If you think about it, the tight end position was at the forefront of the last schematic revolution in the NFL.
Consider the Tampa 2 coverage scheme. For those that need a refresher, this is a defensive coverage that plays with two deep defenders, but tasks a third – often an athletic linebacker – with defending the area between the safeties. This coverage is traced back to the Tony Dungy/Monty Kiffin teams, and it was implemented to protect that area of the field against receivers or, in many cases, tight ends.
Where TEs had previously been viewed as a sixth offensive lineman who could occasionally add something in the passing game, as more teams looked to these players in the passing game defenses needed a response. The Tampa 2 coverage was born.
As is usually the case, schematic advancements in football move in cycles. When more professional teams wanted athleticism at the tight end position, better and better athletes started playing the position. A new generation of tight ends was born, players like Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez, who were dominant more for what they did as receivers than anything else. When these players started running away from linebackers, defenses needed to adjust again.
when I think about the league from a conceptual standpoint, i usually end up down a Bill Belichick-related rabbit hole. If you read and study the defensive mind over his years in the league, you will see that there is nothing Belichick considers more dangerous to a defense than a versatile tight end. If you want visual evidence of this fact, go back to the 2018 regular season meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots. Against an offensive featuring the explosive Tyreek Hill, it was Travis Kelce who found himself double- and even triple-covered at times.
If Belichick is worried about a position or a player, you better take notice.
Right now the league has a very solid class of talent at the position, including the aforementioned Kelce, who is as you would expect among the top of the class. But how does this group stack up?
As usual, we begin with the Honorable Mentions.
Honorable Mentions
We start with a player with tremendous potential, but who has yet to truly put it together. Evan Engram looked every bit the part of a future mismatch nightmare coming out of college – and those who saw his week of practices at the Senior Bowl would concur – but injuries and inconsistency has been the hallmark of his young career. If he puts it together he can crack a list like this. Hayden Hurst now looks to be the prime option at the position in Atlanta, and with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley on the outside and Matt Ryan throwing to him, he is in a good position to excel in 2020. Jonnu Smith is stepping in as the main man for the Titans, and that play-action heavy offense is a good position for him to succeed. Gerald Everett might be the second TE option for the Los Angeles Rams, but Sean McVay has done creative things for him in the past and we can expect that to continue into 2020. Greg Olsen might have a TV gig waiting for him, but he can still be a factor for the Seattle Seahawks in 2020.
Then there is what is taking place in Tampa Bay. Rob Gronkowski is usually a mainstay on lists like this, but since he sat out all of 2019, he did not meet the snap threshold for inclusion. But he, coupled with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, are also names to watch.
Also, in a bit of “calling my shot,” look for Adam Trautman to be on a list like this sometime soon…
Best tight end groups
As more and more teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings rely on multiple tight end packages, some great units are starting to develop around the league. Obviously with elite players like George Kittle and Travis Kelce, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs have solid groups by default. But in terms of a 1-2 punch, it is hard to top what Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson have assembled in Philadelphia. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert are two of the top TEs in the game, and as a result the Eagles implemented this package a staggering 52% of the time.
Not too far behind, however, were the Vikings. Under Kevin Stefanski the Vikings used 12 personnel on 34% of their snaps, and having Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. in place certainly led to that usage. With Stefanski off to Cleveland, you might want to keep an eye on their group, which as of this moment consists of Austin Hooper, David Njoku and an intriguing rookie in Harrison Bryant.
Now, the Top 11: