Clive

Walford

The 68th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Walford disappointed in three seasons with the Raiders, managing reception totals of 33 and 28 his first two years before losing his job to Jared Cook in 2017 and catching nine balls. Nevertheless, he’s a big addition for the Jets, whose tight end depth chart was previously topped by blocker Eric Tomlinson and 2017 late-round pick Jordan Leggett.

Rookie Clive Walford got first-team run, but it was late in the first quarter. Rivera still appears to be leading the tight end competition, but Walford is pushing. Neither player is likely to develop into a fantasy asset this season.

We’ll see. The low-upside and plodding Rivera will be pushed hard by third-round rookie Clive Walford, who drew some Dwayne Allen comps during the pre-draft process. There could also be room for both tight ends to play together as Rivera is more of a “move” tight end and Walford profiles in-line. Neither one has a very appetizing fantasy outlook.

Walford suffered a “big gash” on his knee in an ATV accident this offseason. He was able to run on Sunday, but the Raiders will take it slow with their starting tight end. There appears to be zero concern about his availability for Week 1. On an offense poised to explode, Walford is a great upside target late in drafts.

Walford missed all of the offseason program after injuring his knee in an ATV accident, but he says he is still more comfortable in the offense than he was as a rookie. Despite being listed behind Lee Smith on the first depth chart, Walford is clearly the primary pass-catching option from the tight end spot. He could push for 90 targets in an offense poised to explode.

It’s not surprising. Walford is still expected to be ready well ahead of training camp.

Walford is sitting out OTAs as he recovers from a “big gash,” but all indications are that he’ll be ready for the summer’s most important practices. Coming off a strong rookie year, Walford has some TE2 appeal for the Raiders’ on-the-rise offense.

It might concern some fantasy drafters, but blocker Smith started all 15 games he was active for last season. Smith has just 32 catches in five NFL seasons, and isn’t a threat to Walford’s TE2 candidacy.

Williamson projects Walford as the Week 1 starter ahead of Mychal Rivera. Ultimately, we’ll likely see a lot of two-TE sets featuring Walford in-line and Rivera in the “move” role. It’s hard to get excited about either one from a fantasy perspective given Derek Carr’s limitations and the team’s desire to be run-heavy.

Walford was a four-year starter at Miami, displaying plus athleticism and strong hands. He should see immediate year-one snaps as the in-line complement to plodding “move” TE Mychal Rivera. Walford profiles as a blocker early on. He drew some Dwayne Allen comparisons in the pre-draft process.