{"id":829136,"date":"2026-03-23T13:37:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T13:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/829136\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T13:37:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T13:37:20","slug":"patriots-draft-target-te-oscar-delp-scouting-report-bio-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/829136\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots draft target: TE Oscar Delp scouting report, bio, outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 NFL Draft features a strong tight end class. It\u2019s a position the Patriots are expected to target.<\/p>\n

The top of New England\u2019s current depth chart features Hunter Henry and free agent addition Julian Hill, who signed a three-year deal with the team earlier this month. As Henry enters his age 31 season \u2014 also the final year of his contract \u2014 and Hill has just 33 career receptions to his name, the team is expected to continue to add to the depth chart.<\/p>\n

That being said, selecting one, or even two, tight ends in the NFL Draft seems like a foregone conclusion based on the offseason so far. And if they do, Georgia\u2019s Oscar Delp is among the favorite candidates to be brought aboard.<\/p>\n

Opening day age: 23 (8\/4\/2003)<\/p>\n

Measurements<\/a>: 6\u20195\u201d, 245 lbs, 31 5\/8\u201d arm length, 9 1\/2\u201d hand size, 4.49s 40-yard dash, 38\u201d vertical jump, 10\u20199\u201d broad jump, 23 bench press reps, 9.82 Relative Athletic Score<\/p>\n

Colleges: Georgia (2022-25)<\/p>\n

Career statistics<\/a>: 55 games (34 starts) | 1,946 offensive snaps, 208 special teams snaps | 70 receptions, 854 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns<\/p>\n

A four-star high school recruit and the No. 1 tight end prospect nationally, Delp stayed in state and committed to the University of Georgia. As a freshman, Delp caught just five passes \u2014 his first being a 28-yard touchdown \u2014 as reserve tight end on the Bulldogs\u2019 National Championship team.<\/p>\n

Delp continued to play second fiddle in the tight end room to future first-round pick Brock Bowers in 2023, but still went on to start 10 games and post collegiate highs in receptions (24) and receiving yards (284) as a sophomore. Then serving as Georgia\u2019s No. 1 tight end over the past two seasons, Delp\u2019s production was mediocre as he totaled 41 catches for 509 yards and five touchdowns over his junior and senior seasons.<\/p>\n

Committing to the NFL Draft, Delp attended the Combine but did not athletically test as an X-ray revealed he played his entire senior season with a hairline fracture in his foot. Delp has since gone through testing and on-field work at Georgia\u2019s Pro Day.<\/p>\n

Projected round: 2-3 | Consensus big board<\/a>: No. 110 | Patriots meeting<\/a>: 30 visit<\/p>\n

Strengths: Delp\u2019s career 18.9 receiving yards per game over his final three seasons looks extremely underwhelming, but the film tells a different story. Highlighted by his Pro Day testing \u2014 where he posted 95th percentile speed and a 93rd percentile vertical \u2014 Delp is extremely explosive up the seam and can pull away from defenders with the ball in his hands. His athleticism also translates to his route running ability where he can run the whole tight end tree. There was plenty of untapped production left on the field due to poor quarterback play.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Delp can also play in-line. He\u2019s at his best as a movement blocker in the run game but has strong reps against defensive ends along the line of scrimmage due to his size. It\u2019s not perfect, but there is plenty of effort: \u201cI enjoy it. I feel in love with blocking,\u201d he said at the Combine. \u201cI mean, who doesn\u2019t like over-powering another man against his will?\u201d<\/p>\n

Weaknesses: While Delp gives great effort in the run game and has shown plenty of blocking ability, it is again not perfect as more physical defenders can get the best of him at times. He can continue to get stronger and improve his technique. And while it\u2019s not a concern here (as explained above) some will point to his lack of production as a negative.<\/p>\n

What would be his role? Due to his versatility, Delp would be a strong addition to a tight end room that already includes Hunter Henry and Julian Hill. The rookie would not need to be rushed on the field and be able to fill in in any role when needed, all while providing New England a well-rounded successor to the 31-year old Henry with plenty of upside.<\/p>\n

Does he have positional versatility? Delp primarily served as an inline option for the Bulldogs, but his athleticism and pass catching ability allowed him to move around the formation. Last season, that included: 9 backfield snaps, 581 inline snaps, 113 slot snaps, and 5 wide snaps. He also played special teams throughout his career.<\/p>\n

What is his growth potential? As a self-described receiving tight end who learned how to block, Delp has three-down potential as a versatile tight end at the next level. Tight end is one of the rare positions where players can outproduce their college numbers in the NFL, and it would be no surprise to see Delp next in line.<\/p>\n

Why the Patriots? It\u2019s time for the Patriots to truly invest in the tight end position and get both younger and more athletic. Delp fits that description and has the makings of a true three-down tight end. New England has also shown interest in the former Bulldog holding him for a 30 visit during the pre-draft process.<\/p>\n

Why not the Patriots? Delp was expected to be someone who\u2019s draft stock would rise throughout the pre-draft process, and that could end with him being selected before the Patriots\u2019 second overall selection (No. 62). Mike Vrabel also noted the success from tight ends selected in rounds four and five, which could be the target area for New England in a strong tight end class.<\/p>\n

One-sentence verdict: Look beyond Delp\u2019s college production and you find an explosive tight end with three-down potential who would be a boost to any offense \u2014 including New England\u2019s.<\/p>\n

For more information about Oscar Delp and the rest of this year\u2019s class of prospects, please take a look at Adam\u2019s 2026 NFL Draft Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also, what do you think about Delp as a potential Patriots target? Do you like him? Where would you pick him? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 NFL Draft features a strong tight end class. It\u2019s a position the Patriots are expected to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":829137,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2050],"tags":[7,1167,249,52640,727,2326,2094,6,208],"class_list":{"0":"post-829136","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-england-patriots","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-new-england","10":"tag-new-england-patriots","11":"tag-new-england-patriots-analysis","12":"tag-new-england-patriots-draft","13":"tag-newengland","14":"tag-newenglandpatriots","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-patriots"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116278766244345809","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=829136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/829137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=829136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=829136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=829136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}