Texas A&M TE Jalen Wydermyer entered the NFL Draft after three years in college. Widely considered a possible first or second-round pick, Wydermyer’s stock plummeted after he bombed the Combine, resulting in him going undrafted. Following the 2022 NFL Draft, he signed with the Bills. Does Wydermyer have any appeal in dynasty fantasy football?
Jalen Wydermyer’s dynasty fantasy profile
Texas A&M’s all-time TE touchdown leader, Wydermyer has the collegiate production to project long-term success. Which factors could impact his floor and ceiling?
Strengths
Prior to the Combine, PFN colleague James Fragoza tagged Wydermyer as the No. 1 TE in this year’s draft class, praising his “impressive frame and ball skills.” In Wydermyer’s scouting report, PFN Draft Analyst Oliver Hodgkinson points to his reliable hands, field-stretching playmaking abilities, and experience in pass protection and run blocking.
A TE’s blocking ability is one factor of their playability at the NFL level. In fantasy, we want tight ends who stay on the field for 90%+ of their team’s offensive snaps. Wydermyer fits the bill as a complete TE.
While pouring through his situational usage, one interesting stat that jumped out to me is where Wydermyer has scored. Of his last 9 touchdowns, 8 have come from the 10-yard line or deeper. In fact, his last 3 TDs were from 25+ yards away.
From a fantasy perspective, this isn’t a red-zone-or-bust tight end. Dating back to high school, Wydermyer has been a pass catcher, first and foremost. He provides plenty of offense to a receiver-needy team and moderate offense on a team loaded with talent.
Weaknesses
Wydermyer ran a 5.07 adjusted 40-yard dash time. It’s hard to truly quantify how bad that is. At 6’4″, 255 pounds, no one is expecting Wydermyer to be Calvin Austin. But it’s very difficult to rationalize away his second percentile speed score.
Wydermyer’s poor Combine performance torpedoed his draft stock. In his March 26 mock draft, Cam Mellor had Wydermyer falling all the way to the sixth round. After officially going undrafted, it’s fair to wonder if Wydermyer will even get a chance to show what he can do.
Wydermyer’s injury history
Last spring, Wydermyer required surgery on a tendon after cutting his finger and hand in what Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher called “a freak off-the-field accident.” Wydermyer had to miss spring camp, though he showed no ill effects by the start of his junior campaign.
Wydermyer’s dynasty value with the Bills
I guess this is about as good as Wydermyer could have asked for. He gets to play on an elite offense with one of the most prolific passers in the NFL in Josh Allen.
Wydermyer will face an uphill battle to make the team, though. The Bills have a clear starter in Dawson Knox. They signed O.J. Howard this offseason, and I highly doubt they cut him. Tommy Sweeney also remains with the team as the third-stringer. I’d be surprised if he got cut as well.
The best Wydermyer can do is hope to impress in training camp and the preseason. Perhaps the Bills carry four tight ends and he wins that job. If not, he could land on the practice squad with the hopes of getting picked up by someone.
As of now, Wydermyer is off the fantasy radar in all formats. He should not be taken in dynasty rookie drafts even in two-TE leagues. Given his pre-Combine evaluation, though, he’s at least worth keeping an eye on.