Jeremy Sprinkle
It may seem strange to give Sprinkle the highest mark of the Redskins’ tight ends in 2018. But the fact of the matter is that Sprinkle settled well into his role and demonstrated future upside. And that’s enough to give him a solid grade.
Sprinkle spent most of the season as a situational blocking tight end. Essentially, he took on the role left behind by Niles Paul. And in that role, Sprinkle performed well. Aside from a handful of bad plays, Sprinkle was a solid lead blocker on run plays and helped pave the way for Adrian Peterson at times during the season. While he didn’t get to showcase much as a receiver, he showed his ability late in the season.
In two of the final three games of the season, Sprinkle was able to see action as a receiver. With Josh Johnson, Sprinkle was able to catch five passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. He showed solid hands, catching five of six targets, and has the size needed (6-foot-5, 252 pounds) to be a red-zone threat. He showcased that by his play late in the year and if he continues to improve, he should be a top backup.
Sprinkle wasn’t spectacular by any means, but he was at least solid and operated well within the role he was given. Most importantly, he improved and earned more playing time. That makes him the lone TE to earn a B-range mark, and if he shows improvement in 2019, he could find himself with a better grade next season.