While the 2021 NFL season is still a few months away, it’s never too early to look ahead. Fan bases will argue day and night about who has the better team. Instead of debating the entire roster, why not debate positions. In the fourth part of a 12 part series, I will rank each team’s tight end position. These rankings are a culmination of what the player has done over the entirety of their career, how they performed last season and projecting how they will play this upcoming season.
Be sure to check out all of Moran’s NFL Positional Rankings.
1. New England Patriots
The Patriots were aggressive in free agency. They added by far the best two tight ends on the market. Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry were two very big additions. Both are relatively complete tight ends. Smith and Henry are both young. They easily make for the best tight end duo heading into 2021. Expect them both to have very productive seasons. Smith and Henry will help an offense that struggled greatly last season.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL. He is going into his ninth NFL season, all of them being with the Chiefs. Kelce has been one of the main reasons for all the Chiefs’ success since he has been drafted. He will continue his great play this season. Kelce is a great athlete and receiver. He can also help as a blocker. Kelce will remain an integral force in the Chiefs’ prolific passing attack.
3. San Francisco 49ers
A healthy George Kittle will help the 49ers this season. Kittle is a special blocker. He is also a complete player. He can run, has the size, and is very tough to tackle. As long as he is available, expect great production this season from Kittle. He will improve the 49ers’ offense in both the run and pass game. Ross Dwelley showed last season he can contribute. It will be interesting to see if Charlie Woerner has a bigger role in his second season.
4. Las Vegas Raiders
Darren Waller is a mismatch for defenses. He can outrun most who cover him. Waller also has length. His great athleticism alone gives him the ability to win. Expect another awesome season from Waller. The third-year tight end, Foster Moreau is a player with potential. He is capable as both a receiver and blocker. Hopefully, he helps the Raiders offense more this season.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have arguably the best trio at tight end in football. Rob Gronkowski had a great season last year. He is still very effective as a blocker. Gronkowski also showed as the season went on he can contribute as a receiver. O.J. Howard being back healthy will make this offense even harder to stop. Howard is a great athlete. Hopefully, he puts it all together this season. Cameron Brate is a very solid player. He is a good blocker and is reliable as a pass-catcher.
6. Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He is a great pass catcher. He can run well and make plays downfield. Andrews will have a productive year. Nick Boyle is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. Boyle being back healthy will help the Ravens. Andrews and Boyle are a top-caliber tight end duo.
7. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons selected a generational tight end prospect fourth overall, Kyle Pitts. Pitts is a young prospect. Last year in college, he had an unreal season. Pitts has length, speed, and special athletic ability. He will be very tough to stop as a receiver. Hayden Hurst is a very good tight end. Pitts and Hurst can be a tough tight end tandem to stop in the passing game.
8. Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Goedert has gotten better every year. In 2021, expect him to play his best football yet. Goedert has a complete skill set. At this moment, Zach Ertz is still an Eagle. Ertz can still make an impact. He showed last season he can win in the passing game. Goedert and Ertz are a very formidable duo. Both will have volume in terms of targets.
9. Cleveland Browns
The Browns head into 2021 with three great tight ends. Austin Hooper is a great player. Hooper will be impactful as a receiver and blocker. David Njoku is entering a contract year. Expect him to possibly maximize his skill set this season. Second-year player, Harrison Bryant is an exciting prospect. Bryant carved out a role as a rookie and should only get better. It will be fun to see how Hooper, Njoku, and Bryant are all utilized.
10. Green Bay Packers
Robert Tonyan finished 2020 very strong. He was extremely impactful in the Packers’ passing attack. In 2021, expect Tonyan to continue to get better. Marcedes Lewis has had a great NFL career. Lewis will help the Packers’ offense with his ability as a blocker. It will be interesting to see what recent third-round picks, Jace Sternberger and Josiah Deguara can bring for the Packers.
11. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have a young tight end trio. Last season, Mike Gesicki broke out. He has always had special athletic ability. In 2021, Gesicki should only get better. Durham Smythe is a solid player. In the third round of the draft, the Dolphins added Hunter Long. Long was very productive in college. It will be interesting to see how all three are deployed. They all have the talent to be successful.
12. Los Angeles Rams
Tyler Higbee is one of the better tight ends in the NFL. He is a relatively complete player. He can win with size and athletic ability as a receiver. Higbee can also contribute as a blocker. It will be fascinating to see how rookie, Jacob Harris is utilized. Harris played wide receiver in college. He has talent and could be a mismatch. Brycen Hopkins was selected in the fourth round a year ago. His role could be greater.
13. Detroit Lions
T.J. Hockenson had a very good second season. He should continue to play at a stellar level. Hockenson can be an effective run blocker. In the passing game, he will remain a top target. It could lead to even bigger statistics. Hockenson is a talented player who will help in the run and pass game. In 2021, expect him to be one of the Lions’ best players.
14. Washington Football Team
Logan Thomas is coming off a good year. He deserves a ton of credit for making the position change to tight end and becoming an effective player. Thomas will remain a key piece to this offense. With better talent outside of him at wide receiver this season, his good production should only continue. Expect Thomas to be a key target in this passing offense.
15. Denver Broncos
Noah Fant has accomplished good things as a young player. This could be the year he breaks out and dominates. He has the talent and can win with traits. As a second-year player, Albert Okwuegbunam should improve. He has great speed. Fant and Okwuegbunam both have talent. It will be interesting to see if they can form a strong duo.
16. New York Giants
This is a big season for Evan Engram. Entering year five with the Giants, he needs to play more consistently. He has made some great plays. Engram has special traits. Time will tell if he can put it all together. Kyle Rudolph was a solid addition in free agency. He brings size and will help in the red zone. Kaden Smith and Levine Toilolo are two solid backups. Toilolo is a great blocker.
