Player
Cade Otton
TE · Buccaneers
YAC per reception is a cleaner skill signal than total yards for a checkdown/leak TE because it strips out scheme volume and quarterback air-yard tendencies. Otton's three-year climb shows real after-catch development that survived a coordinator change. The 2025 flat line at 5.2 is not regression — it reflects the role moving even further toward short, high-percentage routes (catch rate hit a career-high 72.8%).
His YAC per reception climbed three straight years before flattening in 2025 — the role shifted, not regressed.
TrendOtton regular-season production
| Year | G | Tgts | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16 | 65 | 42 | 391 | 2 |
| 2023 | 17 | 67 | 47 | 455 | 4 |
| 2024 | 14 | 87 | 59 | 600 | 4 |
| 2025 | 15 | 81 | 59 | 572 | 1 |
Yards after catch per reception by season
| Season | YAC/Rec |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 4.1 |
| 2023 | 4.7 |
| 2024 | 5.3 |
| 2025 | 5.2 |
His YAC per reception climbed three straight years — 4.1 → 4.7 → 5.3 — before holding at 5.2 in 2025. That's a TE getting better at the route-after-catch part of the job, separate from raw target volume.
The Bucs have built around it. 2025: 309 YAC on 59 catches — top-12 among TEs leaguewide. Targets and yards plateaued in 2025, but the per-rep value did not.
Why it matters. YAC per reception is a cleaner skill signal than total yards for a checkdown/leak TE because it strips out scheme volume and quarterback air-yard tendencies. Otton's three-year climb shows real after-catch development that survived a coordinator change. The 2025 flat line at 5.2 is not regression — it reflects the role moving even further toward short, high-percentage routes (catch rate hit a career-high 72.8%).
Of his 2022 TE class, only Trey McBride and Jake Ferguson have outproduced him.
Comparison2022 TE rookie class — career receiving (reg season)
| Player | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trey McBride | 347 | 3,475 | 17 |
| Jake Ferguson | 231 | 2,029 | 15 |
| Cade Otton | 207 | 2,018 | 11 |
| Chig Okonkwo | 194 | 2,017 | 8 |
| Isaiah Likely | 135 | 1,568 | 15 |
| Daniel Bellinger | 88 | 934 | 4 |
Otton was a 4th-round pick (No. 106 overall) out of Washington — the lowest-drafted player on this list except Bellinger. His 2,018 career yards sit 3rd in his TE class, ahead of more highly drafted Likely and Okonkwo.
McBride is the obvious class headliner. But Otton's gap to Ferguson (only 11 yards behind) is striking given the Cowboys' superior offense.
Why it matters. Draft-class context tells you whether a player has cleared the bar his peers set. Otton out-producing more-celebrated 2022 picks like Isaiah Likely (a former 4th-rounder taken 28 spots ahead) and Chig Okonkwo signals durable usage, not just one good season. He has played all four years as a regular starter, which is rare for a Day 3 TE.
Red-zone usage collapsed in 2025 — 7 RZ targets, just 1 TD.
SplitOtton red-zone targets by year
| Year | RZ Tgts | Catches | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16 | 6 | 2 |
| 2023 | 11 | 8 | 4 |
| 2024 | 16 | 10 | 4 |
| 2025 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
From 2022-2024 his average RZ target volume was ~14 per year. In 2025 it cratered to 7 RZ targets and just 1 TD.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are the obvious explanation when healthy — Tampa Bay funnels its red-zone touches to the WR room first. The TD drop (4 → 1) is bigger than the target drop (16 → 7), suggesting the looks he did get were also lower-leverage.
Why it matters. Red-zone target share is the single biggest driver of TE fantasy and TD output, and it's the part of the offense most directly controlled by the coordinator. A drop from 16 to 7 RZ looks in one year is a usage decision, not a regression in Otton's skill. The implication: his fantasy ceiling depends entirely on whether Tampa's WR room stays healthy.
On 3rd/4th down he's been a clutch TE — 16-of-21 for 10 first downs in 2024, +0.49 EPA per play.
