Greatest Tight Ends in NFL History

The tight end position has gone from being a glorified lineman who can catch short passes to an offensive weapon who can change the game.

Greatest Tight Ends in NFL History

Rob Gronkowski celebrates after scoring a touchdown — Rob Gronkowski was a beast at tight end on the football field.

A long time ago, football coaches thought a tight end should be a lumbering, semi-athletic, glorified offensive lineman who could catch short passes. History, as it sometimes does, had a different idea.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a quantum leap for tight ends, and the position continues to evolve (just ask any fantasy football devotee). Now, tight ends are offensive weapons. They can control a game with their blocking on the edge, often matched up with the other team’s best pass rusher, and use their elite size and speed to expose linebackers and safeties downfield.

These are the greatest tight ends in football history.

60. Ted Kwalick

Ted Kwalick playing for the San Francisco 49ers — San Francisco 49ers tight end Ted Kwalick breaks away from a Philadelphia Eagles defender during a game in 1971.

Hometown/high school: McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania/McKees Rocks Montour (Pa.) High

College: Penn State University

Pros: San Francisco 49ers (1969-74), Philadelphia Bell (1975), Oakland Raiders (1975-77)

Championships: 1 (1976)

Bottom line: One of the greatest tight ends in Penn State history, Ted Kwalick was the school’s first two-time All-American and still holds several receiving records for tight ends.

During his time with the 49ers, he scored the first touchdown at Candlestick Park in 1971 and was a three-time Pro Bowler, including an All-Pro season in 1972 when he averaged a stunning 18.8 yards per catch.

Kwalick played in two NFC championship games with the 49ers, spent one year in the wild-and-wacky World Football League, then ended his career by winning a Super Bowl with the Raiders.

* All player stats are updated through Jan. 31, 2023.

59. Bubba Franks

Bubba Franks catches a flip pass from Brett Favre — Green Bay Packers tight end Bubba Franks catches a flip pass from quarterback Brett Favre during a 2006 game against the New York Jets in Green Bay.

Hometown/high school: Riverside, California/Big Spring (Texas) High

College: University of Miami

Pros: Green Bay Packers (2000-07), New York Jets (2008)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Bubba Franks first came on the national scene when he was at the University of Miami, becoming a late-1990's staple on highlight reels with his one-handed catches.

After earning first-team All-American honors in 1999, Franks left college with one year of eligibility remaining and was a first-round NFL draft pick.

He was a steady blocking and pass-catching force for the Packers until injuries began to derail his career — neck and knee problems plagued his last three seasons with Green Bay.

58. Ernie Conwell

Ernie Conwell with the St. Louis Rams — St. Louis Rams tight end Ernie Conwell, center, fights for yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2002.

Hometown/high school: Renton, Washington/Kentwood (Wash.) High

College: University of Washington

Pros: St. Louis Rams (1996-2002), New Orleans Saints (2003-06)

Championships: 1 (1999)

Bottom line: Ernie Conwell was a prep football and track and field star in suburban Seattle, setting records in the javelin before deciding to go to nearby University of Washington, where he played behind another NFL tight end, Mark Bruener, his first three seasons.

Cronwell thrived as the main tight end for the Rams during their dominant run in the late 1990s and early 2000s, helping them win two NFC titles and pull off a thrilling Super Bowl win over the Tennessee Titans with his ability to catch passes and set the edge for star running back Marshall Faulk.

57. Chad Lewis

Chad Lewis celebrates a touchdown with the Eagles — Philadelphia Eagles tight end Chad Lewis celebrates a touchdown catch against the Tennessee Titans in 2002.

Hometown/high school: Fort Dix, New Jersey/Orem (Utah) High

College: Brigham Young University

Pros: Philadelphia Eagles (1997-98, 2000-05), St. Louis Rams (1998-99)

Championships: 1 (1999)

Bottom line: Chad Lewis was a walk-on to All-American at BYU but struggled to find his footing through his first few seasons in the NFL.

