Hunter Henry, tight end, Los Angeles Chargers
One of these days, tight end Antonio Gates will slow down. We are predicting 2017 is the season that second-year tight end Hunter Henry — the best player under 25 at the tight end position in the league — emerges as a legitimate superstar.
the last touchdown in the Q @Chargers #17 to @Hunter_Henry84 #boltup pic.twitter.com/0PeyoBVxWo
— Danny (@dannyarciniega7) January 13, 2017
Henry turned heads in his rookie season when he caught 36 passes for 478 yards and eight touchdowns. He started in 10 games and was a fabulous red zone tight end. It’s worth noting that Henry caught 67.9 percent of his targets, which is stellar especially compared to Gates’ 57-percent catch rate.
Gates also turns 37 this season and his yardage has been on the decline for the last three years.
Between Henry and Gates, the pair caught 15 total touchdowns. The eventual plan is for Henry to phase out Gates. Perhaps it is time for the Chargers to take the training wheels completely off of the 22 year-old Henry and watch him become quarterback Philip Rivers’ new best friend.