Who are the NFL's best tight ends? Execs, coaches and scouts help rank 2025's top 10

With 2025 NFL grooming camps connected the horizon, the league's existent insiders made their voices heard.

ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to assistance america fertile the apical 10 players astatine 11 antithetic positions, from backmost to cornerback and each positions successful between. This was the sixth variation of these rankings, and arsenic usual, respective players moved up oregon fell disconnected last year's lists.

A reminder of the rankings process: Voters gave america their 10 champion players astatine a position, past we compiled the results and ranked candidates based connected fig of top-10 votes, composite mean and dozens of interviews, with probe and movie survey assistance from ESPN NFL expert Matt Bowen. In total, much than 70 voters submitted a ballot connected astatine slightest 1 position, and successful galore cases each positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed helped america interruption immoderate ties.

Each conception includes quotes and nuggets from the voters connected each ranked subordinate -- adjacent the honorable mentions. The nonsubjective was to place the champion players for 2025. This was not a five-year projection oregon a vocation accomplishment award. Who are the champion players today?

We volition rotation retired a presumption per time implicit 11 days. The schedule: running backs (7/7), defensive tackles (7/8), edge rushers (7/9), safeties (7/10), tight ends (7/11), interior violative linemen (7/12), violative tackles (7/13), quarterbacks (7/14), off-ball linebackers (7/15), wide receivers (7/16), cornerbacks (7/17).

The George Kittle vs. Travis Kelce conflict raged connected for a half-decade successful glorious fashion.

And present it's over.

The apical tier of this year's choky ends database features aggregate caller names -- and a caller choky extremity king.

Kittle and Kelce volition person golden jackets waiting for them aft retirement. For now, they person choky ends wrong their respective divisions who are jockeying for position.

Tight ends showed retired for their quarterbacks past season, with 5 players producing betwixt 800 and 1,200 receiving yards (three surpassing 1,100 yards) and 7 antithetic choky ends scoring astatine slightest 7 touchdowns.

A versatile choky extremity tin marque each the quality for an offense, from yards aft drawback to stout blocking successful the tally game. It pays to beryllium a choky end, too, with the positional marketplace surging adjacent to $20 cardinal per twelvemonth this offseason.

Here are the league's apical 10 choky ends based connected votes from executives, scouts and coaches.

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 7
Age: 22 | Last year's ranking: not eligible (rookie)

Bowers makes past successful our Top 10 canvass -- he's the archetypal subordinate to fertile No. 1 astatine his presumption aft his rookie year. From Joe Burrow to Justin Jefferson and Sauce Gardner, galore came adjacent but couldn't rather propulsion disconnected the feat.

Bowers, however, narrowly outdistanced Kittle successful the polls aft earning much than 50% of the first-place votes.

He was the highest-graded wide subordinate successful the 2024 draught successful the eyes of immoderate NFL scouts, but the presumption helium plays, coupled with a beardown backmost draft, dropped him to the No. 13 pick.

Sure, the Raiders needed a backmost successful the worst way, but there's nary mode they regret the enactment of Bowers, who met expectations, past smashed them.

Among his Year 1 records: astir receiving yards by a rookie choky extremity oregon wide receiver successful NFL past (1,194), astir receptions by a rookie astatine immoderate presumption (112) and astir receptions by immoderate subordinate successful a azygous play successful Raiders history.

"Great person, hard worker, instinctive, large hands, matchup occupation owed to his velocity and athleticism with elite [run aft catch] ability," an NFC enforcement said.

Added an NFL coordinator: "He benignant of conscionable floats astir retired there. Game comes people to him."

2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 4
Age: 31 | Last year's ranking: 2

Kittle is aging well. He's coming disconnected back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with a combined 14 touchdowns during that two-year span. Fifty of his 78 catches past play went for a archetypal down. His premier blocking remains unmatched, and he's inactive pugnacious to bring down, starring each choky ends with 14.2 yards per catch.

Kittle and backmost Brock Purdy signed monolithic declaration extensions successful tandem this offseason, truthful they person respective years to physique upon their chemistry. Kittle caught 83% of Purdy's targets past year.

"He's shown that erstwhile he's steadfast he's the astir implicit subordinate astatine the position," an AFC scout said. "Durability is the lone happening that's truly affected that. He embodies San Francisco's civilization and that's wherefore they support paying him."

3. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 8
Age: 24 | Last year's ranking: 4

LaPorta's accumulation dipped successful Year 2, erstwhile helium finished with 60 catches for 726 yards and 7 scores. He fought done a genu contented -- a hyperextension and bony bruise -- that slowed momentum.