He was a Super Bowl champion with the St. Louis Rams after the 1999 season, despite being cut by the team after 10 weeks, then began to thrive after being traded back to his original team, the Eagles.

In 2004, he caught the game-winning touchdown in the NFC championship game but broke his foot on the play and had to sit out a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

56. Dan Ross

Dan Ross with the Cincinnati Bengals — Cincinnati Bengals tight end Dan Ross runs after a pass reception against the San Diego Chargers during the AFC championship game in 1982.

Hometown/high school: Malden, Massachusetts/Everett (Mass.) High

College: Northeastern University

Pros: Cincinnati Bengals (1979-1983, 1985), New Orleans/Portland Breakers (1984-85), Seattle Seahawks (1985), Green Bay Packers (1986)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Coming out of tiny Northeastern University, Dan Ross went all the way from there to the College Football Hall of Fame and NFL stardom.

Ross played five seasons for the Bengals before leaving for the USFL for two seasons, then returning to the Bengals for a star turn in a Super Bowl XVI loss to the San Francisco 49ers, when he caught 11 passes for 104 receiving yards, both records for a tight end at the time.

Ross died in 2006 at 49 years old after returning home from a jog.

55. Jermaine Gresham

Jermaine Gresham catches a touchdown — Arizona Cardinals tight end Jermaine Gresham makes a catch for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.

Hometown/high school: Ardmore, Oklahoma/Ardmore (Okla.) High

College: University of Oklahoma

Pros: Cincinnati Bengals (2010-14), Arizona Cardinals (2015-18)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Rated as the No. 1 tight end in the nation coming out of high school, Jermaine Gresham picked the in-state Oklahoma Sooners over USC and Miami and was a first-round draft pick despite missing all of his senior season of college with a knee injury.

After signing a five-year, $15.85 million rookie deal, he delivered big for the Bengals and had at least 400 receiving yards in each of his first five seasons.

Greshman, Mike Ditka and fellow Oklahoma product Keith Jackson are the only tight ends to have at least 50 receptions in each of their first three NFL seasons.

54. Zach Miller

Hometown/high school: Tempe, Arizona/Desert Vista (Ariz.) High

College: Arizona State University

Pros: Oakland Raiders (2007-10), Seattle Seahawks (2011-14)

Championships: 1 (2013)

Bottom line: Zach Miller grew up in the Phoenix area and didn’t have to go far to find college stardom, becoming a John Mackey Award finalist and All-American at Arizona State.

Miller’s draft stock fell after a poor performance at the combine, but he responded by becoming the Raiders’ starting tight end as a rookie and leading the team in receiving for three straight seasons.

He parlayed that success into a lucrative free-agent deal with the Seahawks for five years and $34 million in 2011.

53. Bob Tucker

Bob Tucker runs after catching a pass with the New York Giants — New York Giants tight end Bob Tucker leaves Philadelphia Eagles defenders behind him as he runs for a touchdown after catching a pass during a preseason game in 1970.

Hometown/high school: Haven, Pennsylvania./Haven (Pa.) High

College: Bloomsburg University

Pros: New York Giants (1970-77), Minnesota Vikings (1977-80)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Tiny NCAA Division II Bloomsburg University produced one of the great players from the New York Giants’ bleak decade of the 1970s in Bob Tucker, who spent two seasons playing minor league football for the Pottstown Firebirds before he made an NFL roster.

Tucker was incredibly productive from the moment he stepped on the field for the Giants, and had at least 450 receiving yards in each of his first seven seasons.

In a strange aside, he’s one of just a handful of Giants to play home games in four different locales: Yankee Stadium, Yale Field, Shea Stadium and Giants Stadium.

52. Martellus Bennett

Martellus Bennett catches a touchdown with the Chicago Bears — Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett makes a touchdown catch against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013.

Hometown/high school: San Diego, California/Alief Taylor (Texas) High

College: Texas A&M University

Pros: Dallas Cowboys (2008-11), New York Giants (2012), Chicago Bears (2013-15), New England Patriots (2016-17), Green Bay Packers (2017)

Championships: 1 (2016)

Bottom line: Once a basketball star who thought he might be drafted to the NBA out of high school, the 6-foot-6 Martellus Bennett turned his focus to football at Texas A&M, where he played alongside his brother and future NFL star Michael Bennett, but also became the first Aggie to letter in basketball and football since 1969.

