Because of the nature of the tight end position, it’s much more difficult to come up with a list of 32 bonafide studs. However, the best tight ends in the NFL make for some of the most significant offensive mismatches in the NFL. While tight end production and health can be finicky, one player has been resistant to both.
Who’s the Best Tight End in the NFL?
Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL. That’s a revelation that should surprise approximately zero people reading this. Only Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill have more receiving yards since 2018. And at a position of attrition, Kelce has missed very few games throughout the course of his career.
It always saddens me to remember what injuries can do. The realization that Rob Gronkowski is less than five months older than Kelce is sobering. Gronk, and the way the position plays out, forces us to take a different look at how we evaluate the position.
But Kelce’s longevity, availability, and talent make him one of the best tight ends to ever live. And through 14 games in 2022, he already has over 1,100 yards and leads the league in receiving touchdowns with 12. He’s one of the best of all time, and he’s still at the top of his game.
Rest of the Top 10 Tight Ends Ranked
Only two players inside the top 10 are on their rookie deals. The position is historically difficult to make an impact early.
2) George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
It’s been a long time since George Kittle was the main focus of the 49ers’ offense, but the ability he displayed back in 2018 and 2019 is still there. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have simply found a way to bring YAC monsters into the fold at receiver, allowing Kittle to play a backseat role.
But no tight end in the league is more dangerous with the ball in their hands. Among tight ends with at least 60 targets, Kittle’s 6.8 yards after the catch is the best in the league. His combination of power, speed, and agility is unmatched at the position. While Darren Waller and Kyle Pitts are faster, they also aren’t built like a WWE Heavyweight champion.
3) Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews is part of the new “move tight end” evolution that has slowly become more en vogue. The Ravens’ tight end isn’t having as productive of a season in 2022 after being a first-team All-Pro a season ago, but the entire Ravens passing attack has looked different in 2022. And for some reason, his usage plummeted after Week 6.
The thing is, Kittle doesn’t need a lion’s share of the targets to make a massive impact because of his ability as a run blocker. While Andrews can help dictate coverage and force help toward him, he doesn’t have that same all-around impact, meaning his value is tied more closely to his receiving production.
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He’s not a bad blocker for the position; he’s simply not put into positions that force him into difficult roles often because he’s only used sparingly in line.
4) Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts was sabotaged in 2022. He caught only 50% of his targets this season and only averaged 35.6 yards per game after having a 1,000-yard season as a rookie.
Arthur Smith’s offenses haven’t ever been great at utilizing tight end, but Pitts played over half of his snaps in the slot or out wide. But that is a higher rate than as a rookie, which probably means that Smith wanted to use him in a more traditional manner after the team drafted Drake London with the fifth-overall pick.
Pitts never made much sense in Atlanta, but his talent is conspicuous. Even though the game is leaning smaller, there will always be a need for a 6-foot-5, 240-pound receiver with arms that can reach over to the next county while running a 4.4.
The Falcons’ offense leaned on the run game in 2022, but with Desmond Ridder taking over in 2023, Pitts should get back on track.
5) Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
Waller is one of the more unfair chess pieces in the NFL when healthy, but that’s been the problem over the past two seasons. We were all excited to see Adams and Waller together on the field, but Waller has only played in six games and hasn’t had a game with more than six catches.
But the 107-catch, 1,100-plus-yard tight end is still there when healthy. He’s not as smooth as Pitts on the move, but he’s violently explosive, particularly for a 6-foot-6, 250-pound human. But if Waller has a third unhealthy season in 2023, we could see him slip in the rankings, especially if Pat Freiermuth, T.J. Hockenson, and Dallas Goedert remain healthy. However, that’s never a given in the position of attrition.
6) Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Shane Steichen’s evolution of the Eagles’ offense was perfect for Dallas Goedert before his injury. Now, their post-catch wonder returns from Injured Reserve for the playoff stretch. Goedert was a draft darling coming out of South Dakota State, proving to be an excellent all-around tight end prospect.
He began blossoming a season ago, but his creativity after the catch has proved exploitable in the Eagles’ versatile passing attack. Goedert’s averaged 8.5 yards after the catch in 2022. However, it’s important to note that his 5.1 aDOT ranks 25th out of the 26 tight ends with at least 40 targets.
Goedert spends a lot of time in line, and while he’s not Kittle, he’s a serviceable blocker on the defensive edge.
7) Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Freiermuth has been a revelation for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. A good tight end can do a lot to help a young QB, and Freiermuth has been an outstanding lifeline for Kenny Pickett in his rookie season.
Things haven’t been the same with Mitch Trubisky under center. He didn’t command a single target in the Steelers’ 24-16 win over the Carolina Panthers. But the young tight end is still improving his craft at a position that has historically been difficult to produce early. Improving as a run blocker will go a long way toward making him one of the best all-around tight ends in the NFL.
8) T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Hockenson has helped unlock Justin Jefferson, and that compliment is the best compliment one can give a primarily in-line tight end. Having a high-end talent at the position to act as a gravitational pull underneath to open up the intermediate for receivers is incredibly important.
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Hockenson has never quite rounded into the freak blocker we saw at Iowa, but the assignments at the NFL level are a bit more difficult than at the college level, even in the Big 10. He’s a boom-or-bust blocker whose technique can get out of sorts too often.
9) David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
David Njoku has spent his entire career in an offense focused on the run, even though he’s always been best suited as a move tight end who could be an athletic mismatch. His utilization hasn’t changed all that much in 2022, but he’s seeing his highest usage and most efficient production of his six-year career playing on the franchise tag.
Njoku has improved as a blocker in the run game. It’s a necessity with a strong offensive line and a stable of backs that get the ball so often. Among the biggest difference-makers at the position, he’s rounded into one of the better blockers, albeit hitting a not-so-high bar.
10) Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
Dalton Schultz is not the player we expected to see coming out of Stanford. At Stanford, he was a decent blocker, albeit a bit undersized. But at the pro level, Schultz has rounded into a good route runner who shows off some impressive movement skills for his size. And he has struggled as a blocker, which, if you haven’t gathered, is a bit of a theme in the NFL for the position.
Schultz hasn’t been as consistent as he was a season ago, but the contributions Dallas has received from its two rookie tight ends has helped soften the blow. Schultz remains one of Dak Prescott’s favorite targets aside from No. 1 WR Ceedee Lamb. He’s an intelligent route runner vs. zone with some underrated separation skills versus man.
Tight End Rankings | 11-25
11) Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
12) Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
13) Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
14) Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
15) Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
16) Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks
17) Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
18) C.J. Uzomah, New York Jets
19) Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
20) Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals
21) Austin Hooper, Tennessee Titans
22) Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
23) Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
24) Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
25) Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants