With 2024 NFL training camps on the horizon, it is again time for the league’s true insiders to make their voices heard. ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from quarterback to cornerback and all positions in between. This is the fifth edition of these rankings, and as usual, several players have moved up or fallen off last year’s lists.
A reminder of the rankings process: Voters give us their best 10 players at a position, then we compile the results and rank candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, nearly 80 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed help us break any ties.
Each section includes quotes and nuggets from the voters on every ranked player — even the honorable mentions. The objective is to identify the best players right now for 2024. This is not a five-year projection or a career achievement award. Who are the best players today?
We will roll out a position per day over 11 days. The schedule: running backs (7/8), defensive tackles (7/9), edge rushers (7/10), safeties (7/11), tight ends (7/12), interior offensive linemen (7/13), offensive tackles (7/14), quarterbacks (7/15), off-ball linebackers (7/16), wide receivers (7/17), cornerbacks (7/18).
This year’s tight end group is compelling because it has the classic heavyweight fight of Travis Kelce vs. George Kittle, along with the undercard of rookies vs. the field.
The 2023 draft class of tight ends was considered to be one of the best in decades, and that’s reflected in this ranking. Last season’s rookies made an impression across the league.
This year’s ranking had a shake-up at the top. Darren Waller, who ranked No. 5 in last year’s edition, announced his retirement in June, and another 2023 top-five tight end dropped in the ranking. But that didn’t water down an already stout field, led by the guy on the Chiefs.
We also have to give a shout-out to Iowa for developing tight end excellence. Three former Hawkeyes ranked in the top five of this year’s tight ends list, which is a first for any collegiate program in the five-year history of this exercise.
Let’s look at some of the game’s top tight ends as ranked by execs, coaches and scouts around the NFL.
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 5
Age: 34 | Last year’s ranking: 1
Kelce is the back-to-back tight end king, narrowly outdistancing Kittle with a flurry of late first-place votes.
His ability to separate, on the field and in voting, draws questions at age 34. He missed out on an All-Pro first- or second-team and a 1,000-yard season for the first time since 2015. His 10.6 yards per catch marked a career low.
But his 51 receiving first downs and 65.6 yards per game ranked first among tight ends. And under the bright playoff lights, Kelce delivered with 32 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns in four games.
“He’s still a matchup problem in the passing game, still has tremendous rapport with [Patrick] Mahomes, big with great hands, instinctive, effective after the catch,” an NFC executive said.
The Chiefs’ entire passing game struggled last season, allowing defenses to sag on Kelce in coverage.
“He’s the focal point. You can put more resources toward stopping him,” the executive said. “For years, he would kill one-on-ones every time. He maybe doesn’t do that as much but [is] still a problem there.”
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 5
Age: 30 | Last year’s ranking: 2
To accompany his status as the most well-rounded tight end, Kittle was the only player at his position to post a 1,000-yard season last year (his first since 2019).
When healthy, he’s incredibly hard to bring down. His 15.7 yards per catch led all tight ends — no one else surpassed 13.0 — and his 7.4 yards after catch were tied for first at the position.
“Deep in-breaking routes, delays and boots and keepers — he’s just a problem with the ball in his hands,” an NFL personnel director said. “He’s more explosive [than Kelce] at this point, and being able to stay a little bit healthier this year helped him.”
Seven years in, Kittle is still considered the game’s premier blocking tight end.
Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 6
Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: 3
Andrews went back and forth with Lions rookie Sam LaPorta for the third spot before overtaking him late in the voting process.
A mid-November ankle injury spoiled another stellar season. Andrews was pacing for 925 yards and 10 touchdowns over a 17-game season.
“He’s still a monster target in the middle of the field, huge catch radius, a matchup issue for safeties and a bruiser after the catch,” an NFL personnel evaluator said.
Andrews is considered more rigid than Kelce but is used similarly as a No. 1 receiver/tight end.
While receivers have come and gone in Baltimore’s offense, which before last year was known more for the running game, Andrews has produced like a high-end pass catcher throughout.
“He’s helped keep that passing game afloat for a long time,” the personnel evaluator said. “A lot of receivers have come and gone there, but not him.”
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 7
Age: 23 | Last year’s ranking: N/A
The Lions have spent three first-round picks on the tight end position since 2009: Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron and T.J. Hockenson.
But it’s a second-round pick who’s poised to become the franchise’s best selection of the position group.
LaPorta exploded onto the scene with 86 catches — the most ever for a rookie tight end — for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“He’s f—ing awesome,” a veteran NFC scout said. “Everything looks super easy and natural to him. Great feet. Great in the red zone. Strains every play, whether blocking or running routes. Plays the game the right way, snap in and snap out. Strong for his size and so instinctive.”
The 10 touchdowns led all tight ends. He dropped six passes, but as one league executive said, he has “good hands that won’t be a problem long term.”
Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10
Age: 26 | Last year’s ranking: 6
Hockenson makes his top-five debut despite a severe injury complicating his 2024 outlook.
The Vikings could sit Hockenson for the early part of the season due to his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL suffered on a big hit in Week 16.
Hockenson had posted career highs in catches (95) and yards (960) before the injury.
“His zone instincts are elite, the ability to manipulate areas and get friendly to the QB,” said an NFL coordinator on what separates Hockenson.
That he moved up a spot despite his injury is a testament to his work.
“His ability to win on choice routes in level two and create leverage vs. linebackers or defensive backs,” the NFL coordinator continued. “He can play with power vs. smaller guys and with more finesse vs. bigger guys. He can play across the formation and you have to respect him as an all-around tight end because he can and will block.”
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 10
Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: Honorable mention
After years of playing in the background, Njoku broke the 100-target threshold in his seventh NFL season and validated that volume share with 882 yards and six touchdowns despite playing with four different quarterbacks.
