Another look at rankings on the offense.
In recent years, the tight end position has become vital to many teams’ offensive success. Instead of the position being considered a luxury, teams are now drafting TEs much higher in the draft and extending the players on extensions filled with value. Looking at the NFL divisions, some are filled with TE talent, and some are completely void of the position, so let’s see how they rank.
1. NFC West
Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks
The young generation of TE talent in the league is exciting, and one of the top players is Trey McBride. Since being drafted by the Cardinals, McBride has averaged around nine yards per reception and has become the top pass-catching option for QB Kyler Murray. Even with the addition of top pick WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to the offense, McBride still had over 1,000 receiving yards in the season.
Rams starting TE Tyler Higbee was out for most of last season with an injury, but when he is healthy, he has been a consistent option in LA’s offense. Higbee has never reached that 800 yards mark in a season, but since 2019 (besides last season because of injury), he has had around 500 yards a season.
The top TE in the league has been up for grabs in recent years, but George Kittle may have solidified that spot last season. Even when the 49ers‘ offense struggled last season, Kittle was a dominant presence and made his presence on the season known with 1,106 yards and 8 touchdowns. In addition to those impressive stats, he averaged 14 yards per reception!
The last TE in this division is the Seahawks’ Noah Fant. When the Denver Broncos selected Fant in the first round, the hopes were extremely high for him to become the franchise’s star TE. Although he put up decent numbers, this potential was never reached, and he was traded to Seattle in the Russel Wilson trade. Now, the veteran TE is again available in trades after the team selected former Miami TE Elijah Arroyo in the draft.
2. NFC North
Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
It is always tricky to compare rookies who have not played a snap in the NFL with other players who already have pro experience. This is the case with the Bears, who drafted Colestan Loveland in 2025. Loveland is set to be a massive piece in the offense of new head coach Ben Johnson, and if the former Michigan TE can continue the play he produced in college, he could have a massive rookie year.
After a great rookie season, Lions TE Sam Laporta had a bit of a down year. The touchdowns were still decent, with seven on the season, but his yards dropped from 889 in his rookie season to 726 last season. A sophomore slump is common in sports, but it is still something to monitor going into a player’s third season. Still, Laporta is everything a team wants from a TE, and these worries could easily be extinguished.
Now, looking at the opposite of a sophomore slump, here is Packers TE Tucker Kraft. In his rookie year, Kraft only had around 300 yards receiving, but averaged almost 12 yards per reception. After getting more workload in the offense, Kraft’s receiving numbers skyrocketed to 707 yards, and his average yards per reception jumped to 14. If these numbers continue to rise in 2025, Kraft could finish the season as one of the best TEs in the league.
Another player who has dealt with injuries, which seems to happen frequently with the TE position, is T.J. Hockenson. When the Lions drafted Hockenson in 2019, the expectation was that he would be an important future building block. This never happened, but in 2023, during his second season with the Vikings, Hockenson finally met those draft expectations. He finished the season with almost 1000 yards receiving in a loaded offense. In 2024, Hockenson dealt with injuries most of the season, but hopefully, he can get back to those 2023 stats next season.
3. AFC West
Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers
New Broncos TE Evan Engram has had a very similar career path to T.J. Hockenson. Both players were drafted with high expectations, shone at times, left their original drafted teams, had a near 1,000-yard breakout season in 2023, and dealt with injury in 2024. The potential was seen with Engram, and although he did not return to the Jaguars, the Broncos are betting on the upside.
For a long time, the best TE in the league has been Travis Kelce, and although his quality of play has gone down, he is still a dominant force in the NFL and is Patrick Mahomes’ favorite weapon.
Although the era of Travis Kelce’s dominance may be nearing its end, the NFL might have someone to take over. When the Raiders selected Brock Bowers in the first round, no one expected the rookie year he had. Bowers finished the season with 1,194 yards and 5 touchdowns, all while dealing with horrible QB play and not great coaching. Now, with Pete Carrol as HC and Geno Smith at QB, Bowers may have an even better sophomore season.
The only team in the division with a question mark at TE is the Chargers. Last season, Will Dissly was the starter and had a fine season, but an upgrade needed to happen, and they were unable to do that.
4. AFC North
Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
There is really only one team in the league that has a really good TE duo, and that is the Baltimore Ravens. For years, Mark Andrews was the number one option and was the top weapon for star QB Lamar Jackson. After dealing with constant injuries, Andrews’ yards per year dropped, but he is still an excellent red zone threat. While the yards numbers were falling, Isiah likely’s numbers were rising. Since being drafted, Likely’s role on the offense has become increasingly significant each year.
The Bengals’ offense has been the team’s strength since they drafted QB Joe Burrow, but one of the main positions missing on that side of the ball was TE. Last offseason, Cincinnati signed Mike Gesicki on a one-year deal, and he had the best years of his career. The Bengals re-signed Gesicki to a 3 year deal this offseason.