Bennett’s productivity in the NFL has been overshadowed by his off-field antics, although he did play a key role for the Patriots in the greatest Super Bowl comeback in history as they rallied from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

51. Jackie Harris

Jackie Harris with the Dallas Cowboys — Dallas Cowboys tight end Jackie Harris, left, pulls away from an Atlanta Falcons defender during a preseason game at the Tokyo Dome in 2000.

Hometown/high school: Pine Bluff, Arkansas/Dollarway (Ark.) High

College: University of Louisiana-Monroe (formerly Northeast Louisiana University)

Pros: Green Bay Packers (1990-93), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1994-97), Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1998-99), Dallas Cowboys (2000-01)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Jackie Harris teamed with future NFL quarterback Stan Humphries to win a Division I-AA national title at Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe) in 1987.

Harris was an All-Pro in his fourth and final season with the Green Bay Packers and turned his success into a free-agent deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL at the time.

Harris started in a two-tight end set with Frank Wycheck for the Tennessee Titans on a team that won an AFC championship in 1999.

50. Ron Kramer

Ron Kramer and Jim Taylor — Green Bay Packers tight end Ron Kramer (88) raises his arms in jubilation as Jim Taylor (31) runs into end zone for a touchdown against the New York Giants in the 1962 NFL championship game at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Hometown/high school: Girard, Kansas/East Detroit (Michigan) High

College: University of Michigan

Pros: Green Bay Packers (1957, 1959-64), Detroit Lions (1965-67)

Championships: 2 (1961, 1962)

Bottom line: One of the more legendary athletes in University of Michigan history, Ron Kramer lettered nine times for the Wolverines in football, basketball and track — when freshmen were not allowed to play varsity sports.

He led the football and basketball teams in scoring before he became a key player on a pair of NFL title teams for the Green Bay Packers after famously butting heads with head coach Vince Lombardi.

Kramer, who is in the College Football Hall of Fame, died in 2010 at 75 years old.

49. Rich Caster

Rich Caster with the New York Jets — New York Jets tight end Rich Caster at training camp in 1972.

Hometown/high school: Mobile, Alabama/Williamson (Ala.) High

College: Jackson State University

Pros: New York Jets (1970-77), Houston Oilers (1978-80), New Orleans Saints (1981), Washington Redskins (1981-82)

Championships: 1 (1982)

Bottom line: Rich Caster ended up catching passes in the NFL from fellow Alabama native Joe Namath, whom he grew up idolizing.

At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds with 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash, Caster was an impossible matchup for linebackers as coaching staffs were still too dense to have anyone but a linebacker cover a tight end, despite the disastrous results when players like Caster started to take over.

Caster made three Pro Bowls while playing for the Jets, then capped his career by winning a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins.

48. Chris Cooley

Chris Cooley catches a pass — Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley pulls in a pass reception against the New Orleans Saints in 2008.

Hometown/high school: Powell, Wyoming/Logan (Utah) Hight

College: Utah State University

Pros: Washington Redskins (2004-12)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Chris Cooley grabbed the nation’s attention after leading the NCAA in receptions for a tight end in his senior season at Utah State.

Starting in 2005, Cooley had at least 700 receiving yards in four straight seasons, and five of the next six. He only played for one team in his career, the Washington Redskins, and is the team’s career leader in receptions for tight ends

Cooley was well-known for his personality off the field — his nickname was "Captain Chaos," and he was one of the first NFL players to embrace social media and develop an online persona.

47. Kyle Rudolph

Kyle Rudolph with the Minnesota Vikings — Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph slips away from a Miami Dolphins defender during a game in 2018.