17. Dallas Cowboys
It will be great to see Blake Jarwin back healthy. Jarwin should add another element to this very good passing attack. He is a talented tight end. Dalton Schultz showed some good things last season when Jarwin got hurt. Schultz should keep a role in the offense as a receiver. In 2021, Jarwin and Schultz should both be productive for the Cowboys.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers
Eric Ebron had a solid season for the Steelers last year. He should remain a key part of the Steelers passing game. In the second round of the draft, the Steelers added Pat Freiermuth. Freiermuth is an exciting prospect. He can help as both a blocker and receiver for the Steelers. Ebron and Freiermuth could make for a good one-two punch.
19. Indianapolis Colts
Jack Doyle has had a solid NFL career. This season, he will have an important role in the Colts’ offense. Over the past three years for the Colts, Mo Alie-Cox has been a steady contributor. Alie-Cox has great athletic ability. As a tight end duo, they are above average. These two could be pivotal for Carson Wentz as he tries to bounce back at a crucial point in his career.
20. Chicago Bears
Cole Kmet is a talented player. Entering his second season, he should have a bigger role. Kmet should be more effective from a production standpoint. Jimmy Graham is still a threat as a receiver. He can help the Bears score touchdowns with his size. Kmet and Graham are two players who can make an impact for the Bears. With some unknown about the depth at wide receiver, they could both be productive.
21. Minnesota Vikings
This is a big year for Irv Smith Jr. He has great athletic ability. Hopefully, in his third season, Smith Jr. can be a solid contributor. At the end of last season, Tyler Conklin showed some good things. This season, he should have a sizable role in the Vikings offense. These two are capable enough of getting the job done for the Vikings.
22. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers addressed a position of need this offseason, adding two tight ends. They added one of the top options available in free agency. Then, in the draft, the Panthers selected one of the better tight end prospects. Dan Arnold was an intriguing free agent. He could be a great addition to the Panthers. He has great athletic ability. Arnold is capable of being an impactful receiver. With a bigger opportunity, Arnold could be really good. In the third round of the draft, the Panthers selected exciting prospect, Tommy Tremble. Tremble is an incredible blocker. He also has the talent to help as a pass-catcher. Arnold and Tremble could be very good.
23. Los Angeles Chargers
In free agency, the Chargers signed Jared Cook. Cook has had a great career. He can still be a big contributor as a receiver. He is a big target over the middle. In the third round of the draft, the Chargers selected Tre’ McKitty. McKitty is somewhat of a complete tight end. He can help as a blocker and pass catcher. In 2021, Cook and McKitty should both be involved in the Chargers’ offense.
24. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks added Gerald Everett in free agency. With a greater opportunity, Everett will be a fascinating player to watch in 2021. He has all the attributes needed to be a great player. Everett is a good blocker. He is very skilled athletically to make an impact as a receiver. In the past, he has shown his potential at times. It will be interesting to see how Everett plays. Expect him to have his best year yet.
25. Tennessee Titans
Anthony Firkser will get an opportunity to build on what he showed at the end of last season. Firkser has the talent to be a reliable threat in the passing game. After A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, there is an unknown in terms of the skill position players in the Titans passing game. This offseason, the Titans did not add any notable tight ends. Firkser will have his best opportunity yet to be impactful.
26. New Orleans Saints
In his second season, Adam Trautman will be the main option for the Saints at tight end. Last year, he was selected by the team in the third round. Trautman has the ability to make a difference. In his second season, he could take a big leap. There will be opportunities for him as the Saints do not have the strongest group of wide receivers after Michael Thomas. It will be interesting to see what Trautman does.
27. Buffalo Bills
Dawson Knox is entering a crucial third season. The Bills roster is complete at most positions. Going into a season with Super Bowl expectations, tight end is one of their bigger concerns. Knox certainly has talent as a receiver and could be a contributor in the passing game. The Bills have a great wide receiver group that will command the attention of defenses. Hopefully, this is the year Knox starts to put it all together.
28. Cincinnati Bengals
Entering his third season, Drew Sample must step up. He will have an opportunity to prove what he is capable of. C.J. Uzomah will be back healthy and could help the passing game over the middle. With all the wide receiver talent the Bengals have outside, these two may not have the biggest roles. Sample and Uzomah will have to make the most of their chances in the passing game.
29. Houston Texans
Brevin Jordan was selected by the Texans in the fifth round of the draft. Jordan is an enticing prospect. He had a very good college career. As a result of a bad pro day, he slipped in the draft. Jordan has talent and could end up being productive. Kahale Warring was a recent third-round pick of the Texans. To this point, he has not shown anything. This is a pivotal season for Warring.
30. New York Jets
Chris Herndon is potentially heading into a career-defining season. He played great his rookie year. Since then, he has done nothing. He is a solid blocker and athlete. In order to help the Jets, he needs to be more reliable with his hands. Trevon Wesco should have a role in this offense. He is a great blocker. Similar to Wesco, Tyler Kroft should help as a blocker. Kroft will bring a veteran presence.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
Luke Farrell was selected by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the draft. He should have a chance to contribute early on. James O’Shaughnessy is coming off his most productive season. Chris Manhertz was signed by the team in free agency. Tim Tebow was recently added by the Jaguars. It will be interesting to see what type of role Tebow has.
32. Arizona Cardinals
This position is a major unknown for the Cardinals. Maxx Williams is the only player of this group who has shown anything in the NFL. Hopefully, he can have his best season. The Cardinals probably could have done a better job of addressing this group as Kyler Murray enters a big season. Do not expect any big contributions from any player at this position.
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