This could be one of the biggest years for Washington in terms of the NFL Draft in a long time. With a lot of seniors that will be heading to the NFL, and juniors that will get top 100 buzz from scouts. By my early calculations, we could see as many as 11 Huskies enter the draft and end up being selected. Once a week, the “draft profile” series will be our deep dive into what makes each player such an exciting pro prospect, and it’s only right to start with the senior who has been named to multiple preseason All-American teams.

Overview

Otton had a massive breakout during the shortened 2020 campaign, and was on pace for 54 catches, 778 yards, and nine touchdowns if the team didn’t play only four games due to COVID-19. At 6’5, 240 pounds, he’s an excellent blocker and is a mismatch as a receiver too. He’s pro-ready right now and could slot in as the number one or two on any team’s depth chart from day one of camp.

Pros

For his size, Otton’s hands and route running can be considered among the best in the country, and he’ll be arguably the top tight end in the entire 2022 draft class. His blocking is ready for the next level, and that can be shown by the early success of former Huskies, Will Dissly and Drew Sample. In 2020, he proved to be a reliable security blanket for Dylan Morris over the middle of the field, and is on track to be the team’s top option as a receiver. These are all things that can translate to NFL success from day one.

Cons

When scouts start to get nitpicky, they’re going to point to a lack of production as a risk. Even though he was stuck behind Dissly, Sample, and Hunter Bryant early on in his career, the fact that he’ll have one season of elite production is going to be a problem for some scouts. Otton is by no means a perfect prospect, but after film review, there aren’t a lot of holes that you can spot. The only other knock I could find is that he isn’t utilized on a ton of deep routes, but that might be more of a product of Washington’s offense than Otton himself.

Best fit: Tennessee Titans

The Titans are in desperate need of another receiving option. Yes, it sounds crazy to say this on a team that has Julio Jones and A.J. Brown as their top two receivers, but their offense was running at peak efficiency over the last few seasons when Jonnu Smith was the third-option. He commanded enough attention to give Brown and Corey Davis one on one coverage on the outside, and Smith was always a solid security blanket for Tannehill whenever he was called on. And on top of that, who better in this draft to seal the edge for Derrick Henry? Otton’s blocking will allow Henry to hit even more big plays off the edge and get him into space against defensive backs, and any NFL fan knows how that ends…