NFL Draft Betting: Who Will Be the Second Tight End Drafted in 2024?

The 2024 NFL Draft is just a week away. Round 1 will commence on Thursday, April 25th at 8:00 p.m. ET.

At this point, we're fairly certain that Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers will be the first tight end drafted. The ultra-productive playmaker has +175 odds to be a top 10 pick, and I'm not sure any other tight ends in the 2024 class can outmatch him in that regard.

That said, this year's tight end class is still flush with talent after Bowers -- we're just not sure how the NFL will rank that talent on draft night. So let's take a look at FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL Draft Odds market to get a sense of which tight ends have the best odds of going second at the position.

NFL Draft Odds

Ja'Tavion Sanders (+175)

Texas Longhorns alum Ja'Tavion Sanders is tied as the current favorite to be the second tight end drafted with +175 odds. In two seasons as a starter, Sanders put up 99 catches for 1,295 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Longhorns, making him one of the most productive pass-catchers in this year's tight end class.

Per the NFL's own metrics, Sanders ranked as the second-most productive tight end and the 12th-most athletic tight end in the 2024 class. That second-ranked production looks even more appealing considering its context as the Longhorns were kind of stacked with receiving talent last year.

Sanders' 682 receiving yards ranked third-best on Texas last year. He did that while competing for looks with Xavier Worthy, who set the combine 40-yard dash record back in March and has -195 odds to be a first round pick , and Adonai Mitchell, who has even stronger -600 odds to go in the first round.

Sanders himself has +3000 odds to be a first-round pick. While he is a bit of a longshot to go on Day 1, he has a good chance of hearing his name called on Day 2 with his production for a school like Texas.

Ben Sinnott (+175)

Tied with Sanders for the shortest odds to go second among tight ends, Kansas State Wildcats senior Ben Sinnott has a real shot to follow just behind Bowers.

Sinnott led the Wildcats in receiving in his final year, recording 49 grabs for 676 yards and 6 touchdowns. When the Wildcats needed to move the ball through the air, he was their go-to guy. The 2.01 yards per route run (YPRR) he logged last year ranked 9th-best in the NCAA last year and even led Sanders' 1.86 YPRR mark.

He was impressive with the ball in his hands, averaging 6.8 yards after contact despite drawing targets 10.1 yards downfield on average -- that's relatively deep for a tight end. He forced the fourth-most missed tackles among tight ends last year, trailing only Bowers and one other high-end prospect in that regard.

Sinnott's 4.68-second 40-yard dash wasn't overly impressive, but the rest of his combine wowed. According to PlayerProfiler.com, Sinnott's jumps and agility testing earned him a 98th-percentile Burst Score and a 95th-percentile Agility Score.

All that said, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and Dane Brugler of The Athletic each expect Sinnott to be a Round 3 or 4 selection. That leaves the door open for any number of prospects to go before him later this April.

Cade Stover (+650)

Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Cade Stover is a tough evaluation. Stover entered the college ranks as a hybrid linebacker/tight end and between a red shirt season, the COVID-shortened year, and his position transition, it took him until his fourth season to log consistent playing time. He then stayed for an additional fifth season after that.

It's very easy to excuse Stover's lack of early playing time and production given the talent we've seen emerge from Ohio State in recent years. The likes of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka can have that effect on a tight end.

When we finally did see Stover in a more full-time role, he looked pretty good. In 2023, he posted an efficient 2.04 YPRR in his final season while operating as Ohio State's second pass-catching option.

We've seen teams take gambles on tight ends with worse production at similarly-respected schools -- even former teammate Jeremy Ruckert went in the third round in the 2022 draft. It wouldn't be too surprising to hear Stover's name called before either Sanders or Sinnott.

Theo Johnson (+1200)

At 6'6" and 259 pounds, Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Theo Johnson looks the most like a stereotypical tight end of any of this year's top prospects. That size also makes the 4.57-second 40-yard dash he ran at the NFL Combine look even more impressive. Despite weighing in 10-15 pounds heavier than any of the three tight ends we've already covered, Johnson's 40 time was the fastest of the bunch.

Johnson's raw size and athleticism could help him catch an NFL team's eyes on draft day despite the subpar receiving production he put up at Penn State. The Nittany Lions were not exactly a pass-happy team during Johnson's tenure there, but he was consistently in the mix among the team's receivers during his two years as a starter. He even led the team in yards per reception (16.4) in 2022 before leading the team in receiving touchdowns in 2023.

Johnson's production is much less impressive than either Sanders' or Sinnott's, but he has the kind of physical profile NFL teams love to gamble on. With neither of the current favorites to be the second tight end drafted rivaling Johnson's frame or speed, he could be a sleeper option to be picked after Bowers.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.