2023 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Utah TE Dalton Kincaid

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, we’ll be profiling Utah TE Dalton Kincaid.

#86 DALTON KINCAID/TE UTAH – 6035, 246 (R-SENIOR)

MEASURABLES

THE GOOD

— Soft hands, able to adjust to the ball in the air
— Good competitive toughness, plays to the whistle
— Works back the quarterback when the play breaks down or gets extended
— Solid and experienced blocker in the run game, asked to do it a ton at Utah
— A lot of experience playing in-line with a three-point stance, but also highly versatile and can line up in the slot or out wide
— Extremely willing blocker, will seamlessly transition from receiver to blocker downfield
— Good mental processing against zone defenses, particularly good at finding space in the red zone where it can be hard to do
— Smooth in and out of his breaks, sacrificing little speed while changing direction
— Good contested-catch ability, attacks the ball in the air
— Highly productive throughout college

THE BAD

— Slightly short and with a leaner frame than most tight ends, would be one of the smallest starters in the league at the position
— Turns 24 his rookie season, questions about how much more weight his body can add with already being a developed athlete
— Occasionally lunges at defenders in space, which leads to whiffed blocks
— His hip fluidity can hurt him as a blocker, defenders are able to open up his hips and neutralize him as a blocker
— Not much of an anchor as a blocker, better working in space or being the one who initiates contact
— Physical linebackers or press corners can give him issues getting off the line and into his route
— Injury concerns with his smaller frame, already dealing with a fracture in his back suffered during Utah’s regular-season finale

BIO

— Turns 24 in October
— Super senior, utilized extra year of COVID eligibility
— From Las Vegas, Nevada
— Two-sport athlete in high school (basketball)
— Played for FCS program University of San Diego before transferring to Utah in 2020
— Played in 31 games through three seasons at Utah, starting 26 of them
— Finished college career with 2,484 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns
—  Averaged 77.3 receiving yards per game in 2022, leading all FBS tight ends
— All-Pac-12 first team in 2022, semifinalist the year prior
— John Mackey Award Semifinalist in 2022
— Served on Utah’s ‘Leadership Council’ in 2022, similar to being a captain
— A small fracture in his back prevented him from participating in the NFL Combine, Senior Bowl, and Pro Day

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Dalton Kincaid looks like a wide receiver who just happens to be 6’4″. When running routes, catching the ball, and with the ball in his hands he is a solid receiving threat. His hips are fluid and he wastes little movement in and out of his cuts. In the below clip, the first play shown really demonstrates his fluidity as an athlete moving in space with a very fluid cut inside.

In the second play of the clip, he makes the adjustment on his hitch route after the ball was thrown low. He does really well adjusting to the ball in the air and his hands were flawless in the games I watched. The third play shows his competitive toughness, always playing to the whistle. He sees his quarterback extending the play and he works his way open improvising his route to turn a would-be sack or throw away into positive yardage. This is an invaluable trait for any receiver, but especially tight ends who can work the middle of the field that way.

In the final play of the clip, Kincaid shows off the yards-after-catch ability he is known for — he was one of the top tight ends in this category in 2022. He is strong enough to beat arms tackles and possesses the necessary acceleration to turn a 2-yard catch into a 20-yard gain.

Kincaid also proved to be an asset in the red zone, hauling in 16 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Utah. The first play, he finds the soft spot of the zone between four defenders and secures the touchdown in traffic. The second play of the clip, he shows off his ability and willingness to block in space and serves as the lead blocker for a touchdown run.

I will show some plays in a moment that reflect poorly on Kincaid’s blocking ability with his frame too slender to be a consistently effective blocker at the next level. It’s important to first highlight that this is not at all from a lack of effort or want-to as a blocker. He displays good technique with inside hands, constant leg movement, and great ability to track down a block in space. The final play of the clip shows off his gamesmanship, as he transitions into a blocker downfield after he sees the pass underneath to his side of the field. This is the type of selfless play that can turn a big gain into a touchdown. I came away very impressed by his blocking while acknowledging his size won’t fly in the NFL.

The issue, as stated before, is that Kinkaid overall is undersized to play tight end at the next level, at least the traditional all-around TE role. This series of clips shows off what happens when someone with legitimate NFL-caliber strength engages with his block. He gets knocked off his base easily and can’t anchor very well. He also has a bad habit when moving in space of lunging at the last second towards his intended block. He sometimes drops his head and whiffs the block. Better defenders will take advantage of this.

CONCLUSION

There is a lot to like about Kincaid, given his smooth athleticism as a route runner with great hands and adjustments to the ball. The willingness and technique as a blocker are there; he will get after it and plays hard to the whistle on a consistent basis. He was asked to block a lot at Utah and his experience in that area shows on tape. His overall height, length, and weight are on the smaller end for the position and his lower half is pretty thin, which definitely raises questions about his overall viability as a blocker in the NFL. He turns 24 years old during his rookie season, so his body may be more developed and maxed out than a younger prospect. Can he add some more weight to be a legitimate all-around tight end in the league? If not, he still should offer plenty of value as an excellent move tight end.

There is enough to work with that Kincaid should be a highly sought after prospect, but a back fracture held him out of the Senior Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine, and his Utah Pro Day. Back problems have plagued a number of tight ends in the league due to the physical nature of the position, taking punishment over the middle of the field on a consistent basis. He is expected to be fully recovered for the season and did not require surgery, but it is something to be cognizant of when investing in him. His playing style and measurables are reminiscent of Pittsburgh’s own Pat Freiermuth.

With the Steelers recently re-signing Zach Gentry, tight end probably isn’t at the top of the team’s list of needs entering the draft. Gentry probably won’t be on the roster past this season, and Freiermuth has concussion concerns early in his career, so a tight end very well could be drafted. But there is not enough value for the Steelers in the range that Kincaid will likely go. If his back injury pushes him down the board, he could be worth a second- or third-round draft pick, but he should go sooner than that.

Projection: Late Date One/Early Day Two

Depot Draft Grade: 8.6 – Year 1 Quality Starter

Games Watched: at Florida (2022), vs Oregon State (2022), at San Diego State (2021)