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Draft Primer 2016: Tight Ends

Return of Jermaine Gresham and Darren Fells has Cardinals well-stocked

The NFL draft will be held from April 28-30 in Chicago. The Cardinals have addressed many of their biggest needs through the Chandler Jones trade and free agency but will aim to add more impact pieces. We'll take a look at each position group as the draft beckons.

More draft analysis: QB I LB I WR I S I ST I RB I DL

Draft primer: Tight end

Cardinals under contract:Jermaine Gresham; Darren Fells; Troy Niklas; Ifeanyi Momah; Gerald Christian

Need: Low

Images of the tight ends projected to get taken in the NFL draft

Analysis: The Cardinals re-signed Darren Fells and Jermaine Gresham in the offseason and both are projected to start once again in 2016. Gresham joined the Cardinals right before training camp last season following offseason back surgery and believes his play will improve with better health and a second year in the system. A former Pro Bowler, Gresham may not put up the type of numbers he used to with the Bengals but is still an important piece. Fells found his niche and is another underrated component.

Former second-round pick Troy Niklas has not made the impact expected in his first two seasons, so this is a big year for him. Ifeanyi Momah made the team last season out of training camp but was lost for the year with a knee injury before the first game. He brings a pass-catching element to the group. Gerald Christian was the final pick of the 2015 draft but missed the year with a knee injury. He will battle for a roster spot.

There aren't any tight ends expected to get chosen in the first round, with Arkansas' Hunter Henry the top-rated player and a projected second-rounder. Stanford's Austin Hooper, Ohio State's Nick Vannett, South Carolina's Jerell Adams and Western Kentucky's Tyler Higbee could be mid-round selections.

If one of the tight end options intrigue General Manager Steve Keim he could pull the trigger on the selection, but the Cardinals are also deep enough to head into training camp with these five main options.

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