Lucas

Krull

Krull had a chance to establish himself as a capable contributor after Sean Payton chose to make Greg Dulcich a healthy scratch for this one. Krull unequivocally failed to seize the moment. He is not worth holding on fantasy benches.

Wilson will be the emergency third quarterback against the Seahawks on Sunday behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham. Franklin was a fourth-round pick who struggled early in camp, and will need to pick things up in practice to not earn the inactive designation going forward.

Krull mixed in for one first-team-offense snap, playing behind starter Adam Trautman (0 targets) and Greg Dulcich (who caught 1-of-2 targets for 5 yards). Should the Broncos continue their tight end quagmire, none of the three will be fantasy-relevant.

Dulcich’s first two pro seasons were torpedoed by serious hamstring injuries. Last year’s hamstring woes put him in Sean Payton’s doghouse, though Payton has seemingly come around on the highly-athletic Dulcich, saying the tight end in training camp has shown “glimpses” of what he can bring to Denver’s offense. Fowler said Dulcich has shown plenty of “big play ability” in summer practices. The 2022 third round pick will battle for tight end snaps this year with Lucas Krull and Adam Trautman.

Krull signed with the Saints as a UDFA in 2022. He spent most of the season on their practice squad and was waived ahead of the 2023 season. Seeing the opportunity to add another former Saint to his roster, Sean Payton added Krull to Denver’s practice squad and called him up midway through the season. He made a few plays in the final month of the year, posting eight catches for 95 yards and a score over his final five games. Krull will look to stick on the Broncos’ roster as a backup in 2024.

The second-year UDFA has started to emerge as the Broncos’ primary pass-catching tight end over the past three weeks, though that entails just six total catches. Already 25 years old, Krull isn’t much of a Dynasty league stash.

Krull, a former baseball player who caught 38 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns last year at Pitt, signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in late April. On a team with a clear-cut No. 1 tight end, he would likely be a blocking tight end with little path to playing time. But as Underhill said, the Saints’ tight end depth chart is “wide open” after Adam Trautman flopped as the team’s starter in 2021. Underhill said Krull “moves well and knows how to get open,” adding Krull “made one of the best plays of the day” on an impressive corner route reception during OTAs. Whoever emerges as the team’s primary pass-catching tight end will only have fantasy value in deeper formats.

Originally a baseball player, Krull (6'6/253) switched to football in 2018. After a stop at Florida, he finally earned some playing time last year at Pitt, catching 38 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns from Kenny Pickett. The performance earned him second-team All-ACC honors. Not invited to the Combine, Krull ran a 4.63 40 at this Pro Day with a 35-inch vertical and 10-foot broad jump. He has good size and straight-line speed for the position, but he is an older, developmental prospect who has work to do as a blocker and receiver. It is unlikely he contributes early, but it is possible his traits earn him some time.

Krull (6'6"/253) would have run the second-fastest 40-yard dash at the combine if he had received an invite. His 14 bench press reps were underwhelming, but he displayed good explosiveness with a 35 inch vertical and a 10-foot broad jump. Krull caught 38 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns in his final season at Pittsburgh, after catching just 10 passes for 114 yards and no touchdowns in his first three seasons. For a tight end with his size and speed, Krull could be a priority free agent after the draft has concluded.

Krull (6'6/260) was not a major factor throughout the game for the Panthers, but he made an impact when it mattered the most. In overtime, Krull was lined up on the left numbers and positioned himself perfectly. He ran a slant route and beautifully boxed out the corner to catch the game-winning touchdown. He then had a celebration for the ages, as he was getting the entire team hyped up and the ESPN broadcasters even compared him to someone who lived north of the wall in Game of Thrones. The Panthers take on Virginia next Saturday with an opportunity to get one step closer to the ACC Championship Game.