Ranking the NFL's best tight ends in 2020: Execs, players, coaches pick the top 10 🏈
Ranking the NFL's best tight ends in 2020: Execs, players, coaches pick the top 10
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To preview the 2020 NFL season, we asked more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help us stack the top 10 players at 11 different positions (sorry, special-teamers). The results might surprise you. They surprised me.
Here's how it worked: Voters gave their best 10 to 15 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average, interviews and research. We had several ties, so we broke them by isolating the two-man matchup with additional voting and follow-up calls. Each section is packed with quotes and nuggets from the voters on every guy -- even the honorable mentions.
The objective is to identify the best players right now for 2020. This is not a five-year projection or an achievement award. Who's the best today? Pretty simple.
We'll roll out a position per day over the next 11 days. Here's the schedule:
Next week: interior offensive linemen (July 12); edge defenders (July 13); interior defensive linemen (July 14); off-ball linebackers (July 15); cornerbacks (July 16); safeties (July 17) No position sparked more debate about two players at the top than tight end. George Kittle or Travis Kelce. Off-road SUV or corner-bending coupe. Equal greatness.
After the first round of votes, the two sat at a dead-even split. In a race this close, it comes down to preferences: The pure-form receiver (Kelce) for the AFC champion or the do-it-all catalyst for the NFC champion (Kittle). Really, this is the conversation with every modern tight end. Some teams prioritize pass-catching weapons who line up everywhere to maximize mismatches. Others prefer throwbacks who can get open or block, thus impacting every down.
After the top two, the position is stocked with variety, including Hall of Famers making comebacks in their 30s, oft-injured players trying to become stars and young pass-catchers looking to rise up the board.
Age: 26 | Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 3 Kittle's edge isn't quantifiable by sheer numbers. It has to be felt. "Be on the field, and see how he elevates the play of everyone in the offense. It's tangible," one NFC coordinator said. "He lifts everyone up."
Kittle and Kelce were nearly co-No. 1s as part of the closest race of any position. Consecutive 1,000-yard seasons make Kittle a top contender, but his blocking and intensity helped earn him nearly half the first-place votes. Where Kittle beats everyone is at the line of scrimmage and with the ball in his hands, as he forced a league-high 20 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.
"The passion on tape is unmatched," one AFC exec said. "He's got that dog in him. More competitive than Kelce."
Another exec said Kittle is "not nearly the fluid runner Kelce is" in routes, but he does everything else equally well or better. Kittle is basically an offensive lineman for a top rushing attack as well as a tight end, and no one else can say that.
"Unreal passion, energy, toughness, blocking," the exec said.
One Kelce-Kittle tiebreaker is scheme flexibility. As one veteran coach sees it, "Kyle [Shanahan] schemes him open a little bit," whereas Kelce has the route savvy to get open in any scenario. But as one veteran NFL quarterback sees it, Andy Reid's offense creates more opportunities for Kelce, and Kittle's offense passed the ball 478 times in 2019, less than that of all but three teams. Even in Shanahan's run-dominant set, Kittle has produced 56 catches of 15 or more yards since 2018. 2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Age: 30 | Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 3 The ease with which Kelce gets open and creates mismatch issues for defenses earned him the top tight end vote from several executives, coaches and players.
Kelce owns the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end (1,336 yards in 2018) and consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (four). That consistency weighs heavily in his favor over his peers. He has been a true threat since 2014, with incredible durability in that span, playing 95 of a possible 96 regular-season games. Plus, here's a clear separator for some: Kelce's 100 catches of 15 or more yards since 2017 are 31 more than that of any other tight end.
"Kelce can truly play outside with the best," one longtime NFL assistant coach said. "You can put him out there, line him up anywhere, and say, 'Go to work on this safety,' and it's no problem. A safety isn't enough. And even as defenses game plan around him on the short to intermediate stuff, he still finds a way to get open."
That fits with Kelce's 286 targets the past two seasons, despite his playing in a loaded offense with several high-end weapons.
Kelce isn't a perfect player. His blocking is passable. He caught seven of 18 red zone targets last season, with eight drops overall. One veteran NFL quarterback who has watched plenty of Kelce film wonders if the 30-year-old has lost at least some of his speed. That said, he has two benefits that no one else has: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
But the little things he does to a game plan -- from smoothness in and out of breaks to mastery of every route to after-the-catch mayhem -- are top-shelf. One veteran defensive coach said Kelce offsets any loss in natural speed with precision, football IQ and catch radius.
