It seems like a yearly occurrence for Peyton Manning to turn some obscure tight end into a superstar. The Denver Broncos were incredibly impressive on Thursday night, yet the one player that everyone can’t stop talking about is Julius Thomas. This two-year pro was overshadowed by Joel Dressen and Jacob Tamme early in his career, but Thomas is ready and willing to be Manning’s go-to guy.
Fantasy football wise, Thomas could be the steal of the year. Everyone remembers how Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings exploded in the tight end slot last year, and plenty of owners are forecasting Thomas to follow in Rudolph’s large footsteps.
One thing is for certain; Thomas has a much better quarterback throwing to him in Denver than Rudolph had in his breakout 2012 campaign. Manning is one of the top-five quarterbacks of all time, which means that Thomas should be exposed to a ton of great opportunities this year. However, the one thing that is going to hold Thomas back is his less-than-stellar blocking abilities. We’ve seen Montee Ball get benched because of his lapses in pass protection, so you have to wonder if Thomas is going to run into the same problem.
Either way, be sure to snag Thomas if you can because this up-and-coming tight end could very well have a 1,100 yard season like Dallas Clark did with Manning in 2009.
Devin O’Barr is the Content Commentator for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DevinOBarrRS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
