Is Hurst really that bad for FF? I wasn’t planning on taking him but at 3.11 (35th overall) I guess I will take a chance on the only NFL first round TE.
Yeah he’s older than dirt and they drafted another TE and he apparently is mostly just a blocker but I can’t imagine a team drafting a TE in the first round just to have him block. At 35th overall if I could get 61/522/4 (Ben Watson’s line with Baltimore last year) every season I’d be happy. That’s a decent back up TE at a spot where people are taking WRs and RBs that might not even make it out of training camp. Of course he could completely bust but at least you know his team did value him highly to start and will likely at least give him time to potentially develop.
I have Hurst ranked towards the end of tier two. This is still 25th overall though, so yeah value at pick 35 imo.
I have Goedert one spot ahead of Hurst but I could see going either way. If Andrews wasn't in the picture (who may be better for fantasy than Hurst) then I would have Hurst a bit higher than I do.
He still doesn't strike me as being worth a 1st round pick when comparing him to other 1st round TE picks the last 10 years or so.
eta - here are the TE who have been drafted in the 1st round since 2000
2017 1 19 O.J. Howard TE 22 TAM 2017 2017 0 0 1 3 14 14 26 432 6 Alabama
2017 1 23 Evan Engram TE 23 NYG 2017 2017 0 0 1 5 15 11 1 14 0 64 722 6 Mississippi
2017 1 29 David Njoku TE 21 CLE 2017 2017 0 0 0 2 16 5 1 1 0 32 386 4 Miami (FL)
2014 1 10 Eric Ebron TE 21 DET 2014 2017 0 0 3 16 56 37 1 1 1 186 2070 11 North Carolina
2013 1 21 Tyler Eifert TE 22 CIN 2013 2017 0 1 2 13 39 30 127 1537 20 Notre Dame
2010 1 21 Jermaine Gresham TE 22 CIN 2010 2017 0 2 8 27 119 107 368 3658 29 Oklahoma
2009 1 20 Brandon Pettigrew TE 24 DET 2009 2015 0 0 7 22 93 85 301 2965 17 Oklahoma St.
2008 1 30 Dustin Keller TE 23 NYJ 2008 2012 0 0 3 22 72 48 1 7 0 241 2876 17 Purdue
2007 1 31 Greg Olsen TE 22 CHI 2007 2017 0 3 8 55 165 139 639 7556 53 Miami (FL)
2006 1 6 Vernon Davis TE 22 SFO 2006 2017 0 2 11 49 180 170 6 15 0 548 7072 60 Maryland
2006 1 28 Marcedes Lewis TE 22 JAX 2006 2017 0 1 11 33 170 157 375 4502 33 UCLA
2005 1 30 Heath Miller TE 22 PIT 2005 2015 0 2 11 46 168 167 2 8 0 592 6569 45 Virginia
2004 1 6 Kellen Winslow TE 21 CLE 2004 2013 0 1 6 38 105 83 1 7 0 469 5236 25 Miami (FL)
2004 1 32 Ben Watson TE 23 NWE 2004 2017 0 0 10 40 179 131 2 10 0 495 5485 42 Georgia
2003 1 24 Dallas Clark TE 24 IND 2003 2013 1 1 8 51 143 118 4 40 0 505 5665 53 Iowa
2002 1 14 Jeremy Shockey TE 22 NYG 2002 2011 1 4 10 48 136 129 1 6 0 547 6143 37 Miami (FL)
2002 1 21 Daniel Graham TE 23 NWE 2002 2012 0 0 8 19 148 117 224 2490 25 Colorado
2002 1 28 Jerramy Stevens TE 22 SEA 2002 2010 0 0 2 18 121 41 202 2217 22 Washington
2001 1 31 Todd Heap TE 21 BAL 2001 2012 0 2 7 43 145 131 8 61 0 499 5869 42 Arizona St.
2000 1 14 Bubba Franks TE 22 GNB 2000 2008 0 3 6 19 122 98 262 2347 32 Miami (FL)
2000 1 27 Anthony Becht TE 23 NYJ 2000 2011 0 0 8 12 167 132 188 1537 21 West Virginia
Note that none of these players was 25 years old at the time they were drafted like Hurst.
The TE who were 24 at the time they were drafted
Brandon Pettigrew - drafted for his blocking ability not because of his skills as a receiver.
Dallas Clark drafted for his receiving ability not his blocking.
Thats it.
Guys like Becht, Franks, Lewis. Keller, Pettigrew were drafted for their blocking ability not because of their skills as receivers. Teams value blocking a lot.