An ultimate sign of respect: Richard Sherman was lined up on Kelce plenty of times in the Super Bowl. That's partly a byproduct of where Kelce lined up against a Cover 3 scheme, but the 49ers also knew that putting their best corner on the tight end was the best matchup.
"He gets the nod because he's been so consistent for so long," one general manager said. "He's been the best for a while now." 3. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 29 | Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 6 This one was clear-cut. Ertz was No. 3 or 4 on most ballots behind Kittle and Kelce. No tight end has more targets the past two seasons than Ertz's 291, partly because he gets open so often -- and smoothly.
"A lot like Kelce. Runs up on guys, threatens the safety," one veteran NFL coach said. "He won't let [the defense] dictate his route. He attacks it. Loose, fluid. Gets a ton of double coverage and still wins."
He's also similar to Kelce in that his blocking is considered just OK. But Ertz has Dallas Goedert to handle inline work while he plays to his strengths. Ertz turned 16 red zone targets into eight catches and five touchdowns. His five drops are not ideal but reasonable given his target share.
"There's a drop-off after Kittle and Kelce, but this guy is a championship-level player," one AFC exec said. "He smokes us almost every time we play them. He doesn't beat you deep, but he doesn't need to because he's so good with the intermediate stuff. I'd take him above almost everybody." 4. Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age: 31 | Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 7 Watching a bruised and battered Gronkowski lumber downfield in 2018 was painful. But coaches and evaluators remind us to watch Super Bowl LII again.
"When they needed it, he won one-on-one," a veteran coach said. "And the catch radius is still ridiculous. He can still bring that."
Also, he's well-rested, and that's another reason The 31-year-old Gronk received a first- and second-place vote in this process. Don't be surprised if Tampa Bay minimizes his snaps during the season, a luxury afforded by having veterans Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard on the roster.
Clearly, he has lost a step from peak 2014-15. "Over 16 weeks, legs will be challenges," a longtime NFL offensive coach said. "One game, I'll take him. If we talk about receiving and blocking, not sure he's top five. But the way many see it, 70% Gronk is still better than most -- especially with Tom Brady throwing to him up the seam.
"Outside of the top guys, who's really better than Gronk, still?" the coach asked. "Not many." 5. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
Age: 27 | Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: 11 This isn't bad for a former practice squad player. Waller exploded out of obscurity to lead the Raiders in receptions (90) and yards (1,145) last season, earning a strong 83.2 grade from Pro Football Focus.
For that, Waller narrowly defeated the next crop of tight ends in voting because of his size (6-foot-6, 255 pounds) and elite speed (a reported 40 time of 4.46 coming out of Georgia Tech).
"He's legit, a mismatch guy," one NFC exec said. "Speed to beat safeties and linebackers. He's that first second-tier guy. So athletic."
He's also the best human interest story of the batch, as a former substance abuser who overcame multiple suspensions to land a four-year, $30 million deal.
One head coach who has seen plenty of Waller said he's more than a glorified receiver -- while ranking eighth in yards after catch (570).
"Inline, pass protector, motioning out of the backfield -- I think he's more complete than given credit for," the coach said. 6. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Age: 24 | Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: 12 There's a compelling case that Andrews should go higher after his breakout 10-touchdown season made first-round pick Hayden Hurst expendable in Baltimore. Andrews' catch radius is massive, he was easily Lamar Jackson's favorite target on crucial plays, and he's a key blocker in the Ravens' potent run scheme.
"You knew once he got the inline stuff coming out of Oklahoma, he would be an absolute star," one veteran NFL offensive coach said. "He came out of that Big 12 system, so he needed a bit of time to adjust, but now he's complete."
One knock on Andrews, who posted a stellar 90.8 Pro Football Focus grade, is that he doesn't stretch the field with the speed and explosion of some other tight ends on this list. But he makes up for that on third down, on which he produced 17 receptions for 269 yards off 36 targets, all tops among tight ends.
"Good in the run game, good enough in the pass game," one NFL coordinator said. 7. Evan Engram, New York Giants
Age: 25 | Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 13 Four tight ends got a first-place vote, and Engram was one of them. Call him Kelce Lite.
