Chargers 90-in-90: TE Sean Culkin

At the time, Sean Culkin was one of the biggest surprises to make the team after he went undrafted in the 2017 draft. He barely had any experience as a pass-catcher at the collegiate level and he was attempting to stick with a team that has a well-documented history of utilizing the tight end as a pass-catcher.

Against the odds, the former UDFA, and all of his luscious, golden locks, made the team alongside other former UDFAs in cornerback Michael Davis and running back Austin Ekeler. Both of whom have made huge impacts with the team since then.

Culkin luckily lands in a fairly safe spot this offseason as the team didn’t bring in much for competition besides rookies Matt Sokol and Daniel Helm. Coincidentally, Sokol and Helm were also not well-known for stuffing the stat sheet, either.

Basic Info

Height: 6-5
Weight: 255
College: Missouri
Experience: 3
Years with team: 3

Contract Status

Sean Culkin signed a 3 year, $1,677,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including a $12,000 signing bonus, $12,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salaryof $559,000.

- Spotrac.com

The Good

Culkin’s biggest contributions to the Chargers’ offense his his ability to move around the formation and consistently be one of the best blockers on the team. It’s how he made the team in the first place and I believe that’s what he’ll continue to hang his hat on for the foreseeable future.

At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, he has the traits to be a solid player at the position. His ceiling is likely the same as Virgil Green’s, which isn’t the worst comparison given Green’s ability to stick with team’s who happen to find success while he’s on the roster.

The Bad

He doesn’t add anything to the offense besides his blocking prowess. However, I do believe if given the chance, he could hold his own as a pass-catcher. I also believe he would be just fine as the team’s H-Back/Fullback if given that opportunity, as well.

At this point, he is still just a former UDFA that has found a way to stick around for the last two years. If he doesn’t give the team a reason to view him as a priority, he might not last much longer than this season.

Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2019

Barring anything crazy, Culkin should make the roster as the TE3 or 4 depending on if the team brings back Antonio Gates. He is a solid contributor in the run game and can make the tough catch if called upon.

After recording just a single catch in 2018, I don’t see him breaking out in any way unless there’s another major injury ahead of him. I would be surprised to see him collect anything more than five catches in 2019.

Fun Fact: Culkin’s girlfriend, Zuri Hall, is a Emmy Award-winning TV host who works for both E! News and NBC. She most recently made her debut as one of the commentators for NBC’s new revitalization of show American Ninja Warrior. He’s also an avid guitar player.