Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile
Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report: Utah Utes, Tight End, #86
2023 NFL Draft Measurements
6’4″ / 246 lbs.
Dalton Kincaid 40 Time – 4.70 (estimate)
Dalton Kincaid Draft Profile
Kincaid is a former unranked prospect from Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to 247sports, Kincaid was part of the 2018 recruiting class where he only received one scholarship offer. This is actually impressive considering the fact that he only played one year of high school football. The program that offered Kincaid was the University of San Diego. As a freshman at San Diego, he played in every game of the season and racked up 374 yards and 11 touchdowns. Then as a sophomore, he played in 12 games and recorded 44 receptions for 835 yards ad 8 touchdowns. This was 2nd among FCS tight ends and was good enough for him to earn AP All-American Third Team Honors.
After this incredible season, he decided to put his name in the transfer portal and take his talents to Utah. In his first season at Utah, he played in all 5 games. However, he only recorded 1 reception for 14 yards. As a senior, he played in 13 games where he recorded 36 receptions for 510 yards and 8 touchdowns. Finally, as a graduate senior at Utah, he recorded 70 receptions for 890 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Dalton Kincaid Strengths
Body Control
The most impressive aspect of Dalton Kincaid’s game is his ability to make catches outside of his frame. Although he isn’t the biggest tight end in this draft class, his elite body control allows him to make plays most other tight ends can’t. He shows off his body control in many different ways. To start, he does an amazing job of going up and meeting the ball at its high point. This allows him to make plays deep down the field and in the endzone. Kincaid is also good at adjusting to throws behind him. When running routes across the middle of the field, he does a good job of adjusting his body and using his strong hands to make the play. After making the grab, he does a good job of squaring up his hips and racking up extra yards.
Yards After Catch
As of today, NFL Mock Draft Database has Kincaid ranked as the 27th-best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is good enough for him to earn a first-round grade and go in the first round in most mock drafts. In my post-combine mock draft, I had Kincaid going 28th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. The only tight end that I had going before him was Michael Mayer. Overall, I think he will likely get drafted in the back end of the first round.
Final Thoughts on Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report
Dalton Kincaid is a special talent and has the potential to make it very far in the league, but right now I would not say he is 100% there. He is a natural receiver who can make plays outside of his frame anywhere on the field. This makes him very dangerous in the red zone. Once he has the ball in his hands, he does a good job of racking up yards after the catch. He does this by using his speed and strong lower body to shed tackles. Although he does a good job of using his physicality to get open, he has a tendency to rely on it too much. Against zone coverage, he struggles to find the seam between coverages which makes it hard for him to get open. He also needs to work on improving his effectiveness in the run game. Overall, Kincaid still deserves to go in the first round because of the upside that he brings to an offense. But he has a ways to go before he is considered elite.
Dalton Kincaid Player Comparison
Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis
Another concern that I have about Kincaid’s game is his route running. Against zone coverage, he struggles to find seams in the defense to be wide open for an easy reception. This leads to him getting covered down the field and forcing the QB to go elsewhere. Kincaid also needs to work on his ability to change direction during his route. After sinking his hips, he lacks the explosiveness needed to gain separation. Also, he needs to work on his ability to adjust his speed during his route. This will throw off defenders and make it easier for him to get open.
Dalton Kincaid Draft Stock
As of today, NFL Mock Draft Database has Kincaid ranked as the 27th-best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is good enough for him to earn a first-round grade and go in the first round in most mock drafts. In my post-combine mock draft, I had Kincaid going 28th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. The only tight end that I had going before him was Michael Mayer. Overall, I think he will likely get drafted in the back end of the first round.
Final Thoughts on Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report
Dalton Kincaid is a special talent and has the potential to make it very far in the league, but right now I would not say he is 100% there. He is a natural receiver who can make plays outside of his frame anywhere on the field. This makes him very dangerous in the red zone. Once he has the ball in his hands, he does a good job of racking up yards after the catch. He does this by using his speed and strong lower body to shed tackles. Although he does a good job of using his physicality to get open, he has a tendency to rely on it too much. Against zone coverage, he struggles to find the seam between coverages which makes it hard for him to get open. He also needs to work on improving his effectiveness in the run game. Overall, Kincaid still deserves to go in the first round because of the upside that he brings to an offense. But he has a ways to go before he is considered elite.
Dalton Kincaid Player Comparison
Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]Dalton Kincaid Weaknesses
Run Blocking
The biggest concern that I have about his game is his lack of ability to block defenders in the run game. Regardless of where he was lined up, Kincaid shows that he is a liability when it comes to locking down defenders. When lined up on the offensive line, he needs to work on keeping his pad level low. This will allow him to drive defenders upward at the point of attack and force them off-balance. He also needs to work on improving his blocking angles everywhere on the field. Too often, I saw defenders get around him with little to no effort.
