C.J. Uzomah

Uzomah parlayed a career year in 2021 with Cincinnati into a three-year, $24 million deal with the Jets in free agency. He notched career highs in catches (49), receiving yards (493) and touchdowns (five) last season, needing just 63 targets to reach those totals thanks to a 77.8 percent catch rate. While he was overshadowed by Cincinnati’s wide receivers, Uzomah provided a dependable target underneath for second-year QB Joe Burrow and should do the same for another second-year signal-caller this season in Zach Wilson. Wilson looked significantly more raw than Burrow last year, which made getting him a security blanket at tight end an offseason priority for the Jets. The problem for Uzomah is that New York double-dipped at the position in free agency and also signed ex-Viking Tyler Conklin, who had more catches and yards last year than Uzomah. Both tight ends should see extensive playing time, but Uzomah got a slightly larger contract and has shown more ability to do damage down the seam in addition to catching short throws.

Uzomah looked to be on the cusp of a breakout in 2020, catching eight passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in the first two weeks of the season. Alas, he tore his Achilles' tendon late in a Week 2 loss to the Browns in a Thursday night game and missed the rest of the season. While reports over the summer suggest that he's fully healed and will be back to compete with Drew Sample for his starting job, it's possible that his snaps are limited early in the season. He could be a sleeper, however, if quarterback Joe Burrow continues to target his tight ends as much as he did early on last season.

Uzomah lost both snaps and targets last season with Tyler Eifert making it through the season healthy, but now that Eifert is plying his wares in Jacksonville, he has a new opportunity as the lead tight end. He'll take the lead as the Bengals bring along second-year second-round pick Drew Sample, though both might be employed more as blockers than as pass-catchers. Uzomah's upside probably resembles what he provided in 2018, when he caught 43 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns.

Uzomah is a shaky starting TE in both real life and fantasy football, but the Bengals value him for the perceived stability he provides next to Tyler Eifert, whose endless saga of injuries have forced the team to always have an alternative at the ready. Uzomah is seasoned in that role after logging 841 snaps last year, and if nothing else he has good speed for a tight end who's listed at 6-6, 265. The Bengals rewarded him with a three-year, $18.3 million contract in the offseason, but they also brought back Eifert on a one-year, incentive-laden deal, then drafted Drew Sample in the second round. Uzomah didn't do much with his golden opportunity last season, averaging just four targets and 27.4 yards per game in an offense that spent significant stretches of the season playing without Eifert and No. 1 receiver A.J. Green. If Eifert somehow does not get hurt, moreover, Uzomah just might not play very much.

Uzomah backslid in year three with the Bengals, catching only 10 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets, despite Tyler Eifert missing most of the season. Tyler Kroft took a big step forward and the Bengals wanted to get Ryan Hewitt out there ahead of Uzomah as well. He saw his offensive snaps cut nearly in half. If you're looking for a silver lining, Uzomah caught six of his 10 receptions and his lone touchdown over the last three games. But with Eifert back, Uzomah's role will likely remain diminished.

Uzomah burst on the scene in 2016, recording 234 yards and a touchdown while hauling in 25 passes in 10 games after posting just one catch for four yards as a rookie in 2015. Though he's likely the third tight end on Cincinnati's roster, behind Tyler Eiftert and Tyler Kroft, Uzomah appears to be the No. 2 option in the passing game. He could see a slightly expanded role in 2017, resulting in a modest uptick in his receiving statistics.

Uzomah heads into his second season on the bottom of the Bengals' depth chart, as he only appeared in five games during his rookie campaign. While it's unlikely he develops into a consistent fantasy contributor this season, he could have a greater impact with regular starter Tyler Eifert slated to miss the entirety of training camp recovering from ankle surgery. Nonetheless, at 6-foot-5, 271 pounds, Uzomah possesses the speed and athleticism to make him a valuable asset for the future.

Uzomah was the second of two tight ends drafted by the Bengals, taken in the fifth round out of Auburn. Much like future teammate Tyler Kroft, Uzomah had a disappointing statistical season, catching 11 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns over seven games. But he played at a school and a conference that de-emphasized the tight end in the passing game, and then impressed the Bengals at the training combine, running a 4.62 40-yard dash. He's raw, but there's an opportunity to be had in Cincinnati with the departure of Jermaine Gresham, behind Tyler Eifert. He'll compete with Kroft to be the second tight end option.