Will Mallory Complete NFL Draft Profile (Miami TE Could Be Eventual Starter With Proper Development)

Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft was an entertaining Thursday night experience. Dozens of prospects are still waiting to find their NFL homes, including Miami tight end Will Mallory

Here's everything you need to know about Will Mallory heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Will Mallory Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/28: NFL.com, ESPN, CBS, Walter Football, Sporting News.

Projected Draft Round: Round 5 (3), Round 7 (1), Undrafted (1)
Projected Team: Texans (1), Chiefs (1), Raiders (1), Panthers (1), Undrafted (1)

Will Mallory Scouting Report

Will Mallory save his best collegiate performance for his final year at Miami. The athletic tight end set career highs in both receptions (42) and receiving yards (538) while recording three touchdowns. He was named second-team All-ACC for his efforts.

Mallory is tough to take down once the ball is in his hands, aided by his powerful frame. He's excellent at running crossing routes and is more than capable of lining up on the outside for an NFL team. While it's not an area he excels in, he's also a solid blocker when needed.

As with many young pass-catchers, Mallory has a bad habit of catching downfield balls with his body instead of his hands. His catch radius could also use some work as he struggles to make catches just outside of his reach. It wouldn't hurt if he added muscle to be able to handle the NFL's edge rushers.

Will Mallory NFL Draft Prediction

Will Mallory's draft stock is a mixed bag. On one hand, three experts have him listed as a probable fifth-round selection. On the other, the two remaining sources have him falling to the seventh or going undrafted altogether.

With Travis Kelce turning 34 in October, it's time for the Kansas City Chiefs to start thinking about the future. Although they already have Noah Gray and Blake Bell behind Kelce, neither backup TE has been all that impressive thus far.

Tight ends take time to develop, so bringing in Mallory to play a few seasons behind Kelce wouldn't hurt. Once the veteran moves on, the Miami product should be NFL-ready. Besides, playing with a generational quarterback like Patrick Mahomes gives Mallory the best chance to succeed.

Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs (Round 5, 166th overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Will Mallory NFL Combine Results

Will Mallory Miami Stats

Will Mallory Miami Highlights

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.