What It Means:

Smith says the Buccaneers may not have a clear No. 1 tight end following Rob Gronkowski's retirement last week, but that "there is the potential for [Otton] to be the one tight end the Buccaneers keep on the field most often." The fourth-round pick hasn't practiced with the Buccaneers yet as he continues to recover from November ankle surgery, but Otton will be eight months removed from the procedure by the start of training camp. Shane Vereen of SiriusXM -- who covered Otton as a TV analyst in college and played with Tom Brady on the New England Patriots for four years -- expects Otton to be "one of the top rookie pass catchers" in 2022. "He is that good. He was a great college tight end," Vereen writes. "And I think he has the smarts to get on the same page in a Tom Brady offense. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.” Cameron Brate could wind up remaining second on the depth chart if Otton lives up to Smith and Vereen's expectations.

numberFire's models currently project Brate to dominate most of the action at tight end for the Buccaneers with 54.1 targets, 34.5 receptions, 320.7 yards, and 4.10 touchdowns. Otton caught 91 of 124 targets for 1,026 yards and 9 touchdowns during his collegiate career.