"Those who haven't watched that dude need to," one NFL offensive coordinator said. "He's a true receiver. Polished releases, whole route tree, run after catch. He just plays in a bad offense."
One thing is obvious when watching Engram: The blocking is not Kittle-like. Although he gets in the way of a pass-rusher on occasion, his skill set is best utilized in space. Also, durability is an issue after he missed 14 games in three years.
But not many tight ends demand attention like Engram, who forced the Dallas Cowboys to put corner Byron Jones on him for extended periods during a matchup last season. Engram ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL combine. His explosion and yards-after-catch ability pop on most downs, whether he's lined out wide or inside.
"Routes, breaks ... he's top three," one veteran assistant coach said of the 25-year-old. "But he's not really a tight end." 8. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers
Age: 25 | Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: 13 Henry received the franchise tag from the Chargers, and that was the right decision by Los Angeles. Henry is a franchise player at the position.
"He's a top-five tight end. Health is the issue with him." a veteran NFL coach said. "He's a guy you have to know where he is on the field every play and game plan around him all week."
Henry caught 55 of his 74 targets in 12 games, a solid 72.4% catch rate, but he's even better on contested balls (75%). He's known for having strong hands to complement his 6-foot-5 frame. And coach Anthony Lynn has lauded Henry's exceptional blocking.
"He's not a phenomenal athlete, but he's what you want out of a tight end," one AFC exec said. "Really well-rounded." 9. Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns
Age: 25 | Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: 14 Hooper is among the most well-rounded tight ends in the mix, and he earned a four-year, $42 million deal from the Browns to help anchor Kevin Stefanski's tight-end-friendly system. He probably belongs higher.
But there's an issue.
"Good at everything. Not great," a veteran offensive coach said. "But a three-down player."
The knock on Hooper is whether he's elite in one particular area. Several voters say he's a volume-target guy attributed more to reliability than high-level traits. But it's hard to argue with his four-year production: two Pro Bowls, 214 catches, 2,244 yards, 16 touchdowns and 105 first downs on 274 career targets. He has led all tight ends with a 77.3 catch percentage since 2017, and he dropped one pass in 97 targets a year ago. He tied for second with 10 red zone receptions for six touchdowns.
Most evaluations of Hooper come with a qualifier: Really good but not better than the eight players listed ahead of him. 10. Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints
Age: 33 | Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: 13 A logjam at the back end of the top 10 made this difficult, with Cook among four tight ends receiving significant votes for the last spot. But enough people placed Cook in the top eight because, at age 34, he's still a significant threat downfield.
"Runs like crazy, huge catch radius," one veteran scout said. "That hasn't changed with him."
He led all tight ends in yards per catch (16.4) and was second in touchdowns (9) behind Andrews. Not many were better in the final eight games, when Cook produced 537 yards and seven scores. Since 2017, he's third among tight ends in 15-plus-yard catches (64), despite playing for three playcallers in that span (Todd Downing, Jon Gruden, Sean Payton). Drops have been a problem for Cook for much of his career, but he committed two fewer drops in 2019, going from six to four.
"With the offense he's in and the way he runs and gets open, he's still going to be highly productive for probably one more year," an NFC exec said. Also receiving votes
These are the players outside of the top 10 who got at least two votes from our panel:
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams: "He produces. He's not as gifted as some other players on this list, but he's really reliable, and he's perfect for that system." -- veteran NFC coach
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles: "He's undervalued right now. Watch them play, and what he does is a little bit of everything. Better blocker than Ertz and not much of a falloff at receiver, either." -- AFC scout
Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans: "So well-rounded. He's top-five for me. He's an every-down player. He can play you 1,000 snaps at about six different positions. Has some work to do as a route runner." -- NFC exec
Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings: "You and I are faster than he is, but he still catches everything." -- veteran offensive coach
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams: "He's more talented than Higbee, but I'm not sure he'll ever be able to handle the full workload. He's got a bit of false bravado." -- NFC exec
Noah FantDenver Broncos: "He can be the best one, more talented than [T.J.] Hockenson. If you told me two years from now that he's a Pro Bowler, I'd say, yeah, I get it. Length and speed. Big fan of him." -- veteran NFL coach
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Ranking the NFL's best tight ends in 2020: Execs, players, coaches pick the top 10 🏈
1. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
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