Mike Ditka blocked like a lineman and caught like a receiver in an era when tight ends barely factored into NFL game plans. Kellen Winslow redefined the position as a matchup nightmare in the 1980s. Shannon Sharpe turned that blueprint into a Hall of Fame career, and Tony Gonzalez pushed the receiving numbers higher than anyone thought possible. Antonio Gates crossed over from basketball and became one of the most prolific scorers the position has ever seen.
Then came the generation most fans grew up watching, with Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski and Jason Witten combining size, route-running and touchdown production at a level the league had never seen from a single group of players. Now, a new class of tight ends is pushing the position even further.
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8. Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns
The 2025 third-round pick out of Bowling Green broke Cleveland’s franchise rookie record for receptions and finished with 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns on 107 targets, all team highs despite playing through a groin injury that cost him the season finale. He also tied for the NFL lead in receptions on passes caught under quarterback pressure with 28, a mark he shared with established receivers like Puka Nacua and Mike Evans. Producing at that level against pressure as a rookie tight end is rare, and it points to a level of poise that goes beyond the raw numbers. With David Njoku gone to the Chargers in free agency, Fannin enters 2026 as Cleveland’s clear top tight end.
7. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Pitts entered the league as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft and spent four seasons chasing his rookie production before finally getting there again. He caught 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns on 118 targets in 2025, posting 338 of those yards over his final three games alone.
Atlanta signed him to a three-year, $54 million extension after briefly placing the franchise tag on him this offseason. The Florida product will work with a new quarterback pairing of Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa in 2026, and building chemistry there is the swing factor between a career year and a repeat of the inconsistency that defined his middle seasons in Atlanta.
6. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Kraft was building toward the best season by a tight end in Packers history before a torn ACL ended his year in Week 9. He finished with 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns, leading Green Bay in all three categories through eight games, and his 344 yards after the catch dwarfed every other pass catcher on the roster.
“He’s doing as well as you could ever be doing, considering the circumstances,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “Tuck’s a guy who’s not going to flinch.”
Kraft is targeting a Week 1 return in 2026 without a pitch count and is in line for a contract extension that could reset the tight end market. A full season would make him one of the position’s most complete players.
5. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) makes the catch against the Houston Texans during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
The 14th overall pick in the 2025 draft set a franchise record for a rookie tight end with 817 receiving yards on 76 catches, surpassing John Mackey’s mark from 1936. Warren played the sixth-most snaps of any tight end in the league and finished second among all tight ends in yards after the catch.
“I think I did some good, did some bad,” Warren said of his debut season. “And I think it’ll just be a big learning experience for me this offseason, and making sure I don’t make the same mistakes twice.”
Production slowed after Indianapolis lost quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury, and a full season with Jones healthy could push Warren into the position’s top tier in Year 2.
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4. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert turned a contract year into the best season of his eight-year career, setting personal bests with 60 receptions and 11 touchdowns on 82 targets for 591 yards. His 11 scores broke a franchise record for tight ends set by Pete Retzlaff in 1965 and tied Trey McBride for the league lead among all tight ends.
The former South Dakota State product re-signed with Philadelphia on a one-year deal this offseason after the team briefly explored moving on from him following its Super Bowl LIX win. At 31, Goedert remains the safety valve in an Eagles offense that will look different with A.J. Brown gone, and his touchdown rate figures to regress even if his overall role stays steady.
3. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) looks on during warmups prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Kittle earned the top overall grade among tight ends from Pro Football Focus in 2025 despite playing only 11 games because of ankle and hamstring injuries, then tore his Achilles tendon in San Francisco’s playoff win over the Eagles. He still finished with 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns on 69 targets.
“Energetic and explosive,” quarterback Brock Purdy said of Kittle. “You get the ball in his hands, man, he can run past guys, break tackles.”
The Iowa product has said he is targeting a Week 1 return in 2026, and durability remains the only thing separating him from a resume that already includes seven Pro Bowl selections.
2. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
Bowers set rookie records for a tight end in 2024 with 112 receptions and 1,194 yards before a Week 1 knee injury derailed his second season, limiting him to 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 targets across 12 games. His underlying numbers, including a 73.6 percent catch rate, stayed in line with his rookie year even while he played through pain.
The Georgia product now enters 2026 fully healthy under new head coach Klint Kubiak, with either Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza throwing him the ball. A full season of health is the only thing that has kept Bowers from already being the most productive tight end in football.
1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) on the field during warm ups prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
McBride set the single-season reception record for a tight end in 2025, catching 126 passes for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns on 169 targets in his fourth NFL season. He earned first-team All-Pro honors and led the position with 33 red-zone targets, with 10 of his 11 scores coming after Jacoby Brissett took over the starting job from an injured Kyler Murray, who is now in Minnesota.
McBride’s 347 career receptions through four seasons are the most in NFL history at the position over that span. The 6-foot-4, 246 lb. star returns to a Cardinals offense with Brissett back under center, giving him a clear path to build on the best statistical season any tight end has produced.
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