Top 7 Tight Ends Heading Into 2023 NFL Season
Rankings 6/22/23
As a former NFL tight end, who played nine seasons in the league, I find myself critiquing those who play the position closely … maybe more closely than I should.
There are several active tight ends who stand out when I evaluate the position. Let’s start with my top seven.
>> READ: Fantasy Outlook for Top 7 TEs
Top 7 NFL Tight Ends
7. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
There were times people got down on Evan Engram, a former first-round pick by the New York Giants out of Mississippi. However, he had 73 catches for 766 yards and four touchdowns last season and had a big game in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ wild-card win.
After career highs in receptions and yards, Engram added seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown in the playoff victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence looked for Engram on third down because he’s a big-play guy. Engram’s play, along with Zay Jones’ and Christian Kirk’s, is a big reason why Lawrence had such a turnaround from his rookie year. He didn’t have a tight end in 2021, and he wasn’t successful. Engram changed that in 2022.
6. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts is a matchup problem for defenses because he’s 6-foot-6, and when he catches the ball, he’s such an explosive player. His blocking is OK, but he took a step back in that area last season.
Pitts missed seven games in 2022 for the Atlanta Falcons and had only 28 catches for 356 yards after 68 and 1,026 during his rookie season. He caught only 50 percent of his targets last season. He’s got to get back to where he was during his rookie season because he is a playmaker.
His ranking is based on potential. He can run routes well and change games when he’s at his best.
5. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings got a steal when they traded for T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions. He caught 57 percent of his contested targets, which is much higher than Pitts.
Hockenson had 20 contested catches, the most in the NFL among tight ends. He had 86 catches for 914 yards and six TDs for the Vikings and Lions. Hockenson is a player who can do it all — blocking, catching and running after the catch.
He’s an old-school tight end.
4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews had 73 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns. The most impressive part is he caught 35 percent of the Baltimore Ravens’ passing yards, per NextGen Stats. In 2016, he caught 35.5 percent of the team’s passing yards. That’s the highest percentage for a tight end since that stat measure was launched.
Andrews accomplished this without having star quarterback Lamar Jackson for seven games last season. Still, Andrews made his third Pro Bowl. This season, he has much more help because the Ravens drafted wide receiver Zay Flowers in the first round and signed Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency. They will take pressure off Andrews and open the middle of the field for him.
Some people think he won’t get as high of a target share this season, but I think he will have a huge year. Unlike the first three players on this list, who were first-rounders, Andrews was a third-round pick, and he’s still getting better. Jackson looks to him for good reason.
3. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Goedert is the most underrated tight end in the NFL, even though he’s third on this list. Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks had an impressive 121 passer rating when targeting Goedert. He was one of four tight ends to catch more than 60 percent of his contested targets. He had 55 receptions for 702 yards and three touchdowns despite only playing 12 games. He will have 1,000 yards this season if he doesn’t get hurt.
His yards after the catch over expected ranked first in the NFL with 76. He’s another old-school tight end who can block, catch and run with the ball after the catch. I love tight ends who can do it all. Keep in mind, Goedert isn’t the No. 1 target in the Eagles’ offense, nor is he No. 2. They have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on the outside. Goedert’s presence in the middle of the field means teams can’t just focus on the wide receivers.
2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle has been one of my favorite tight ends to watch since he came into the league in 2017. You’ve got to love the former fifth-round pick’s big personality. He only had 48 receptions, 737 yards and 10 TDs for his entire college career at Iowa, but he crushed the 2017 NFL Combine. He broad jumped 11 feet and ran a 4.5-second 40. He is a freak athlete.
The No. 1 reason I love Kittle is he’s a superstar in the passing game, but he also blocks hard. He’s one of the NFL’s top blocking tight ends. A lot of guys will just stay split out wide because they like to do the pretty stuff. They won’t get their hands dirty in the trenches. Kittle willingly gets his nose dirty.
San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks had a 137 passer rating when targeting Kittle. That’s the second-highest in the NFL. He had 60 catches for 765 yards and 11 TDs, and he accomplished that with three quarterbacks. The 49ers went from Trey Lance to Jimmy Garoppolo to Brock Purdy, and Kittle produced regardless of who was under center.
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
My top tight end shouldn’t be a surprise — Travis Kelce. He averaged 2.24 yards per route run, which was first among tight ends. Patrick Mahomes had a 122 passer rating when he targeted Kelce, which he did a lot. Kelce had 110 receptions for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns, four of which came against blitzes.
He is a smart player. I’ve never seen a tight end who could line up outside like him. If he were a receiver, he’d still make the Pro Bowl. He’s not a smashing blocker, but he cuts guys off and gets in the way. He does enough to help the Kansas City Chiefs‘ running game.
Kelce can do it all. He catches touchdowns, short passes and long passes, and he can run after the catch. He’s already played 10 seasons and won two Super Bowls. He can keep building on that and getting better. I hope he plays for several more years because there’s no player I like watching more in the NFL than him.
Clay Harbor played tight end for nine seasons in the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @clayharbs82.
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