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The 2008 NFL Draft is in our rear-view mirror and we now know where those selected will be plying their trade. And that means it's time to start getting a feel for who fits in best where, who gets the opportunity necessary to make immediate contributions and who might have to sit a spell before getting their shot.

In other words, it's time to start assessing the Fantasy potential of this year's incoming rookie crop.

As in past seasons, I'll approach this first pass with a position-by-position overview posted on a daily basis throughout the week (QBs Tuesday; RBs Wednesday; WRs Thursday; TEs and PKs today).

Remember: The primary focus is on players I expect to have immediate and legitimate Fantasy value -- or a reasonable chance of achieving that status.

In the case of tight ends, we'll go in-depth on the top five with brief thumbnails of the others drafted; you'll find both kickers drafted previewed at the bottom of the page.

1. Dustin Keller, New York Jets
The first-round selection of Keller was a surprise to many, but the Jets had been targeting him all along. The 6-2, 248-pound Keller has been called more a hybrid of the tight end position. Descriptions of Keller are similar to those of another playmaking tight end, Dallas Clark of the Colts, who at times can occupy the slot in formations or is sent in motion.

His 4.57 speed in the 40 was best among tight ends at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Although he's considered an excellent receiver with no blocking skills, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock considers Keller, who caught a career-high 68 passes for 881 yards and seven touchdowns for Purdue last season, the most athletic and pro-ready package at tight end in the draft.

The selection certainly drew some attention.

In fact, somewhere, Chris Baker -- the team's starting tight end who's unhappy with his contract and has left the team's off-season conditioning program in protest -- had to have a look of disbelief on his face.

Baker, who has two years remaining on four-year, $6.6 million contract, is scheduled to make $683,000 base salary this season -- about $1 million less than Bubba Franks, who was signed for $1.65 million to be his backup. And now, the contract that Keller signs will definitely eclipse Baker's -- making Baker the third-highest-paid tight end on the team.

Fantasy Bottom Line: General manager Mike Tannenbaum denied that the drafting of Keller was a message to Baker. But it sure seems like one -- although Keller has more of a downfield dimension that Baker.

Whatever the case, New York lands the player they haven't had to go down the seam. They could have gone with a receiver like a Devin Thomas or James Hardy, but instead trade up to get one of the draft's top tight ends in Keller. He'll be expected to contribute as a receiver immediately.

2. John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks
According to his NFL.com scouting report, the 6-5, 251-pound Carlson is a capable short-area receiver with good hands and a tough attitude going for the ball in a crowd. He has just adequate run-after-the-catch agility and is not the type that will be an effective deep threat due to just marginal explosion and a lack of a second gear.

The former Notre Dame standout is not a superior blocker, but could improve with some work in the weight room. And for now he clearly fills a position of need. For nine years now, the Seahawks have tried all sorts of things to get their hands around the tight-end situation.

As Seattle Times staffer Danny O'Neil reminded readers, the team has gone young, drafting Jerramy Stevens and later Ryan Hannam. They've gone old, signing Marcus Pollard last season, who was slowed by injuries and not re-signed. They kept security blanket Itula Mili around until there was nothing left after the 2006 season.

And yet head coach Mike Holmgren never found the production at tight end that Brent Jones provided him in San Francisco or Mark Chmura in Green Bay.

Carlson isn't going to win any foot races down the middle of the field against linebackers, but he isn't reluctant to put his face forward into a block, either.

"The fit appears to be really a good one for us," Holmgren said. "He did a lot of the same things in college that, frankly, we ask our tight ends to do here."

Fantasy Bottom Line: Considering the Seahawks were willing to give up a third-round pick to entice Baltimore to swap spots in the second round, with Seattle moving up 17 spots to choose Carlson with at 38 overall, it's safe to assume he'll be given every opportunity to contribute.

And no rookie tight end can lay claim to a better situation.

The lack of a solid incumbent starter makes Carlson the leading candidate for the No. 1 spot. The only other tight ends on the roster are veterans Will Heller, Jeb Putzier and Ben Joppru, who had a combined 19 receptions last season.

3. Fred Davis, Washington Redskins
It would appear the Redskins are planning to run some two-TE sets -- with a pair of very similar tight ends. ... The 6-4, 248-pound Davis -- much like new teammate Chris Cooley -- is another H-back type best suited to a receiving role -- whether flexed out or used as a motion man.

Certainly an interesting pick.

According to NFL.com, Washington decided to add depth at the position because Davis' hands and his ability to separate were too good to pass up. He started 23 games over the past two years.