Route Running
Another concern that I have about Kincaid’s game is his route running. Against zone coverage, he struggles to find seams in the defense to be wide open for an easy reception. This leads to him getting covered down the field and forcing the QB to go elsewhere. Kincaid also needs to work on his ability to change direction during his route. After sinking his hips, he lacks the explosiveness needed to gain separation. Also, he needs to work on his ability to adjust his speed during his route. This will throw off defenders and make it easier for him to get open.
Dalton Kincaid Draft Stock
As of today, NFL Mock Draft Database has Kincaid ranked as the 27th-best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is good enough for him to earn a first-round grade and go in the first round in most mock drafts. In my post-combine mock draft, I had Kincaid going 28th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. The only tight end that I had going before him was Michael Mayer. Overall, I think he will likely get drafted in the back end of the first round.
Final Thoughts on Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report
Dalton Kincaid is a special talent and has the potential to make it very far in the league, but right now I would not say he is 100% there. He is a natural receiver who can make plays outside of his frame anywhere on the field. This makes him very dangerous in the red zone. Once he has the ball in his hands, he does a good job of racking up yards after the catch. He does this by using his speed and strong lower body to shed tackles. Although he does a good job of using his physicality to get open, he has a tendency to rely on it too much. Against zone coverage, he struggles to find the seam between coverages which makes it hard for him to get open. He also needs to work on improving his effectiveness in the run game. Overall, Kincaid still deserves to go in the first round because of the upside that he brings to an offense. But he has a ways to go before he is considered elite.
Dalton Kincaid Player Comparison
Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]As I just mentioned above, Kincaid is good at racking up yards after the catch regardless of where he is on the field. After adjusting his body to make catches outside of his frame, he is good at squaring up his hips. This allows him to maximize the number of yards gained. In open field, he is difficult to bring down because he runs with a lot of power. Additionally, he has a strong lower body which allows him to shed tackles and stay balanced in hopes of racking up a few extra yards.
Ball Skills
The best aspect of Kincaid’s game is his ability to consistently make plays. This is due to his ability to track the ball and make catches. At all levels of the field, he is a natural at tracking the ball. On vertical routes deep down the field, he does a great job of watching the ball over his shoulder and hauling it in. Additionally, his strong hands allow him to make difficult catches at any level and led to him being the number one target on Utah last season.
Physicality During Routes
Out of the top tight ends in this draft class, Kincaid is one of the rawest route runners. However, he does a good job of using his physicality to consistently win matchups. When stemming his route, Kincaid is good at fighting through pressure and traffic. At the top of his route stem, he uses his strong upper body to keep defenders outside of his catch radius. Additionally, when the ball is thrown his way, he does a good job of using his body to fight off defenders when high-pointing the ball. It also allows him to hold onto the ball when he is making plays in contested areas.
Dalton Kincaid Weaknesses
Run Blocking
The biggest concern that I have about his game is his lack of ability to block defenders in the run game. Regardless of where he was lined up, Kincaid shows that he is a liability when it comes to locking down defenders. When lined up on the offensive line, he needs to work on keeping his pad level low. This will allow him to drive defenders upward at the point of attack and force them off-balance. He also needs to work on improving his blocking angles everywhere on the field. Too often, I saw defenders get around him with little to no effort.
Route Running
Another concern that I have about Kincaid’s game is his route running. Against zone coverage, he struggles to find seams in the defense to be wide open for an easy reception. This leads to him getting covered down the field and forcing the QB to go elsewhere. Kincaid also needs to work on his ability to change direction during his route. After sinking his hips, he lacks the explosiveness needed to gain separation. Also, he needs to work on his ability to adjust his speed during his route. This will throw off defenders and make it easier for him to get open.
Dalton Kincaid Draft Stock
As of today, NFL Mock Draft Database has Kincaid ranked as the 27th-best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is good enough for him to earn a first-round grade and go in the first round in most mock drafts. In my post-combine mock draft, I had Kincaid going 28th overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. The only tight end that I had going before him was Michael Mayer. Overall, I think he will likely get drafted in the back end of the first round.
Final Thoughts on Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report
Dalton Kincaid is a special talent and has the potential to make it very far in the league, but right now I would not say he is 100% there. He is a natural receiver who can make plays outside of his frame anywhere on the field. This makes him very dangerous in the red zone. Once he has the ball in his hands, he does a good job of racking up yards after the catch. He does this by using his speed and strong lower body to shed tackles. Although he does a good job of using his physicality to get open, he has a tendency to rely on it too much. Against zone coverage, he struggles to find the seam between coverages which makes it hard for him to get open. He also needs to work on improving his effectiveness in the run game. Overall, Kincaid still deserves to go in the first round because of the upside that he brings to an offense. But he has a ways to go before he is considered elite.
Dalton Kincaid Player Comparison
Dalton Kincaid Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis
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