Hometown/high school: Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder (Ohio) High

College: University of Notre Dame

Pros: Minnesota Vikings (2011-20), New York Giants (2021), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2022)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Kyle Rudolph was arguably the most sought-after tight end in the country coming out of high school and became the first freshman tight end to start all 13 games for Notre Dame as well as the first freshman to start a season opener for the Irish.

After leaving college one year early, he shook off injury problems that plagued him early in his career, signed a five-year, $36.5 million contract and played every game for the Vikings between 2015 and 2018.

He’s the Vikings' career leader for tight ends with 41 touchdowns.

46. Alge Crumpler

Hometown/high school: Greenville, North Carolina/New Hanover (N.C.) High

College: University of North Carolina

Pros: Atlanta Falcons (2001-07), Tennessee Titans (2008-09), New England Patriots (2010)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Alge Crumpler had the good fortune of being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft — the same year the team selected quarterback Michael Vick with the No. 1 overall selection.

The two proved to be an electrifying pair, with Crumpler setting the edge for Vick as a fierce blocker, then turning heads as he outraced defenses, which was a sight to behold with Crumpler at 6-foot-2, 300 pounds.

He wasn’t the first NFL tight end in the family, either, following older brother Carlester Crumpler, who played for the Seahawks and Vikings.

45. Jimmie Giles

Hometown/high school: Greenville, Mississippi/Greenville (Miss.) High

College: Alcorn State University

Pros: Houston Oilers (1977), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1978-86), Detroit Lions (1986-87), Philadelphia Eagles (1987-89)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Jimmie Giles thought his future was in baseball, and even played one year of minor league baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system before embarking on his NFL career.

Giles can make a case as one of the more underrated tight ends of all time — he toiled away on lowly Tampa Bay teams, putting up big stats even though there were several seasons where he was used almost solely as a blocker.

Giles was inducted into the Tampa Bay Ring of Honor and named to the NFC All-Decade Team for the 1980s.

44. Owen Daniels

Owen Daniels with the Houston Texans — Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels celebrates a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in 2013.

Hometown/high school: Naperville, Illinois/Naperville Central (Ill.) High

College: University of Wisconsin

Pros: Houston Texans (2006-13), Baltimore Ravens (2014), Denver Broncos (2015)

Championships: 1 (2015)

Bottom line: Owen Daniels led Naperville (Ill.) Central to the Class 6A state title as a quarterback before the University of Wisconsin coaching staff realized his athleticism needed to be spread around the field.

So early in college, he played quarterback, tight end, split end, flanker, wingback and on special teams, but eventually settled in at tight end.

Daniels was a model of consistency throughout his NFL career — over 500 receiving yards in seven out of 10 seasons. He helped lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl win in 2015, his final season.

43. Delanie Walker

Hometown/high school: Pomona, California/Pomona (Calif.) High

College: University of Central Missouri

Pros: San Francisco 49ers (2006-12), Tennessee Titans (2013-19)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Undersized for a tight end at 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, Delanie Walker originally committed to UTEP but ended up at NCAA Division II Central Missouri, where he used his elite speed to set receiving records and returned three kickoff returns for touchdowns in a single season.

Walker thrived once put in the West Coast offense under new 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2011, becoming the team’s "Swiss Army Knife" and helping lead them to an NFC title in 2012.

In 13 seasons through 2018, Walker had $43.8 million in career earnings.

42. Bob Trumpy

Bob Trumpy with the Cincinnati Bengals — Cincinnati Bengals tight end Bob Trumpy fights for a high pass against the Houston Oilers in 1970.

Hometown/high school: Springfield, Illinois/Springfield (Ill.) High

College: University of Utah

Pros: Cincinnati Bengals (1968-77)

Championships: None

Bottom line: The Bengals took a flyer on Bob Trumpy in the 12th round of the 1968 AFL draft, and the University of Utah product became one of the key players in the team’s transition to the NFL in 1970.

He still holds most of the Bengals’ tight end records and then went to have a remarkable career in broadcasting, post-football. Trumpy worked his way up to becoming NBC’s lead NFL analyst in the early 1990s and called a pair of Super Bowls for the network in 1993 and 1994.

