Several LA Chargers draft picks are scattered throughout the league as most of them did not work out with the Bolts. One of those failed draft picks may be looking at the end of his NFL career as tight end Tre' McKitty was quietly released by the Cleveland Browns following minicamp.
Cleveland released McKitty to sign fellow tight end Sal Cannella. Cannella, who has previous NFL experience, is coming off a solid season with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL. The 28-year-old tight end caught 44 passes for 474 yards with one touchdown.
It's never a great sign when a young player is waived in favor of someone from the UFL who is two years their elder. With that in mind, it's fair to question if McKitty even has a future in the NFL.
Browns could be the last stop for Chargers draft bust Tre' McKitty
McKitty was drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft and it was clear pretty quickly that he was not going to live up to the third-round hype. Drafted as a blocking tight end who could develop into a pass-catcher, McKitty could never piece together consistent play on the Chargers.
His development as a pass-catcher never came and even worse, his blocking tape in college did not translate to the NFL. With no real value as a blocker, and no special-teams value, it was hard to justify using a spot on the 53-man roster for McKitty.
That's why the Chargers waived McKitty less than three full seasons after he was drafted by the team. He finished his Chargers tenure with 16 catches for 117 yards in 34 games played across three years.
McKitty quickly landed on the Buffalo Bills' practice squad but was never active for the team. He finished out the rest of the 2023 season in Buffalo and was part of the final roster cuts prior to the 2024 season.
Buffalo opted not to bring McKitty back on the practice squad. He remained unsigned until December, when the Browns signed him to the practice squad. McKitty never played a game for the Browns.
It's been almost two full years since McKitty has seen NFL action and with three teams giving up on him, it's hard to imagine him finding a roster spot with an influx of younger tight ends in the league.
As a result, he will go down as one of the most disappointing Chargers draft picks in recent history. That is, unless he follows in Cannella's footsteps, plays well in the UFL, and finds his way back on an NFL roster.