It is that particular time of the NFL offseason the place we’re caught in limbo between OTAs and coaching camp. For probably the most half, there’s not all that a lot taking place on a day-to-day foundation. Groups are gearing as much as begin gearing up for the season, if that is smart.
However on condition that we do have this good break, it is a good time to take inventory of what we count on to see throughout the 2024 season. That is why we have been working via every place, breaking down the highest 20 gamers for 2024. We’re persevering with that effort right here by working via the league’s finest tight ends.
With out additional ado…
Musgrave was having a very strong rookie season earlier than getting injured after which giving option to Tucker Kraft down the stretch. He then popped up with a pleasant recreation in opposition to the Cowboys within the playoffs whereas taking part in restricted snaps. Kraft is out till a minimum of coaching camp with an harm of his personal, so Musgrave could have an opportunity to solidify his maintain on the No. 1 tight finish function.
Spoiler alert: The Ravens would be the solely group with two gamers on this checklist. And Doubtless would [sorry] probably be lots greater on it if he have been on one other group and thus had a bigger function. Through the stretch run of the season with out Mark Andrews, Doubtless posted 19 catches for 291 yards and 4 scores within the 5 video games that Lamar Jackson additionally performed. He is a high-level pass-catcher who occurs to be in a part-time function.
Bowers is taken into account the most effective tight finish prospects we have seen in fairly a while, if not ever. However we do not actually know what to anticipate from him on condition that rookie tight ends have nearly universally struggled to make an affect. Sam LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid have been exceptions, not the rule. Till we actually see it from Bowers, it is robust to maneuver him any additional up the board.
Fant hasn’t but lived as much as his lofty draft place, and he really noticed his function diminished the final two years in Seattle from the place it was in Denver. However he is been environment friendly on his targets (his 10.28 yards per goal ranked sixth out of 72 tight ends who ran a minimum of 100 routes final season, by way of Tru Media) and is an efficient match for brand new offensive coordinator Brian Grubb’s offense, and the Seahawks gave him a fairly decent-sized deal (2 years, $21 million) to return to the fold, indicating that they see him lastly grabbing a agency maintain of the tight finish job for himself.
It feels becoming for Henry to land right here. He is mainly a league-average beginning tight finish, and that is what this vary is. He is not an explosive athlete anymore, however he is big so he could be efficient as a blocker and a red-zone risk. He is only a strong participant.
Kmet’s function within the passing recreation will nearly certainly shrink after the bears added Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze this offseason, together with a pass-catching working again in D’Andre Swift. However he is turned himself into a fairly good two-way tight finish, as evidenced by his a lot greater snap charges during the last two seasons. He ought to nonetheless be a strong contributor in what ought to be a much-improved offense.Â
Freiermuth missed a couple of video games attributable to harm however even when wholesome he took a step backward, together with the remainder of Pittsburgh’s offense final season. He posted profession lows in receptions and yards per recreation, in addition to success fee on these catches, and his yards per reception common dropped 2 full yards from 2022 to 2023. He’ll transfer up the pecking order within the passing recreation this 12 months, although, and in a extra purposeful offense ought to be capable of faucet again into what made him efficient throughout his first two NFL seasons. Hopefully.
Schultz over the previous couple of years has turn out to be the platonic ultimate of a safety blanket kind of tight finish, first for Dak Prescott after which for C.J. Stroud. He is not going to make many explosive performs, however he is dependable on checkdowns and crossers and infrequently up the seam, and he does good work within the purple zone. He is nonetheless not an excellent blocker, however he is satisfactory sufficient to be on the market for a majority of the snaps. He will not see as many targets with Stefon Diggs on the town, however he is nonetheless a superb participant.
For all of the complaining about Pitts, he is sandwiched one catastrophe season (2022) with a 1,000-yard rookie 12 months after which a 543-catch, 667-yard season whereas recovering from a number of offseason surgical procedures and taking part in a career-low 64% of the snaps. With Zac Robinson coordinating the offense and Kirk Cousins beneath middle, Pitts has an opportunity to explode in the identical means T.J. Hockenson did in the same system with the identical quarterback.
Engram is coming off by far one of the best season of his profession, a minimum of by way of quantity. He emerged as arguably Trevor Lawrence’s prime goal final season amid numerous accidents to the receiving corps, and he caught 114 passes. However he additionally posted a career-low 8.4 yards per reception and his 56.6 yards per recreation weren’t even the highest mark of his profession even supposing he smashed his earlier excessive in receptions by 41. He is additionally not a lot of a blocker. However an enormous pass-catching function will hold him productive, and he should not but be within the decline part of his profession.
10. Dalton Kincaid, Payments
Kincaid is considerably much like Engram, however a) he is youthful; b) he obtained his manufacturing as a rookie taking part in solely 63% of snaps; and c) he is most likely going to be Josh Allen’s prime pass-catcher in 2024. So whereas his blocking leaves lots to be desired and he’s mainly a big slot receiver, there’s a spot for him in our prime 10 due to the athletic profile and anticipated function.