Davis, who won the Mackey Award as college football's top tight end at USC last season, will begin behind Cooley, who went to the Pro Bowl after last season. But if Davis performs as expected, he could be busy as well, coaches said.

"There are plans for him," wide receivers coach Stan Hixon said. "We'll have some two tight-end sets. We'll have two tight ends, two wideouts and one back. We want to be in a situation where we can be very versatile and utilizing talent in multiple formations. Obviously, Cooley is a Pro Bowler and he's going to be the guy.

"We can fill Fred in there as we go."

Fantasy Bottom Line: Filling in seems like the best Davis can hope for as long as Cooley remains on the roster. That being the case, Davis looks like more of a long-term prospect than an immediate, high-end contributor.

4. Martellus Bennett, Dallas Cowboys
According to his NFL.com scouting report, the 6-6, 259-pound Bennett is among the growing ranks of tight ends whose basketball experience allows him to get to passes shorter players cannot. He has the long reach to haul in the pass at its high point, but despite good timed speed, he is a marginal route runner who will take unneeded steps in his route progression.

Still, based on the talent, the Sports Xchange believes Bennett, selected with the 61st pick overall, is the most "complete" tight end in the 2008 draft class.

Bennett is considered to have been underutilized at Texas A&M, where he finished with 105 career catches, 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns in three seasons.

A more willing and capable blocker than most of his draft classmates, he does need some refinement in that area. But much like his shortcomings as a route-runner and in reading defenses, those are skills the pro scouts believe he'll develop with a full-time commitment to football. Pro-level coaching will also help.

His addition came a day after the team traded Anthony Fasano to the Dolphins.

Fantasy Bottom Line: Bennett's size and agility will clearly be positives as he works to carve out a role this summer. But with Jason Witten locked in as the team's top receiving threat at the position (not to mention the highly-productive Terrell Owens at wideout), Bennett isn't going to be a major contributor any time soon.

5. Martin Rucker, Cleveland Browns
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, longevity issues with Kellen Winslow and a potential contract dispute factored into the Browns making a surprise trade in the fourth round of the draft Sunday. They gave up their 2009 third-round pick to select pass-catching specialist Rucker, the younger brother of recently retired Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker.

"We really like Martin Rucker, but I think that always has to be in the backdrop," general manager Phil Savage said of the Winslow issues.

According to Plain Dealer staffer Tony Grossi, the fact Savage did not hesitate to pay the third-round price for Rucker speaks to concerns about Winslow's recurring knee problems (he had a fourth surgery on his right knee in February) and his stated desire for a new contract.

Steve Heiden's recent back surgery had to be a factor, too.

Ironically enough, Rucker played at the school where NFL Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. set records, the University of Missouri.

"His name was definitely mentioned a lot when I started breaking his records and things like that," said Rucker, 6-5, 251. "It's funny because he's in the Missouri Hall of Fame and I've never seen him in person."

Fantasy Bottom Line: I'll not question his collegiate production (Rucker set school and Big 12 records with his 84 catches for 834 yards and eight touchdowns last season), but as long as the younger Winslow is on the field, Rucker is going to be watching more than playing.

5a. Kellen Davis, Chicago Bears
The 6-7, 262-pound Davis played both tight end and defensive end last year at Michigan State. He is a talented pass rusher and has the size to make plays offensively as well. Ran a 4.59 in the 40, impressive given his size, and had four sacks in limited time on defense.

According to NFL.com, there is some thought that his best spot could be at defensive end, but as Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel has shown, it never hurts to have tight end skills as a pass rusher.

Fantasy Bottom Line: With veteran Desmond Clark and last year's first-round pick Greg Olsen currently atop the depth chart, Chicago Tribune staffer David Haugh advised readers that Davis isn't assured of making the Bears' 53-man roster. But if he does, the former Spartan could provide a decent red-zone option.

The best of the rest (in alphabetical order):

Gary Barnidge, Carolina Panthers (6-6, 243, Louisville, Round 5)
Barnidge had excellent college production -- 108 receptions, 17 TDs and almost 14 yards per catch. According to NFL.com, he gets in and out of breaks well and has the ability to change direction. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. hailed the pick and compared Barnidge to former Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek. Panthers college scouting director Don Gregory said Barnidge excels as a pass receiver and can be a weapon on offense. ... He'll work behind Jeff King and up-and-coming youngster Dante Rosario.

