The Utah tight end has been on teams’ draft boards for a while, Dalton Kincaid’s prototypical build is something to fawn over.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah– On a flea flicker in the early stages of Utah’s 34-13 win over Arizona State in Tempe on September 24th last season, Dalton Kincaid pulled off a toe-tapping, mesmerizing acrobatic catch for a touchdown. While standing at 6’4″, 240 lbs– he shouldn’t be able to twirl in the air like a ballerina in gyroball, but he can.
That entire play epitomizes why NFL teams are enamored with Kincaid’s play. The Las Vegas native put up appalling stats for a tight end in the PAC-12 in 2022, hauling in 70 catches for 890 yards. That alone shot him up to the top of tight end draft boards, but it’s how he got there that has really solidified him as the ’22 class’s top do-it-all tight end.
Kincaid will look to be Utah’s first tight end selected in eons, the last Ute TE selected was Harold Lusk, who in 1996 departed Salt Lake City for New Orleans in the seventh round.
Dalton is different. While Lusk flew under the radar, Kincaid is popping up on analyst’s feeds everywhere. A surefire top draft pick, Kincaid’s abilities and production at the University of Utah have put him in prime position to be taken on the first day of the draft.
Pundits are raving about Kincaid’s receiver like traits, including his route running, speed, and hands. With the NFL rapidly becoming a league cemented in the passing game, Kincaid’s savvy expertise is a premium to nearly every franchise. Teams have opted to go for tight ends on the leaner, receiver oriented side of the sport instead of the heavy artillery football used to be based on.
So long are the days with heavy packages and smashmouth offense. Teams prefer tight ends who are a threat well after the catch, George Kittle and Travis Kelce-esque. Kincaid might be the proper amalgamation of both, possessing nearly every trait you could want in a modern day NFL tight end.
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I think he is a big time player,” one NFL Draft analyst said. “He is one of my favorite players to watch in this draft. I think he is one of the best players in the draft. He is just sudden in everything that he does. He separates. He is outstanding after the catch. You know, he can win on contact over the middle of the field. He is really, really good after the catch. You know, as a blocker, he is going to more shield you and wall off. I don’t like when you compare guys to all-time great players, but just in his movement stuff, he moves, he kind of looks likes Kelce just the way he moves in and out of breaks. He is a really, really good player. I really liked Zach Ertz when he was coming out, the year he was coming out. I think he is a better version of Zach Ertz.”
Kincaid has caught 16 touchdowns for the Utes in two years of meaningful playing time after transferring to Salt Lake City from the University of San Diego in 2020. The tight end market is becoming especially lucrative with the likes of Darren Waller and Kittle averaging north of $15 million per year. Dalton Kincaid could be a great addition for teams looking for a cheaper price paired with the potential of great production.
The tight end hasn’t exactly gone without notice for his play in the Pac-12. Despite being the Power 5’s smallest conference in terms of market size and total revenue, Kincaid has earned a suite of major accolades including All-America honors from PFF, Bleacher Report and AP.
Dalton Kincaid’s skill set resembles more of a WR1 than a proper tight end. Tradition aside, he suffers in the run blocking game. Utah used him as more a gadget player, lining him out wide and even in the backfield. This type of utilization is rare in the NFL but, who’s to stop precedent? Kincaid lacks the strength and the frame to perform heavy blocks in major run schemes. With a proper NFL lifting program and a bulk, Kincaid can reach the optimal size in no time.
Kincaid’s team-first mentality can ease a point of contention for many teams, who nowadays are dealing with more and more distractions. Prima donnas and divas seem to be all the rave in today’s entertainment focused league.
“The biggest thing for me is just doing whatever I can to help the team win,” said Kincaid in an interview to the University of Utah’s athletics website. “I put a big emphasis on blocking last year and really focusing on that… I don’t care if I have five catches or zero catches in a game as long as I’m just doing whatever I can to help my team win.”
At the end of the day, nearly every major outlet has given Dalton Kincaid at least a 2nd round or better grade. As deserved. Tight ends are becoming a hot commodity in the league, especially in the aerial attack. Kincaid is a F-16 just waiting to take off. His heavy artillery skill set can serve as an additional blocker off the gun in run sets, but treat him as a receiver first and all of a sudden, a team might just find themselves vying for the next Travis Kelce.