Goedert is fairly rattling constant. Over the previous 5 years, he has had between 55 and 59 catches 4 occasions, with the lone exception coming when he had 46 in 11 video games in 2020.He is exceeded 10 yards per reception in every of these seasons, and caught a minimum of 70% of the passes thrown his means in all however one. However he is additionally by no means topped 830 yards or 5 touchdowns. He is significantly above-average, however would not have the receiving ceiling of a few of the guys forward of him.
Ferguson had a breakout second season taking on the function that Schultz vacated when he signed with Houston, however confirmed extra explosiveness than did his predecessor. Ferguson’s 6.0 yards after catch per reception have been fourth-best among the many 19 tight ends who caught a minimum of 50 passes in 2023, and his 0.31 anticipated factors added per goal tied him for third amongst that very same group behind solely George Kittle and Travis Kelce. A bump in snap fee and goal share may very well be so as with Brandin Cooks a 12 months older and Michael Gallup now not round because the No. 3 wideout.
Njoku’s new contract with Cleveland turned some heads when it was signed, however he greater than justified it along with his play, turning into the most recent tight finish to essentially hit his stride after ending out his rookie deal. He’s and at all times has been an absolute freak of an athlete, however he lastly put the complete bundle collectively in 2023, rising as a big-play risk, a powerful red-zone choice, and a very good blocker. He ought to be a very good participant for Cleveland for the following a number of years.Â
6. T.J. Hockenson, Vikings
Had been he not coming off a torn ACL, Hockenson would probably be a couple of spots greater on this checklist. He is been unimaginable since arriving in Minnesota, catching 155 (!) passes for 1,479 yards and eight touchdowns in 25 video games. He was nicely on his option to 100 catches and 1,000 yards final 12 months earlier than struggling the harm in Week 16. He’s big (6-5, 248 kilos), a superb athlete, and a really, excellent complement to Justin Jefferson. We simply must see him get again to full well being.
After getting into the beginning lineup for good in Week 8, McBride caught 66 passes for 665 yards and three scores over the ultimate 10 video games of the 12 months. That is a full-season tempo of 112-1,114-5, by the way in which. And he did not even have Kyler Murray for the primary two of these video games. And naturally, Murray was getting back from a critical harm. Marvin Harrison Jr. is right here to take over because the No. 1 receiver, however McBride goes to have an enormous function, and given his immense expertise, ought to stay wildly productive in Yr 3.
4. Sam LaPorta, Lions
LaPorta put collectively the most effective receiving seasons we have ever seen from a rookie tight finish, rising as one among Jared Goff’s prime targets and an ideal complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown because the Lions repeatedly discovered methods for them to entry the center of the sector. He is a high-end athlete who can each stretch the sector and create with the ball in his palms, and he discovered his means into an ideal system with an offensive coordinator who will put him in place to succeed. He may not cross the purpose line 10 occasions once more, however he’ll make a big affect.
3. Mark Andrews, Ravens
Andrews stays extremely proficient and extremely underrated. He is exceeded 50 receiving yards per recreation in 5 striaght seasons, averaged 11.6 yards per catch or extra in every of them, discovered the tip zone 37 occasions throughout that span, and completed all of it whereas taking part in in a two- or three-tight finish rotation and lacking a number of video games attributable to accidents. (To not point out his quarterback lacking time as nicely.) He is an elite pass-catcher every time he is on the sector, and he is Lamar Jackson’s go-to man. Complete stud.
2. Travis Kelce, Chiefs
Kelce is likely one of the small handful of finest tight ends in NFL historical past. As we noticed throughout the playoffs, he can nonetheless take over video games together with Patrick Mahomes. He did have a considerably down common season by his requirements, although, and the Chiefs are more likely to proceed managing his workload, taking him off the sector extra usually on first and second downs to save lots of him for passing conditions. He was solely requested to dam on 30.7% of his snaps final season, the fourth-lowest mark amongst 81 tight ends who performed 100 snaps or extra. That is a superb factor for him and the Chiefs, but it surely additionally holds him again from topping the checklist for the 2024 season.
1. George Kittle, 49ers
Kittle is an absolute monster who can take over video games as each a receiver and a blocker. His absurd 15.7 yards per reception common topped the next-closest tight finish with a minimum of 25 grabs (Doubtless) by TWO FULL YARDS per catch. His targets was an explosive play (16 or extra yards) 27.8% of the time final season, by way of Tru Media, by far the very best fee on the place. And he’s one of the best blocking tight finish since Rob Gronkowski. Pretty much as good as Kelce is as a pass-catcher, proper now, Kittle is the higher total participant. And that is smart, on condition that Kittle remains to be in his prime and Kelce might be 35 in October.