41. Charle Young

Charle Young with the 49ers — San Francisco 49ers tight end Charle Young holds on to a Joe Montana pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI in 1982.

Hometown/high school: Fresno, California/Edison (Calif.) High

College: University of Southern California

Pros: Philadelphia Eagles (1973-76), Los Angeles Rams (1977-79), San Francisco 49ers (1980-82), Seattle Seahawks (1983-85)

Championships: 1 (1981)

Bottom line: Charle Young followed his College Football Hall of Fame career at USC by stepping right into a starring role in the NFL, where he made the Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro in each of his first three seasons.

Young fled his first team, Philadelphia, after four seasons and made a beeline back to his native California. He lost a Super Bowl with the Rams, then won a Super Bowl with the 49ers, when he came up big on the drive that led to "The Catch" in an NFC championship victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

40. Raymond Chester

Raymond Chester with the Raiders — Oakland Raiders tight end Raymond Chester, right, runs toward the goal line for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in 1981.

Hometown/high school: Cambridge, Maryland/Frederick Douglass (Md.) High

College: Morgan State University

Pros: Oakland Raiders (1970-72, 1978-81), Baltimore Colts (1973-77), Oakland Invaders (1983)

Championships: 1 (1980)

Bottom line: The star of Morgan State’s undefeated season in 1968, Raymond Chester was a first-round pick by the Raiders and played two stints for the team.

In five seasons with the Colts, Chester was part of three teams that won division titles before rejoining the Raiders. He had a career season in 1979 with 712 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, then won a Super Bowl in 1980.

Chester, like Steve Jordan, has never been on a Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot despite having numbers similar to other tight ends who have been inducted.

39. Paul Coffman

Paul Coffman with the Green Bay Packers — Green Bay Packers tight end Paul Coffman catches a pass against the Minnesota Vikings in 1981.

Hometown/high school: St. Louis, Missouri/Chase (Kansas) High School

College: Kansas State University

Pros: Green Bay Packers (1978-85), Kansas City Chiefs (1986-87), Minnesota Vikings (1988)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Paul Coffman went from being a walk-on at Kansas State to undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers to making three consecutive Pro Bowls in the early 1980s.

Coffman’s best season came in 1983, when he caught 54 passes for 814 yards and 11 touchdowns, but only played in three playoff games in 11 seasons.

One of his sons, Chase Coffman, was a consensus All-American tight end at Missouri, then played in the NFL. His other son, Carson, started at quarterback for Kansas State.

38. Todd Heap

Todd Heap with the Baltimore Ravens — Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap makes a diving catch against the New York Jets in 2010.

Hometown/high school: Mesa, Arizona/Mountain View (Ariz.) High

College: Arizona State University

Pros: Baltimore Ravens (2001-10), Arizona Cardinals (2011-12)

Championships: None

Bottom line: One of the more beloved athletes in Arizona history, Todd Heap led Mountain View High in suburban Phoenix to two state championships and football before going on to star at Arizona State University.

Heap was a constant threat in the passing game for the Ravens for a decade, then played his final two seasons with the Cardinals.

His post-football life was hit with tragedy in 2017 when he accidentally struck and killed his 3-year-old daughter while moving a truck at his home in Arizona.

37. Mickey Schuler

Mickey Shuler with the New York Jets — New York Jets tight end Mickey Shuler in action.

Hometown/high school: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania/East Pennsboro (Pa.) High

College: Penn State University

Pros: New York Jets (1978-89), Philadelphia Eagles (1990-91)

Championships: None

Bottom line: It wasn’t football that originally had Mickey Schuler’s heart — he was offered basketball scholarships by North Carolina’s Dean Smith and Indiana’s Bobby Knight.

He turned his back on hoops and became a football star at Penn State, then went on to play for the Jets, where he was a three-time All-Pro and named to the franchise’s All-Time Jets Dream Team.

Schuler’s son, Mickey Schuler Jr., followed in his footsteps and played for Penn State before going on to have a lengthy NFL career.

