Cade Otton NFL Draft Overview
Position: Tight End
Height: 6′-5″
Weight: 247 pounds
School: Washington
Cade Otton 2022 NFL Draft Profile
After spending the past five seasons at Washington, tight end Cade Otton is finally ready to take his game to the next level in the 2022 NFL Draft. Otton is coming off a solid season, finishing the year with 28 receptions on 43 targets for 250 yards and one touchdown while providing solid blocking in the run game.
Otton originally entered the college football world as a three-star recruit. Signing with Washington, Otton took a redshirt year in 2017 and didn’t earn a starting job until 2019. During his first year as a starter, Otton recorded career highs in receptions (32) and yards (344) while also recording two touchdowns. Otton played in just four games in 2020 and finished the year with 18 receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns.
Strengths
- Menace as a run blocker on the move – can absolutely level linebackers;
- Good after the catch with above-average quickness for the position;
- Impressive catch radius with reliable hands;
- Embraces the physicality of the game and never shies away from a blocking assignment;
- Solid route runner that can create open windows in the short portion of the field.
Weaknesses
- Pedestrian athleticism puts a clear cap on his ceiling as a pass-catcher;
- A little too small to handle defensive ends as a blocker;
- Only one season with over 30 receptions and 11% target share;
- Does most of his work in the short portion of the field – won’t stretch a defense;
- Needs to add play strength to handle NFL blocking duties.
NFL Comparison: Maxx Williams
Teams With Need at Position: Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: 4th Round
Bottom Line on Cade Otton
Cade Otton is a jack of all trades, master of none type player that should put together a solid-but-unremarkable NFL career. Otton is one of the most physical and willing run blockers in the draft, and that love of the game is clearly on display whenever he gets the chance to block a linebacker on the move. While he’ll never be the featured part of any passing attack, Otton has an innate ability to get open in the short area of the field and can serve as a nice security blanket for any quarterback.
All that being said, Otton has a clear ceiling on his current game. At 250 pounds, the Washington product is undersized relative to your average tight end, and this lack of build shows up when he tries to block larger defensive ends. Despite the sound technique and the willingness, you just can’t erase that type of physical disadvantage. Additionally, Otton was never a featured part of Washington’s passing game, and it’s rare to see usage like that change in the NFL, especially when he lacks the deep speed and athleticism to consistently challenge the deep part of the field.
If Otton adds some strength, he could turn into an above-average blocker that can catch 30 or 40 passes a year. However, he’s probably still a year away from reaching that ceiling. Like most tight ends, Otton probably won’t do much as a rookie but has a decent shot to turn into a solid role player down the line.
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