Although the Browns‘ offense has been a mess since trading for QB Deshaun Watson, TE David Njoku has shown the ability to take over games and be an important piece on an offense. The issue is the Browns’ overall QB play, but Njoku could overcome it and bounce back after dealing with injuries last season.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has kept the Pittsburgh Steelers consistent for years, even when faced with challenges. The offense is not going to be excellent, but also won’t be horrible. One of these consistent pieces in the offense is TE Pat Friemurth, who is coming off of the best season of his career, finishing with 653 yards and 10 touchdowns.
5. AFC East
Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
Another team that utilizes a true TE duo is the Buffalo Bills, but their duo is less productive than a team like the Ravens. Last season, Dawson Knox had 311 receiving yards on the season, while 2nd-year TE Dalton Kincaid had 448 yards in an injured season. If Kincaid does stay healthy next season, Knox’s time in Buffalo may come to an end.
One of the most shocking years regarding offensive production came from the Dolphins starting TE Jonnu Smith. In offense with Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and a number of dangerous running backs, the expectations for Smith in this offense was on the lower end. Maybe this was a mistake, because last season, Smith ended with 884 yards and eight touchdowns. This was by far the best year in Smith’s career.
With the New England Patriots having a rookie quarterback last season, TE Hunter Henry would be relied upon as a “security blanket” on offense. This is exactly what happened, and Henry finished with the most yards in his career. Now, with a new coaching staff and improved offensive line in New England, Henry can have an even better season in 2025.
Unlike some other teams I will talk about in these rankings, the Jets were able to fill their TE need during this offseason. In the Draft, New York selected Mason Taylor in the second round, and he should be the starter in 2025.
6. NFC East
Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders
The Dallas Cowboys have had really good TE production since the Jason Witten era (besides 2018). After Dalton Schultz left the team in free agency, there could have been a hole left in his position, but Jake Ferguson took over. 2023 was a great year for the young TE, but last season, his stats dropped, but that may have been because of injuries.
Going into next season, the Giants are sticking with 2nd year TE Theo Johnson. This could be a risky decision, but he showed positive signs in the 11 games he played last season.
Like with the Cowboys, the Eagles have valued the TE position for a long time. Dallas Goedert has been the solidified starter since Zach Ertz left the team, and he has been one of the most consistent pieces of the offense, no matter how many changes have happened on that side of the ball. Last season, when Geodert was healthy, he had a decent season and was an essential part of the offense, but throughout this offseason, the Eagles have shopped the veteran TE.
Speaking of Zach Ertz, after he left the Eagles in 2021, his next destination was the Arizona Cardinals, and after a few fine years, he found himself back in the NFC East in 2024 with the Commanders. Ertz’s production fell massively in recent years, but being matched up with rookie QB Jayden Daniels was perfect to bounce back.
7. AFC South
Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
When Dalton Schultz left the Cowboys, his next destination would be the Houston Texans, where he would continue to have decent seasons in a loaded offense. With that same offense losing top weapons to injuries and free agency, Schultz could be in line to have one of the best seasons of his career.
One of the Colts’ most significant needs going into the 2025 offseason was a starting TE to add to this offense. Whoever is playing QB next season for the Colts will be in a better situation because the Colts went out and got their guy in the draft, Tyler Warren.
The Jaguars did not sign a replacement for Evan Engram when he left in free agency, so that is a massive worry for Jacksonville going into the season. Brenton Strange is the current starter and was not bad last year, but this could definitely be the weakness of the offense.
Like with the Jaguars, the Titans also have a bit of a gap at TE. Chigoziem Okonkwo is the current starter, and for his first three seasons in the league, he has averaged around 400 yards per season. The hope is that adding much better QB play to this offense can allow Okonkwo to improve his numbers.
8. NFC South
Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In his first season, Kyle Pitts had over 1,000 yards receiving and average 15 yards per reception. The potential was seen early, but since that season, he has never gotten close to these numbers again. Still, Pitts has gotten to that 600 yard mark for the past two season and increased his touchdown totals. He may never get back to 1,000 yards, but Pitts can still be a great weapon for Michael Penix.
The Panthers have done massive work to build around their young QB, Bryce Young, over the past few seasons. This was recently seen when the Panthers selected Tetairoa McMillan in the first round, but the offense is still missing a starting TE.
Since being signed as an undrafted free agent, Juwan Johnson has slowly become a solidified piece of the Saints offense. Moving from WR to TE in the NFL, there was always going to be a learning curve for Johnson, but the athleticism and potential in his game has been evident. Still, Johnson has always been a TE that averages around 500 yards a season and can be a fine piece in the offense.
Over the past three years, Cade Otton has slowly improved every season. Last year under OC Liam Coen, Otton reached a career high of 600 yards in a season. The hope is this progression can continue, but with Coen now gone, this may not be the case anymore.