Broncos take Greg Dulcich in the 2022 NFL Draft: Fantasy Football and Dynasty outlook, scouting report, more

The Denver Broncos selected tight end Greg Dulcich with the No. 80 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, giving quarterback Russell Wilson gets another weapon to help replace the loss of tight end Noah Fant via trade. Dulcich was a late riser in the 2022 NFL Draft pre-draft process, and it’s easy to see why once you throw on his tape from the 2021 season at UCLA.

Most draft analysts have Tre McBride as their TE1 in this class, but for me that honor belongs to Dulcich because from what I’ve seen in evaluating him, he has more translatable traits to the next level — and neither is a blocker. It’s even easier to see how Dulcich’s game translates to more immediate and sustainable Fantasy Football success at the NFL level when you look at how the game has changed over the years.

Finding a stable, productive Fantasy contributor with top-end upside at tight end outside of Travis Kelce can be difficult, but a recent trend has emerged — the more a tight end is detached from the line of scrimmage, the more he is used as a receiver, the more likely he is to score Fantasy points. This applies to the NFL, too, where more teams are looking for tight ends who can detach from the line of scrimmage and line up in the slot or more preferably on the boundary. When teams are in 11 personnel (three receivers, one back, one tight end) — the majority of all offensive snaps in today’s NFL — they want to be able to run a 3×1 set (three players to one side of the formation and one player to the other) with the tight end as the lone boundary player on one side. This allows them to make things much easier for the quarterback before the snap in his quest to diagnose what kind of coverage the defense is playing. Dulcich can offer teams that right away, which will get him on the field right away and producing for your Fantasy team.

Age as of Week 1: 22 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 243 | 40-time: 4.69

Comparable body-type: Coby Fleener

We’re breaking down everything you need to know about Dulcich from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats and an NFL comparison.

Best Fantasy fits

Here’s what I wrote about the Broncos as the best Fantasy fit for Dulcich in the pre-draft process: Part of acquiring Russell Wilson this offseason meant the Broncos would have to part ways with former first-round pick Noah Fant. He never caught on in Denver, but Wilson was sure to change that. Wilson has maximized tight end production throughout his career and Dulcich would be next in line. With only Albert Okwuegbunam as any real threat at the tight end position, Dulcich could have a quick path to playing major snaps in what should be an exciting and productive passing attack in Denver.

Dynasty outlook

Prior to the draft, Dulcich typically came off the board in the third round of rookie-only mock drafts I’ve participated in this offseason and in the third-round of Superflex mocks. In our most recent Superflex rookie-only draft, I selected him in the middle of the third round just six picks after the first tight end — Trey McBride — went off the board. Dulcich’s receiving ability makes him an easy bet to get on the field early. That’s about to change given Wilson’s history of maximizing tight ends and a crowded depth chart for McBride in Arizona. Now, the expectation is Dulcich will be the first tight end off the board in Dynasty drafts and he should be.

Scouting report

Strengths

• Dulcich has play speed that is even faster than his tested 40-yard dash speed when you watch him on film separating from linebackers and safeties in coverage.
• Plus lateral agility (7.05 3 cone) and the ability to change directions in space.
• Big-time yards after the catch ability and upside relative to the tight end position at the NFL level.
• Excellent catch radius at just under 6-4 with 64th percentile arm length.
• Massive 10 3/8-inch hands and uses them to pluck the ball away from his frame.
• Will immediately be a vertical threat up the seam due to his raw speed and also his ability to shoot off the line of scrimmage when lined up there.
• Good ankle flexion on tape, ability to bend around linebackers and safeties in space before the catch and after.
• Nuance in his route running and ability to create separation.
• A weapon on both vertical and horizontal crossing routes. Shows the ability to throttle down into his break — exceptional for a player of his size.
• Puts in the effort as a blocker despite having a long way to go in that regard.

Concerns

• Blocking is not his forte. He will be best-used detached from the line of scrimmage as the lone receiver in a 3X1 set or as a big slot.
• More concentration drops than you want to see on tape.
• May not be able to hold up as a traditional in-line Y tight end at the NFL level. 

Stats breakdown

Advanced stats to know

• 17.6 career yards per catch rate shows his big-play ability
• Five deep catches — seventh-most among tight ends
• 181 yards on 20-plus yard passes — seventh-most among tight ends

NFL comparison

Watching Dulcich reminds me in some ways of watching a shorter, smaller but more fluid version of Jared Cook. Dulchic can get vertical and offers more YAC ability than Cook, but their abilities up the seam in the vertical passing game are obvious.