His enormous potential was finally realized.
He ranked first among tight ends in yards after first contact (247) and yards after the catch (7.4, tied with Kittle).
“It’s probably taken him a while to get down the nuances of the game, but his size and athleticism have always been a problem for defenses,” a veteran NFL personnel man said. “He’s not polished, a little inconsistent when it comes to feel for the game, but he has gotten better. There’s a lot to work with still.”
The Browns had foresight when signing Njoku to a four-year, $56.75-million deal in 2022, before the production.
Njoku’s biggest issue is that he had nine drops last season, which led all tight ends. And as one voter pointed out, Njoku found immediate success with quarterback Joe Flacco late in the year, which the voter believes isn’t indicative of long-term success. Njoku’s biggest three receiving games of the year came over a four-game stretch with Flacco as his starter. It remains to be seen whether Njoku can repeat the performance with Deshaun Watson back.
Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10
Age: 29 | Last year’s ranking: 4
Goedert’s production dipped in 2023, averaging 10 yards per catch on 59 receptions, compared to an average of 13.8 the previous two years.
But, to his credit, the Eagles offense collapsed in the second half of the season. But expect Goedert, who’s still in his prime, to embrace new coordinator Kellen Moore‘s offense in 2024.
Production aside, Goedert gets it done in various ways.
“[He’s] one of the few that can block at a high level and still receive,” a high-ranking NFL official said. “He’s a lot like [George] Kittle in that way.”
Goedert can make things happen with the ball in his hands. His average of 5.4 yards after the catch per reception, which ranked fourth among this tight end group, reflects that.
Philadelphia relies heavily on Goedert for run-pass option screens and underneath plays. He has seam-stretching ability, but the presence of wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith could continue to suppress his bottom line.
Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10
Age: 24 | Last year’s ranking: N/A
Kincaid drew comparisons to Travis Kelce when he came out of Utah in 2023 due to his smooth route running.
Buffalo wouldn’t mind quarterback Josh Allen and Kincaid stealing some Mahomes-to-Kelce magic as a potent quarterback-tight end duo.
“He’s super natural as a mover, super instinctive, great hands,” a high-ranking NFL personnel man said. “Not sure he’s as explosive after the catch as some of the others.”
Along with his 73 receptions for 673 yards as a rookie, Kincaid ranked atop this group in average yards from the nearest defender at pass arrival when targeted, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
While he doesn’t possess high-end speed, Kincaid’s 4.71-second 40-yard dash time was adequate for his position, and multiple evaluators believe he plays faster than that.
Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10
Age: 29 | Last year’s ranking: 8
Many of the evaluators who kept voting for Engram when he struggled in New York can revel now that Engram has been highly productive in Jacksonville.
Engram led his position with 143 targets and his 114 receptions were 19 more than any other tight end.
Jacksonville asked Engram to carry the offense at times with 558 routes run, by far the most for a tight end.
“He’s a matchup problem — you can’t put a linebacker on him,” an AFC executive said. “You put him on shallow crossers and get the ball out quickly in space and on screens and he can do damage.”
Engram’s eight drops were the second-most for tight ends. But on eight tight-window throws, he caught five of them, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That 62.5% success rate topped this group.
Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10
Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: Honorable mention
In a battle for Texas, Schultz edged his replacement in Dallas, Jake Ferguson, and many others for a spot in the top 10.
Schultz is a former Cowboys franchise player who turned a modest one-year deal with the Texans into a $36 million extension after catching 59 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns.
Schultz’s play isn’t flashy, but voters who value consistency value him greatly. He committed two drops on 88 targets, one of the top clips among tight ends.
He’s one of five tight ends to rank in the top eight at the position in catches (257), yards (2,635) and touchdowns (22) since 2020. Kelce, Andrews, Kittle and Hockenson are the others. That’s good company.
“He’s just an all-around good player, consistent, blocks, can make contested receptions,” said a lead evaluator with an AFC team. “He affects winning.”
Honorable mentions
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys: Ferguson broke out in Year 2 with 761 yards, including 425 after the catch, which ranked top five for tight ends. “Fierce competitor, has some swag to him, seems to have a chemistry with Dak Prescott, a gamer,” an NFC scout said.
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals: McBride had one drop on 108 targets, which is impressive for a second-year player. Of his 81 catches, 42 went for a first down, fifth among tight ends. “We were really high on him coming up,” a team executive said. “He does a lot of things really well. Run after catch, good in the red zone, has a higher upside than many of the guys ahead of him. [He’s] more of a pass-game tight end but a competitive blocker.”
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers: Freiermuth’s proverbial third-season jump into the elite was sabotaged by a hamstring injury and poor quarterback play. He had 32 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. “He’s the guy who should be up there,” an NFC exec said. “He’s really skilled and savvy, knows how to get open. Just doesn’t have the production.”
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears: Kmet made a serious push for the top 10 with 73 catches for 719 yards and six touchdowns, despite quarterback uncertainty in Chicago. “Very underrated,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “We just don’t know a lot about him because of Chicago’s passing game. He’s solid all-around.”
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons: Pitts’ production has fallen off with a combined 81 catches for 1,023 yards since 2022. Couple that with the six career touchdowns and Pitts hasn’t validated his billing as a No. 4 overall pick in 2021 despite a 1,000-yard rookie season. “Coming out, this guy’s a monster in the passing game,” an NFC exec said. “First year, Oh my God, he’s still a problem. But that [knee] injury he had, he just doesn’t look right. People talk about how they use him, but he doesn’t look like the same guy.”
Also receiving votes: Noah Fant (Seattle Seahawks), Luke Musgrave (Green Bay Packers), Dawson Knox (Buffalo Bills), Tyler Higbee (Los Angeles Rams), Hunter Henry (New England Patriots)