Decker DeGraaf
Washington#221 overallScouting Report
Decker DeGraaf is a 6-4, 249-pound Washington tight end from San Dimas, California who entered his junior year as one of the early names in a 2027 class that evaluators expect to be loaded at the position. ESPN's Matt Miller slotted him fifth among tight ends on his early watch board, behind Oregon's Jamari Johnson, LSU's Trey'Dez Green, Texas Tech's Terrance Carter Jr. and Temple's Peter Clarke, and NFL Draft Scout's top five mirrored that order. The buzz is built on opportunity as much as production: with Denzel Boston off to the NFL and Quentin Moore graduated, DeGraaf inherits a central role in the passing game for quarterback Demond Williams Jr. His 2025 tape is the body of work, 32 catches for 360 yards and two scores across 13 games with 11 starts, including a career-high six grabs for 62 yards at Maryland and a team-leading five for 91 in the win over Purdue. He showed up in the big games too, two catches for 24 yards against Ohio State plus a fumble recovery on punt coverage, four receptions at Michigan, and a touchdown in the win over No. 23 Illinois. Washington's staff has been blunt about what is missing. Tight ends coach Jordan Paopao pointed to drops on the sideline against Illinois and UC Davis and wants him catching the ball away from his body consistently. DeGraaf has added more than 20 pounds since arriving in an effort to hold up as a run blocker, and the in-line work is the swing skill for his stock. A slow start to 2026, nine catches for 86 yards with no touchdowns, means the production leap scouts are waiting on has not landed yet. Fanspeak's community board has him outside the top 350 with a 236 average draft position, so the gap between the national buzz and the current consensus is real.
NFL Comparison
Draft Movement
Down 53 spots since Jun 8
Strengths
- Legitimate NFL tight end frame at 6-4, 249 with room already filled out
- Added more than 20 pounds since arriving in Seattle specifically to handle run-blocking duty
- Durable and trusted, played all 13 games in 2025 with 11 starts
- Produced against top competition, two catches for 24 yards vs Ohio State and four receptions at Michigan
- Flashed volume ceiling with a career-high six catches for 62 yards at Maryland and a team-high five for 91 vs Purdue
- Red zone value with touchdowns against No. 23 Illinois and at UCLA
- Special teams contributor, recovered a fumble on punt coverage against Ohio State
- Coachable self-critic, position coach Jordan Paopao says he is adamant about daily improvement and owns what he left on the table
Weaknesses
- Drops are the documented issue, with his own coach citing sideline misses against Illinois and the UC Davis game
- Catches too often with his body rather than extending away from the frame
- In-line blocking is unproven, the added weight is an attempt at a fix rather than evidence of one
- Modest yards per catch in 2025, 360 yards on 32 receptions is 11.3 per grab for a player his size
- Never the focal point yet, worked behind Quentin Moore and alongside Denzel Boston
- Slow start to his junior year with nine catches for 86 yards and no scores
- No athletic testing on record to confirm the movement profile
- Community consensus lags the national buzz, a 236 average draft position on Fanspeak mocks
College Stats
2026: 9 rec, 86 yds, 0 TD (early season); 2025: 32 rec, 360 yds, 2 TD, 13 games with 11 starts; 2024: 15 rec, 233 yds, 3 TD; Career: 56 rec, 679 yds, 5 TD
College Market Value
Our model prices him at $356K on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and Washington's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.
The college fantasy model projects 5.7 PPG (TE25), after 5.0 PPG across 5 games last year.
Every P4 player priced, math public: College players & NIL · Roster spend
Measurables
Awards & Honors
ESPN Matt Miller No. 5 TE, 2027 class early watch board; NFL Draft Scout top-5 TE, 2027 draft; Fanspeak community board No. 397 overall, 236.0 ADP