Rob Gronkowski is a tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The future Hall-of-Famer played nine seasons for the New England Patriots before retiring for one year and then returning to join Tom Brady on the Buccaneers. A native of Williamsville, New York, Gronkowski played two seasons at University of Arizona, but missed his junior year due to back surgery. This didn’t stop him from declaring for the NFL Draft and it didn’t stop the Patriots from drafting him 42nd overall in the second round of the 2010 draft. His college stats totalled 1,197 yards across 22 games and 16.0 yards per reception. At 6’6”, 265 lbs, Gronkowski’s abilities to stretch defenses and block any defender have made him a threat like no other.
Rob Gronkowski ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at his pro day, good for an 86th percentile speed score, and he’s used that speed and size combo to torch defenses for 14.9 yards per reception across his career. In 2021, he led all tight ends in ADOT and was targeted on 24.1% of his routes run. He improved across the board in his second year on the Buccaneers, topping his 2020 season in targets, receptions, yards, and PPR points per game. He was #2 among tight ends in deep targets and #5 in air yards, with 78 air yards per game. Even though he is well past the ideal age for a tight end, he still put up 6.4 YAC per reception in 2021.
As it has been for the past few years, the question is not whether Gronk is able to put up impressive numbers; it’s whether he can stay on the field for enough games to help your fantasy team. Gronkowski is entering free agency in the 2022 offseason after the expiration of a one-year contract with Tampa Bay. Since Tom Brady’s retirement announcement, Gronkowski’s intentions for 2022 have been a mystery to the football world. Should he choose to stay in the league, his value will be very dependent on his quarterback and his injury luck. His Underdog early best ball ADP is currently 181.7, where he is the 22nd tight end off the board.
