The Bucs have struggled with the tight end position in recent years despite their best efforts to get a hit at it.
Pro Football Focus looked at the position across the NFL and listed their top 32 tight ends, and the Bucs’ very own Cade Otton did not earn a very favorable spot on the list. Otton, one of the many former Washington Huskies on the Tampa Bay roster, came in at the 20 spot. To explain his bottom-half ranking, John Kosko writes about the one thing holding him back from going higher in rankings.
“Otton’s Achilles’ heel is drops. He has the third most (11) at the position across the past two years. His 63.1 PFF receiving grade in 2024 was a career high and also marks the first time he generated more than 1 yard per route run (1.31). If he can hang on to the ball (also three fumbles the past two years), Otton has the skills to rise on this list.”
Otton emerged as a favorite candidate for Baker Mayfield after Chris Godwin’s injury in Week 8. He became the safety valve Godwin was for the Heisman Trophy winner, and as a result, expectations increased.
Otton is the third-ranked tight end in the NFC South, according to the rankings behind Tayson Hill (15) and Kyle Pitts (19).
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs’ Cade Otton not held in high regard by PFF in preseason rankings
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