Brad Cottam, Kansas City Chiefs (6-8, 270 Tennessee Pick 13, Round 3)
Cottam's problem was the fact that he only started 10 games in five years at Tennessee. He has very impressive size and skills for a tight end to go with speed in the 4.6 range. The Chiefs may be looking for a future starter with Tony Gonzalez nearing the end of his career. For now, however, Cottam should open camp as the likely replacement for blocking specialist Jason Dunn.

Derek Fine, Buffalo Bills (6-3, 245, Kansas Pick 33, Round 4)
The Bills could have pursued a tight end earlier, but waited until the fourth round to grab Fine. The Bills felt he was the most complete of the players at the position that were available. Team officials view him as a pass-catching tight end that's very good run after the catch.

Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers (6-5, 243, Texas, Round 3)
Finley, an outstanding basketball player in high school, will be battling for a backup job with Tory Humphrey, a player the Packers like for his downfield receiving and in-line blocking but haven't been able to count on because he's been injured most of his two seasons with the team. ... Finley has decent speed (4.66 seconds in the 40) but is physically immature.

Mike Merritt, Kansas City Chiefs (6-3, 270, Central Florida, Round 7)
A prototypical blocking tight end, Merritt has good size and strength. He is not a threat in the passing game, but can be utilized in jumbo packages. ... Merritt's primary competition will be fellow rookie Cottam.

Tom Santi, Indianapolis Colts (6-4, 248, Virginia, Round 6)
According to NFL.com, Santi is a solid in-line blocker who demonstrated good measurables at the combine and was a solid player at Virginia. Along with Jacob Tamme, Santi is one of two players the Colts hope will help fill the void left by Ben Utecht's defection to the Bengals in free agency.

Matt Sherry, Cincinnati Bengals (6-4, 255, Villanova, Round 6)
And superior receiver and improving blocker, Sherry had an excellent Pro Day workout at Villanova that helped his draft stock rise. He did not play great competition in college but has solid measurables and can compete in Cincinnati at the unsettled tight end position.

Craig Stevens, Tennessee Titans (6-3, 254, California, Round 3)
Stevens is one of, if not the best blocking tight end in the draft -- according to NFL.com, a guy who lives in the weight room. He hasn't caught many passes but nobody has questioned his hands. According to the Nashville City Paper, the Titans will count on him immediately as a run-blocker -- a role previously held by Ben Hartsock, now with the Falcons -- as well as a pass-catcher. Still, it's safe to assume Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife will be the top receiving threats at the position this fall.

Jacob Tamme, Indianapolis Colts (6-4, 232 Kentucky, Round 4)
The Colts' effort to fill the vacancy created by Utecht's move to Cincinnati led to the selection of two: Santi in the sixth round and Tamme in the fourth. Tamme is a converted wide receiver and a down-field threat; Santi might be viewed more as an in-line blocker in the two-tight end formation.

Keith Zinger, Atlanta Falcons (6-4, 270, Duke, Round 7)
Zinger had a solid workout at LSU's Pro Day. He's a prototypical blocking tight end who is not much of a weapon in the passing game. Zinger's not fleet of foot. As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted, Ben Hartsock is the blocker and Martrez Milner is the blocker and receiver. Zinger will provide much-needed depth at this vital position in Mularkey's offense.

Place-Kickers (in alphabetical order)
Brandon Coutu, Seattle Seahawks (5-11, 187, Georgia, Round 7)
With the loss of Josh Brown, the Seahawks will use Coutu to compete with Olindo Mare at kicker. Mare's advantage, of course, is his experience. He'll be 35 in June and has been kicking in the league for 12 seasons. Coutu is younger, hit 80 percent of his field goals at Georgia and also has a big leg -- several teams rated it the strongest in this year's draft class.

Taylor Mehlhaff, New Orleans Saints (5-10, 185, Wisconsin, Round 6)
According to NFL.com, Mehlhaff is a left-footed kicker with good accuracy. Good, not great, leg strength. He's more of a 45-yard and in kicker, but demonstrated great accuracy while kicking in a tough place at Wisconsin. Martin Gramatica signed a one-year contract to return to New Orleans this offseason, but the younger Mehlhaff might actually have a stronger leg.

That completes this year's FootballDiehards.com Rookie Previews. In case you missed it, previous editions are also available: QBs; RBs; WRs.

Remember to keep an eye on the News & Views section of this site for late-breaking news and other tidbits of interest. Also watch the Headline News section for more in-depth reviews of current events -- including the weekly Fantasy Notebook, published every Sunday throughout the offseason.