Position Rankings: Top 10 Tight Ends
10. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos
Starting off the top ten is up-and-coming Noah Fant from the Denver Broncos. In his rookie season, the Iowa product had 40 catches for 562 yards and 3 touchdowns. While these numbers are not great, Fant’s potential is extremely high as a “receiving tight end” because of his speed, quickness, and route-running ability. If Drew Lock can be a solid quarterback, Fant’s production should complement that. Expect big things from the young Bronco in 2020.
9. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
One of the more underrated tight ends going into 2020 is Los Angeles Rams Tyler Higbee. Higbee, 27, had a breakout season in 2019, totaling 734 yards and 3 touchdowns on 69 catches, all career highs. These numbers nearly doubled his career totals, which started in 2016. Joining Higbee in the tight end group is Gerald Everett, but Higbee is clearly the number one at this position, and the losses of Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley may lead to more targets for Higbee, too. Many think that 2019 was a one-year wonder, but I think otherwise. Tyler Higbee is a good tight end who should be talked about more in 2020.
8. Evan Engram, New York Giants
While he has not lived up to expectations, Evan Engram has still had a decent career to start: in three seasons, Engram has 1,766 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. The problem is not his production, but rather his injury history. In three years, Engram has appeared in 34 of the 48 games, so he’s not exactly durable. If Engram is ever able to put together a full season, he can be very productive, but he cannot produce if he is on the sidelines. QB Daniel Jones may be a good change for Engram, but the main goal is staying healthy in 2020.
7. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers
Like Engram, Hunter Henry has had some trouble staying on the field, but the talent is still there for Chargers tight end. When Henry is healthy, he could be considered one of the best tight ends in football, easily top-five. Henry is coming off a career year, totaling career highs in catches and receiving yards. The problem was that he only played 12 games. In 2020, Henry will play under the franchise tag with a chance to really prove his worth. Like a lot of the tight ends on this list, Henry will have a young quarterback throwing to him in rookie Justin Herbert. If Henry has a big year, not only will it help the Chargers get back to winning, but it will help the young tight end during contract time.
6. Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns
Coming in at number six is newly acquired Cleveland Brown Austin Hooper. As a member of the Atlanta Falcons for his first four seasons, Hooper put up very solid numbers and consistently got better each season. In each year, Hooper’s receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns increased or stayed the same. The last two resulted in Pro Bowl appearances. On March 16, the 25-year-old signed a four-year deal with Cleveland. New head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense is known for using tight ends frequently, meaning this could be a match made in heaven. If I were a betting man, I would bet that Hooper takes yet another leap forward in year five, and ends up as a crucial part of the Browns offense.
5. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
While playing time was hard to come by in his first three seasons, Waller broke out in an enormous way in 2019 with 90 receptions for 1,145 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards led all Raider receivers, and were ranked second behind only Travis Kelce for tight ends. Waller is an athletic tight end with excellent speed and good hands. He also is a big, physical target for QB Derek Carr to throw to in the end zone. If Waller can consistently put those numbers up, the newly-rebuilt Raiders offense will be tough to stop.
4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
After a solid rookie season, Mark Andrews' game took an extreme leap forward in 2019. The former Oklahoma standout caught 64 passes for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading all tight ends in touchdowns. In the run-heavy offense that Baltimore uses, a tight end is extremely important in the run blocking and play-action game, which is Andrews’ bread and butter. QB Lamar Jackson is only getting better, and Andrews will only benefit from this. With a big year in 2020, Andrews can easily creep into the top-3 at the position.
3. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
For seven years, Zach Ertz has consistently been one of the top tight ends in the NFL. In those seven seasons, the three-time Pro Bowler has 525 receptions for 5,743 yards and 35 touchdowns. Ertz was a big part of the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl run in 2017, and has been the focal point of the Eagles offense for the last couple of seasons. In 2018, Ertz broke the single-season receptions record with 116, topping Jason Witten’s previous record of 110. The Philadelphia Eagles will have high expectations in 2020, and one thing they can guarantee is that Zach Ertz will be the same consistent player he has always been.
2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
In many people’s eyes, Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL. While he is second on this list, the two-time All-Pro could have been at the top. Through six seasons, Kelce’s stat line is extremely decorated, going over 1,000 yards and 80 catches four times. Kelce also has five pro bowls in his career, and even has a super bowl ring. In 2020, it will all be about repeating. With the roster the Chiefs have and the consistent star production out of Kelce, the Chiefs are poised to have another shot at a super bowl in 2020.
1. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
After getting his feet wet in the league in 2017, George Kittle has exploded onto the scene over the last two seasons. In those two years, Kittle has gone to two pro bowls and earned first-team all-pro honors in 2019. Kittle has 216 receptions, 2,945 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career, and he is the all-around best tight end in the NFL. Whether it’s run blocking, catching passes, or just being a leader on the football field, Kittle is always doing it at a high level while having more fun than any player in the NFL. After falling short in the Super Bowl last year, Kittle and the 49ers are poised to make a run for a ring again, and he will be an extremely big part of their success.
Stats from profootballreference.com
Contract Details from cbssports.com
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