But he's each spot arsenic invaluable arsenic helium was successful 2023, and Detroit had respective further playmakers for whom to find targets. LaPorta is considered a implicit choky extremity with elite feet, niftiness successful the reddish portion and spot to vie each play.

"[Lack of accumulation is] not truly a origin due to the fact that Detroit has truthful galore players they request to get the shot to," an NFC enforcement said. "He's a stud. Will beryllium a cornerstone subordinate for a agelong time."

New Lions violative coordinator John Morton was erstwhile an NFL choky ends coach, truthful scheming plays with LaPorta successful caput won't beryllium overseas to him. And if caput manager Dan Campbell jumps into playcalling, which is simply a passionateness of his, his emotion for choky ends is well-known.

LaPorta remains a reddish portion favourite of Jared Goff's, catching 11 passes for 80 yards and 5 touchdowns connected 19 targets successful that country of the field.

"He doesn't person a batch of weaknesses -- bully astatine conscionable astir everything," an AFC scout said. "If you privation a implicit choky end, helium fits the bill."

4. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 10
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: honorable mention

The Cardinals' caller $76 cardinal antheral has been worthy each cent for Arizona, which trusted McBride with a 29.7% people stock past season.

McBride rewarded that usage with a Year 3 breakout that included 111 catches for 1,116 yards connected his mode to a archetypal Pro Bowl nod. His 147 targets past play ranked 2nd among choky ends, and McBride turned those targets into 7.8 yards per clip. He has run-after-catch quality with velocity and bully hands and is simply a susceptible blocker.

"Best receiving choky extremity retired there," an NFL coordinator said. "He's a hard screen adjacent for elite corners."

McBride's leap from past year's honorable notation presumption to the apical 4 is sizable, but helium was the lone choky extremity not named Kittle oregon Bowers to person a first-place vote.

"Lack of touchdowns hurts him a spot for maine if we're talking astir top-five guys," an NFL unit manager said astir McBride, who has six full touchdowns successful 3 seasons.

5. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 35 | Last year's ranking: 1

The back-to-back choky extremity king fell good abbreviated of archetypal spot aft signs of diminution surfaced successful 2024.

Most of that tin beryllium chalked up to age. Kelce turns 36 successful October and has played astir 200 games implicit 12 years, including playoffs.

But respective evaluators noted that Kelce played heavier past year, thing he's aiming to fix. He has slimmed down this offseason successful mentation for what could beryllium his last season. While a squad root believes immoderate value issues did not impact his play dramatically, deficiency of explosive plays was a problem. His 8.5 yards per drawback were a vocation debased by a wide margin.

"For definite [he showed] signs of carnal decline, but you inactive person to interest astir him due to the fact that he's specified a astute subordinate with a large transportation with the QB," a seasoned pro unit evaluator said. "Just doesn't get unfastened similar helium utilized to."

Kelce is inactive unsafe successful the reddish zone, wherever helium turned 26 targets into 19 catches for 106 yards and 3 scores. He inactive led the Chiefs successful targets (133) past season.

While Kelce volition stay a focal point, the Chiefs expect to person afloat wellness astatine wide receiver, and choky ends Noah Gray and Jared Wiley could turn successful stature.

"He's inactive awesome," an NFC enforcement said of Kelce. "It mightiness not look arsenic exotic arsenic helium utilized to, but you inactive look up and he's got 9 for 70."

6. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 29 | Last year's ranking: 3

Andrews held up successful the voting contempt declines successful yards and catches per crippled compared to erstwhile years.

But helium was highly businesslike erstwhile Lamar Jackson looked his way. Andrews produced a 140.9 passer standing for his backmost connected 69 targets, with 55 catches for 673 yards, 11 touchdowns and 1 interception.

The important extremity portion driblet connected a game-tying 2-point effort precocious successful the AFC divisional circular nonaccomplishment to Buffalo is unfortunate, but doesn't specify his game.

"Elite instincts. A QB's champion friend," an NFL coordinator said. "Dominates the mediate of the field. Understands zones and man-to-man amended than anyone extracurricular of Kelce. Baltimore is simply a wholly antithetic squad without him. Bummer astir the playoff crippled happening due to the fact that this feline is simply a full G."

7. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: 5

Hockenson's presumption wrong the Vikings' discourtesy was increasing earlier a torn ACL and MCL suffered connected a precocious deed successful Week 16 of 2023 stalled that progress. Up to that point, Hockenson's 95 receptions were the 18th astir successful NFL past among choky ends.

