In a 2023 draft class that was filled with imperfect players, the Bucs made a conscious effort to target players who excelled in a specific area or two. Purdue tight end Payne Durham’s specialty is catching touchdowns in the red zone, and the team hopes they can leverage this skill while minimizing his deficiencies while they try to develop a more well-rounded skill set.

For first-round pick Calijah Kancey, the team hopes to deploy his superior pass rushing skills while trying to limit his size exposure. For second-round pick Cody Mauch, who is slated to start at right guard, they are going to try and lean on his ability to move in space while they develop his strength and pass protection abilities. The Bucs are going to try and lean on the pass rushing prowess of third-round pick YaYa Diaby and fifth-round pick SirVocea Dennis in limited roles.

With Durham, who the Bucs also selected in the fifth-round, the Bucs are banking on his secure hands and above-average ability to make tough catches as TE2 next to Cade Otton.

Payne Durham Is A Reliable Target

Over the course of his four-year college career, Payne Durham was targeted 174 times. And per Pro Football Focus, he only dropped eight of those targets. With only two drops on 77 targets in 2022, Durham’s 3.4% drop rate was top five among tight ends in this year’s draft class with at least 50 targets. And his 72.7% catch rate was top 11 among all tight ends in FBS with the same minimum of targets.

Simply put, Durham is a reliable receiver.

His reliability is a function of his long 6-foot-6 frame and 33 3/8-inch arms. Those physical attributes combined with his habit of catching the ball away from his body using his soft hands allow him to secure most passes. Here is an example:

Despite needing to adjust to the throw, Durham is able to haul in the pass easily.

Payne Durham Can Make Difficult Contested Catches

Last year Durham was able to secure eight of his 14 contested catch opportunities. That 57.1% conversion rate was third among draft-eligible tight ends. This is most likely one of the aspects that the Bucs coveted with Durham. Over the past two years, former Bucs tight end Cam Brate was only able to catch five of his 17 contested catch opportunities.

Some of those drops came at critical moments. The Bucs are hoping to turn those missed opportunities into big plays. Bucs vice president of player personnel John Spytek mentioned Durham’s contested catch ability as one of the traits the team liked most about him.

“He’s a smart player, he’s a high-effort player, he’s obviously tall, he’s long, he’s got great hands. He’s not the fastest – I think the 40[-yard dash] time shows that. I think what you look for when you get guys like that, is they’re going to be covered and they’re going to be forced to make contested catches. He proved that to us over and over again – which is why he’s a good red zone target, because the field gets small down there.

“You’re not going to catch a lot of wide open passes so you’ve got to find a way or have a knack for making those plays with guys hanging all over you or having a hand in your face. He has the size, length, and ball skills to do that and it shows up with the 21 touchdown catches.”

Those catches are littered across Durham’s tape.

With a safety bearing down on him, Durham still draws in the pass over the middle and holds onto it as he falls to the ground. And as for the red zone abilities Spytek mentioned…

Payne Durham’s use of his length aided him in being able to secure this and so many more touchdowns.

Payne Durham Is Imperfect, But Useful As A TE2

There are reason’s that Payne Durham lasted to the fifth round. He is not a consistent or impactful blocker. He is a decent, but not impressive athlete.

Payne Durham is a TE prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 6.58 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 379 out of 1104 TE from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/6dNmi9lV44 pic.twitter.com/DEy8wTdW8R

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 16, 2023

But Durham has the frame to play from an in-line alignment and the reliable hands that make for a quarterback’s best friend. And a reliable, non-flashy chain-moving average athlete can be a perfect secondary tight end. And for fun here is a medley Durham doing what he does best.