Training camp has begun, preseason begins soon, and the calendar has turned to August, signifying that the NFL season is officially here. On GoldSheet, this is the start of our series of ranking each position group and coaching staff in the NFL. Each positional group will be ranked and placed into a tier to give us a better understanding of how each team is expected to fare at each position.
Tight ends are a valuable commodity for NFL offenses. Some tight ends are basically big receivers, there are others who are primarily blockers, and there are a few who excel in both areas. Having an elite offensive tight end is not mandatory for an NFL offense, but having a player who is a mismatch for the defense on every snap is a major boost. Tight end is a top-heavy position on most teams’ depth charts, but having versatility in this position makes life a lot easier for an NFL offense.
Without further ado, let’s break down all 32 TE rooms, rank each team’s TE situation, and put them into tiers.
2023 NFL TE Rankings
* designates a rookie
Tier One:
No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jody Fortson and Blake Bell
No. 2 San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle, Charlier Woerner, Cameron Latu* and Brayden Willis*
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar and Travis Vokolek*
Tier one simply features the three best tight ends in the NFL. Kelece, Kittle and Andrews need little to no introduction. Kelce is arguably the greatest tight end ever, while Kittle is the perfect mix of pass-catching weapon and fearsome run and pass blocker. When Andrews is on the field, the Ravens’ passing offense runs through him, so he warrants consideration in the top tier.
None of these teams have great depth here, but that’s also because there are not many players who come close to having the skillsets that Kelce, Kittle and Andrews possess.
Tier Two:
No. 4 Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, Parker Hesse and Mycole Pruitt
No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra and Dan Aronld
No. 6 Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Must and Ben Sims*
No. 7 New York Giants
Darren Waller, Daniel Belligner, Lawrence Cager, Tommy Sweeny and Ryan Jones*
No. 8 New England Patriots
Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki and Anthony Frisker
No. 9 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Darnell Washington* and Rodney Williams
No. 10 Cleveland Browns
David Njoku, Jordin Akins, Harrison Bryant and Thomas Greaney
All of these teams have either a stud on top of the depth chart, or just a very well-rounded tight end room. The Falcons, Eagles and Vikings all have potential stars at tight end. Kyle Pitts is underutilized, but his talent is unmatched, and Jonnu Smith is a great backup. Dallas Godert and T.J. Hockenson provide a huge boost to both of their offenses, respectively, and they also help other receivers get open. Darren Waller, when healthy, is borderline tier one. Daniel Bellinger had a very solid rookie campaign.
The Patriots and Browns have great depth in their tight end rooms, but the Steelers’ TE room has the most upside. Pat Freiermuth has been great for Pittsburgh, but Darnell Washington has the potential to be a game-changer.
Tier Three:
No. 11 Buffalo Bills
Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid* and Quintin Morris
No. 12 Denver Broncos
Greg Dulcich, Chris Manhertz, Adam Trautman and Albert Okwuegbunam
No. 13 Chicago Bears
Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Jake Tonges and Chase Allen
No. 14 Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan and Eric Tomlinson
No. 15 Los Angeles Chargers
Gerald Everett, Donald Parham Jr., Tre McKitty and Stone Smartt
No. 16 Arizona Cardinals
Zach Ertz, Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim and Noah Togiai
No. 17 Seattle Seahawks
Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson and Tyler Mabry
No. 18 Jacksonville Jaguars
Evan Engram, Luke Farrell, Brenton Strange*, Gerrit Price and Sammis Reyes
No. 19 Cincinnati Bengals
Irv Smith Jr., Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox and Devin Asiasi
No. 20 Los Angeles Rams
Tyler Higbee, Hunter Long, Davis Allen* and Brycen Hopkins
No. 21 Washington Commanders
Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner, Curtis Hodges and Brandon Dillon
No. 22 Las Vegas Raiders
Austin Hooper, Michael Mayer*, Jesper Horsted and Jacob Hollister
No. 23 Tennessee Titans
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Trevon Wesco, Josh Whyle, Kevin Rader and Justin Rigg
Stud tight ends are few and far between, and truthfully, any team could probably be placed anywhere in this tier. A lot of rookie tight ends came off the board, and Dalton Kincaid and Michael Mayer have the benefit of being additions to quality tight end rooms.
There are some good players scattered throughout this tier, like Noah Fant, Irv Smith, Dalton Schultz, Evan Engram and Tyler Higbee, but none of these players are moving any needles. These players fit the needs of their teams, but no player in this tier is truly game-breaking.
Tier Four:
No. 24 Carolina Panthers
Hayden Hurst, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble and Stephan Sullivan
No. 25 New York Jets
Tyler Conklin, CJ Uzomah, Jeremy Ruckert and Kenny Yeboah
No. 26 New Orleans Saints
Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau and Jesse James
No. 27 Green Bay Packers
Luke Musgrave*, Tucker Craft*, Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis
No. 28 Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta*, Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Darrell Daniels and Daniel Helm
No. 29 Dallas Cowboys
Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker*, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon
No. 30 Indianapolis Colts
Jelani Woods, Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson and Will Mallory
No. 31 Miami Dolphins
Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Tanner Conner and Elijah Higgins*
No. 32 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, Payne Durham and David Wells
This final tier has a healthy mix of veterans who do not make tremendous impacts and rookies who can propel themselves up a tier or two with great play. While these units are all ranked in the last tier, none of these teams are truly terrible at the position. Even the final three teams all have players to get excited about moving forward. The Packers, Lions and Cowboys have young tight ends that can elevate their teams if they reach their potential. Luke Musgrave and Sam LaPorta are getting rave reviews in training camp, while Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker could form a great duo for Dallas this season. None of these teams has any stars as the position as it stands, but you do not need a star to get great production out of the tight end room.
2023 NFL TE Rankings – Projected Starters
- Travis Kelce
- George Kittle
- Mark Andrews
- Dallas Goedert
- Kyle Pitts
- T.J. Hockenson
- Darren Waller
- Pat Freiermuth
- David Njoku
- Dalton Schultz
- Hunter Henry
- Evan Engram
- Cole Kmet
- Greg Dulchich
- Tyler Higbee
- Irv Smith
- Chigozeim Okonkwo
- Zach Ertz
- Hayden Hurst
- Juwan Johnson
- Noah Fant
- Logan Thomas
- Tyler Conklin
- Luke Musgrave
- Jake Ferguson
- Sam LaPorta
- Jelani Woods
- Cade Otton
- Tyler Higbee
- Austin Hooper
- Gerald Everett
- Durham Smyth
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2023 NFL Positional Rankings