Since Rob Gronkowski retired, there has been a gaping void in therms of talent in the AFC East division. It lacks a big-time playmaking tight end. Sure, there are a couple of young players with great potential in Miami’s Mike Gesicki, New York’s Chris Herndon, and Buffalo’s Dawson Knox, but there’s no guarantee that they will breakout into Gronk-spike territory.
Nevertheless, odds are at least one tight end in the AFC East will trend toward top-10 status in the NFL. Offensive coordinators understand the matchup problems posed by athletic tight ends in the modern-day game.
Is there another Gronk in the division? Probably not. Even so, there are players who will be quite valuable for their respective teams at the tight end spot this year. But for now, we’ll have to shuffle through what these guys are right now.
Here’s a ranking of how the AFC East’s tight room rank, head-to-head:
1. Miami Dolphins
Mike Gesicki wins this battle of best tight ends in the division, which really isn’t saying too much. He became a much larger part of the Dolphins offensive attack in 2019, seeing his target share increase from 32 in his rookie season to 89 passes last season. Gesicki ended last year with 51 receptions for 570 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Gesick is a sneaky breakout candidate this year, as he will likely see at least a similar target share as last year with Ryan Fitzpatrick returning and rookie Tua Tagovailoa needing a go-to safety valve.
Behind Gesicki, Durham Smythe and offseason trade acquisition Adam Shaheen will provide depth for the Dolphins. Smythe is not much help in the aerial attack but is a good blocker. Shaheen was acquired for a sixth-round pick. The former Chicago Bear was thought to be a sneaky second-round pick in the 2017 draft due to perceived upside. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work out, and now he will battle for snaps in South Beach.