Dalton Kincaid, TE Utah: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Kincaid was a two-star recruit from Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, Nev. in the class of 2018

Utah Utes tight end Dalton Kincaid was a one-man army in the team’s upset win over USC earlier this season. The University of San Diego transfer was a Third-Team FCS All-American in 2019 and has stepped into a large role for the Utes with fellow tight end Brant Kuithe sidelined. Kincaid should be a top 100 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Dalton Kincaid, TE Utah: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth year senior tight end from Las Vegas, Nev.

Background: Kincaid was a two-star recruit from Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, Nev. in the class of 2018. He did not receive a star or recruit ranking from 247Sports, On3.com, or ESPN. Kincaid was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. He only played one year of football in high school but earned All-State and All-Conference honors. According to MaxPreps, Kincaid made 37 receptions for 745 yards and eight touchdowns as a high school senior. He also earned a varsity letter in basketball in 2017, averaging 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Kincaid transferred from the University of San Diego to Utah for the 2020 season. He has two older siblings.

2021 Production: 14 games, 36 receptions, 510 yards, 8 touchdowns

2020 Production: 5 games, 1 reception, 14 yards

2019 Production: 12 games, 44 receptions, 835 yards, 8 touchdowns

2018 Production: 12 games, 24 receptions, 374 yards, 11 touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered an injury against Washington State (2022) and missed the following game

Awards: 2019 Second-Team All-Pioneer Football League, 2019 Third-Team FCS All-American (Associated Press), 2021 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12

Pros: Finishes through contact, turns 50-50 contested catches into 70-30 situations, experience playing in the slot and in-line, special teams experience on the kick return and punt coverage units, quick reaction to the snap, strong understanding of zone spacing and where to find holes, high-points the football and plays above the rim, steady hands with few to no drops, natural hands catcher, ball skills and tracking, body control, varies route tempo, bounces off defenders who don’t wrap up, defenders struggle to tackle him high, quick to turn and get his momentum moving vertically after the catch, underrated acceleration after the catch, quick footwork at the top of his route, maintains speed in and out of breaks, plays through contact early in the route with physicality, subtle moves to win the leverage battle as a pass catcher, doesn’t get bumped off his route by contact, uses upper body to create separation and space early in the route, shows effort as a blocker, lands blocks on the move, excellent timing when leaking out of his blocking role to run a route, sufficient horizontal footwork as a blocker, seals defenders inside, leg drive lets him block and drive defenders backward, flashes of ideal hand placement when blocking

Cons: Penalized four times already in 2022, lacks long speed, not explosive or twitchy, lacks the wiggle to make defenders miss in open space, struggles to separate against defensive backs, rarely kept in to pass block, needs to sink more at the top of his stem, limited ability to threaten defenses vertically, lower body is lean for blocking duties, doesn’t generate much movement as a run blocker, good not great arm length, some false horizontal steps in release when pressed, pad level is high as a blocker, some stiffness in his hips, play strength, frame appears close to maxed out, angles to the block, release package lacks versatility, block framing is hit-or-miss

Overview: Kincaid is unofficially listed at 6'4", 240 lbs. The University of San Diego transfer uses his excellent ball skills, tracking, and basketball background to turn 50-50 contested catches into 70-30 situations in his favor. He has some of the best hands among all draft-eligible players in the 2023 class. Kincaid is a natural hands catcher who rises above the rim to meet the ball when a defender is in his air space. He displays excellent body control. Utah uses Kincaid as a slot playmaker more than an in-line option, but he’s experienced in both roles. Despite not having high-end play strength, he welcomes and finishes through contact as a ball carrier. Defenders bounce off Kincaid if they don’t wrap up, and they struggle to bring down the former FCS All-American if they attempt to tackle him high. Kincaid uses his understanding of zone and spacing to find open holes. He deploys subtle moves to win the leverage battle as a pass catcher. Kincaid is quick off the line of scrimmage and varies his route tempo to manipulate defenders. He shows quick footwork at the top of his route and maintains speed in and out of breaks. Kincaid plays through contact early in the route and avoids getting bumped off his path. He uses his upper body to create separation and space early in the route. Kincaid doesn’t have much explosiveness or speed in his game, but he can still run by linebackers on seam routes. He’s quick to turn and get his momentum moving vertically after the catch on short to intermediate routes. Kincaid lacks elite acceleration, but it’s sufficient to consistently generate yards after the catch. The fifth-year college star shows high-level effort as a blocker, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. Kincaid shows flashes of landing blocks on the move, ideal hand placement, and driving defenders off the line of scrimmage, but he’s inconsistent in all of these areas. The former two-star recruit seals defenders inside on run blocks and has sufficient horizontal footwork, but his pad level is a constant concern. Kincaid usually loses the leverage battle, and his lower body is a little lean to handle a heavy workload as a blocker. The tight end displays some stiffness in his hips, which also shows up when he doesn’t sink much at the top of routes and in his lack of elusiveness. His frame is close to maxed out, making it unlikely he’ll get significantly stronger in the NFL. Kincaid's angles to blocks need to improve, and his block framing must become more consistent. He lacks long speed and isn’t an explosive or twitchy athlete. Kincaid doesn’t have the lower body fluidity to make defenders miss in open space. He struggles to separate against defensive backs, but his contested catch skills bail him out when he’s matched up with smaller players. Kincaid possesses limited ability to threaten defenses vertically. His release includes several false horizontal steps when he’s pressed. Kincaid’s release package currently lacks versatility. Utah rarely asks him to block in pass protection, and teams should be cautious about using him in that role at the next level.

Overall, Kincaid lacks elite agility, burst, play strength, and speed, but his reliable hands, ball skills, savvy route running, improving blocking, and nonexistent fear of contact make him an attractive high-floor player who should hear his name called on Day 2 of the draft. There’s an outside chance Kincaid sneaks into the second round, but his home is likely in the third round.

Round Projection: Mid Third to Early Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 11-08-22