SplitOtton 3rd/4th-down receiving by year (reg season)
| Year | Tgts | Rec | Yds | 1st Downs | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 15 | 8 | 78 | 6 | -0.252 |
| 2023 | 17 | 12 | 107 | 4 | -0.075 |
| 2024 | 21 | 16 | 164 | 10 | +0.491 |
| 2025 | 23 | 18 | 168 | 9 | +0.078 |
In 2024 Otton was the 3rd-most productive late-down receiving TE behind only Kelce and Bowers — 16 catches on 21 looks, 10 first downs, and a sparkling +0.491 EPA per play.
2025 has been heavier volume (23 targets, most of his career) but lower-leverage targets: shorter throws, more situations where the catch doesn't reach the sticks. The 9 first downs still rank him in the TE top 20 leaguewide.
Why it matters. 3rd-down conversions are the highest-leverage receiving touches a TE gets — they decide drives, not just box scores. Otton's elite 2024 number puts him alongside the position's stars in the role TE film grading values most. The 2025 dip in EPA despite higher volume suggests Tampa is using him as a safety valve more than a chain-mover.
Among 2025 TEs with 50+ catches, only nine moved more after-catch yards than Otton's 309.
Comparison2025 TE YAC leaders (50+ catches, reg season)
| Player | Rec | YAC | Tot Yds | YAC % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey McBride | 126 | 583 | 1,239 | 47.1% |
| Tyler Warren | 76 | 474 | 817 | 58.0% |
| Travis Kelce | 76 | 424 | 851 | 49.8% |
| Kyle Pitts | 88 | 400 | 928 | 43.1% |
| Juwan Johnson | 77 | 362 | 889 | 40.7% |
| Dalton Schultz | 82 | 358 | 777 | 46.1% |
| Harold Fannin Jr. | 72 | 352 | 731 | 48.2% |
| Chig Okonkwo | 56 | 342 | 560 | 61.1% |
| Hunter Henry | 60 | 335 | 768 | 43.6% |
| Cade Otton | 59 | 309 | 572 | 54.0% |
Otton is 10th in raw YAC among qualifying TEs despite ranking outside the top 15 in receptions and targets. His 54% YAC share is 6th — only Okonkwo, Engram, Tyler Warren, Sam LaPorta, and Parkinson beat him among TEs with 40+ catches.
The profile: medium volume, mostly short routes, but he turns more of each catch into chunk yardage than nearly any starter at the position.
Why it matters. For a TE on a vertical-passing offense (Mayfield ranks top-10 in deep attempt rate), YAC dominance is counterintuitive — you'd expect more in-line blocking and seam usage. Otton's after-catch share signals Tampa is deliberately scheming him short-and-quick rather than as a vertical mismatch piece. That has real downstream effects on his ceiling: lots of catches, fewer 50-yard explosives.
He's a YAC TE in a Mike Evans offense — half his receiving yards come *after* the catch.
AnomalyOtton total yards vs YAC by year
| Year | Total Yds | YAC | YAC % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 391 | 174 | 44.5% |
| 2023 | 455 | 220 | 48.4% |
| 2024 | 600 | 311 | 51.8% |
| 2025 | 572 | 309 | 54.0% |
By 2025, 54% of his receiving yards came after the catch. For a TE on a Baker Mayfield offense full of vertical WR concepts, that's the opposite of what you'd expect.
The 309 YAC in 2025 is the kind of number you see from screen-game RBs and slot WRs. It's also the reason his catch rate climbed and Y/Rec fell at the same time — the role moved fully into checkdown/leak territory.
Why it matters. YAC share crossing 50% is the dividing line between a route-runner whose value comes from where he gets the ball (vertical, contested) and a player whose value comes from what he does after (open-field, manufactured touches). Otton's four-year climb from 44.5% to 54.0% is the kind of role drift you usually see in slot WRs or pass-catching RBs, not starting TEs. It explains why his fantasy ranking lags his target totals.
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