selection for Jason Licht and the Buccaneers, as Otton should be expected to see the field a significant amount in his rookie season, regardless of whether or not Rob Gronkowski returns.
Cade Otton is a uniquely appealing prospect in the sense that he not only has a very high floor, but he has a relatively high ceiling as well. He can block. He can catch. He has the tenacity, the mentality, and the desire to be great.
Each of those attributes will allow him to fit right in, amongst the Championship mentality that still permeates throughout the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locker room.
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