Returning adjacent to midseason past year, Hockenson inactive produced 3 games of astatine slightest 68 yards from November to December. But, overall, helium wasn't rather astatine afloat tilt.

"He was OK -- didn't look to spot the knee, particularly successful blocking, which is communal for that injury," an NFL coordinator said. "But I expect him to person a beardown year. He volition spot it much a twelvemonth removed and that discourtesy is acceptable up nicely for him. And he's got specified a bully consciousness for the crippled that he'll find ways to get catches."

A first-year starting quarterback's champion person is simply a choky end, truthful don't beryllium amazed if J.J. McCarthy hits it disconnected with Hockenson implicit the mediate of the tract -- particularly erstwhile helium sees brushed spots successful portion coverages, which Hockenson navigates well.

8. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens

Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: unranked

Cracking the apical 8 arsenic a TE2 is an awesome feat for Likely. But his illustration successful Baltimore is growing. He averaged 8.2 yards per target, ranking precocious wrong this choky extremity pool. His 4.3 yards of separation per way besides is among the champion for his position.

"He's a matchup guy, precise loose, tin separate, large drawback radius, beauteous divers way tree," a seasoned NFL manager said.

Likely is simply a 2026 escaped agent, and though Baltimore has involvement successful re-signing him, helium would person a fruitful unfastened marketplace waiting for him.

Likely had 13 reddish portion targets, the astir for immoderate NFL choky extremity who isn't the superior starter. He turned those targets into 8 catches for 56 yards and 5 scores.

9. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

Highest ranking: 7 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 30 | Last year's ranking: 7

Goedert occupies a tricky abstraction connected the database due to the fact that he's a longtime top-10 nonmigratory but is, rather clearly, the 4th enactment successful the Eagles' discourtesy down Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Philadelphia explored a imaginable commercialized for Goedert this offseason, lone to revise his declaration to 1 twelvemonth and $10 million.

His 2024 output -- 42 catches for 496 yards and 2 touchdowns -- was his lowest since his rookie twelvemonth successful 2018. But he's inactive considered among the astir implicit choky ends successful the NFL.

"He's inactive connected the abbreviated database of choky ends that impact the crippled astatine a precocious level," a high-ranking scout with an NFL squad said.

Added a seasoned NFL antiaircraft coach: "Very bully subordinate -- does everything highly well, conscionable not exceptional astatine immoderate 1 happening successful peculiar ... You don't springiness him arsenic overmuch thought arsenic immoderate of these different apical [tight ends], but astir apt due to the fact that you can't spend to with Saquon, A.J. and Smith successful that offense."

10. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: 6

Njoku realized his tremendous imaginable successful 2023 with 882 yards, six touchdowns and a Pro Bowl motion contempt playing with 4 antithetic quarterbacks.

The 2024 play was harder for Njoku, whose yards per drawback dipped from 10.9 to 7.9. But helium posted a respectable 64 catches and 5 touchdowns portion playing successful 1 of the league's worst offenses.

"He's figured it out," an NFL unit evaluator said. "Before helium was conscionable an jock with carnal tools, but he's evolved into a pro choky extremity who had much nuance to his crippled arsenic a way runner and much sum awareness."

Honorable mention

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills: "Athletic, helium tin run, elite hands and shot skills positive his QB volition marque him productive." - NFL unit director

"I deliberation he's going to person a large bounce-back year." -- AFC scout

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers: "I've ever been a immense fan. He's a truly freakin' bully shot player. Has three-down ability, reliable successful the passing game. He's conscionable had atrocious backmost play." -- NFC scout

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots: "He's aging good due to the fact that velocity was ne'er his crippled but he's conscionable a bully subordinate with definite hands. Can get you 600 oregon truthful yards each year. Takes attraction of his body, large successful the locker room." -- NFL unit evaluator

Evan Engram, Denver Broncos: "Persistent matchup contented owed to his diversion quality and explosive plays. He's gotten much polished and dependable passim his career." -- NFC executive

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears: "Probably underutilized arsenic a three-down choky end. He tin agelong the seams and enactment underneath for the QB." -- NFL unit evaluator

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys: "Excellent blocker and receiver. Needs to get Dak [Prescott] backmost successful the worst way." -- NFL coordinator

Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers: "Best successful the NFL aft the catch. Can truly run. Not an elite blocker astatine this stage." -- Veteran AFC unit executive

Also receiving votes: Dalton Schultz (Houston Texans), Tucker Kraft (Green Bay Packers), Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons), Juwan Johnson (New Orleans Saints), Zach Ertz (Washington Commanders)