36. Rodney Holman

Rodney Holman with the Bengals — Cincinnati Bengals tight end Rodney Holman, center, blocks for running back Ickey Woods against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII in 1989.

Hometown/high school: Ypsilanti, Michigan/Ypsilanti (Mich.) High

College: Tulane University

Pros: Cincinnati Bengals (1982-92), Detroit Lions (1993-95)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Pass-catching and blocking ability went hand-in-hand for Rodney Holman, who still has his name dotting the record books at Tulane University.

When the Bengals won an AFC championship and made it to the Super Bowl after the 1988 season, it was in no small part to Holman dominating up front and making holes for running backs Ickey Woods and Stanley Wilson.

Holman played an amazing 14 seasons in the NFL and still has the Bengals’ record for receptions by a tight end with 318.

35. Marcedes Lewis

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis makes a catch for a 2-point conversion against the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.

Hometown/high school: Los Alamitos, California/Long Beach Polytechnic (Calif.) High

College: UCLA

Pros: Jacksonville Jaguars (2006-17), Green Bay Packers (2017-22), Chicago Bears (2023-present)

Championships: None

Bottom line: It wasn’t pass-catching ability that kept Marcedes Lewis on the field during his first two seasons with the Jaguars — it was his elite blocking ability after being named the top tight end in college football by winning the John Mackey award in 2005 at UCLA.

Lewis was able to open holes for college and NFL teammate Maurice Jones-Drew, then came into his own as a receiver, reeling off five consecutive seasons with at least 450 receiving yards, including 10 touchdown catches in 2010.

34. Frank Wycheck

Hometown/high school: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/Archbishop (Pa.) Ryan High

College: University of Maryland

Pros: Washington Redskins (1993-94), Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1995-2003)

Championships: None

Bottom line: After two forgettable seasons with the Washington Redskins to start his career, Frank Wycheck was traded to the Houston Oilers. The team moved to Tennessee shortly thereafter, and he became one of the most popular players in franchise history.

Despite being one of only seven tight ends in NFL history with 500 receptions, Wycheck always will be remembered for his role in the Music City Miracle, throwing a lateral pass to teammate Kevin Dyson, who ran the ball in for a touchdown as time expired in a 2000 AFC wild-card win over the Buffalo Bills.

33. Steve Jordan

Hometown/high school: Phoenix, Arizona/South Mountain (Ariz.) High

College: Brown University

Pros: Minnesota Vikings (1982-94)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Steve Jordan was the rare Ivy League star who became an NFL star, going from Brown to making six consecutive Pro Bowls with the Vikings and leading the team in receptions in 1985 and 1986.

Jordan’s numbers are comparable to (or better than) almost all of the tight ends who have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he has more Pro Bowl appearances than six of those tight ends, although he has never appeared on a ballot.

His son, Cameron Jordan, is a star defensive end for the New Orleans Saints.

32. Wesley Walls

Hometown/high school: Batesville, Mississippi/ Pontotoc (Miss.) High

College: University of Mississippi

Pros: San Francisco 49ers (1989-93), New Orleans Saints (1994-95), Carolina Panthers (1996-2003), Green Bay Packers (2003)

Championships: 1 (1989)

Bottom line: Wesley Walls started on both sides of the ball at Ole Miss and earned All-American honors as a senior, with his focus primarily on tight end and pass rushing on third downs.

Walls languished behind All-Pro tight end Brent Jones during his first five seasons with the 49ers, sitting out all of 1992 and 1993 with shoulder injuries.

Walls came into his own after signing as a free agent with the Saints, then became one of the NFL’s best tight ends in eight seasons with the Panthers.

31. Jerry Smith

Hometown/high school: Eugene, Oregon/San Lorenzo (California) High

College: Arizona State University

Pros: Washington Redskins (1965-77)

Championships: None

Bottom line: At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Jerry Smith was 50-60 pounds lighter than the players he was assigned to block, but he never backed down from a challenge.

After moving from wide receiver to tight end, Smith earned two All-Pro nods and retired with a then-NFL record for tight ends with 60 touchdowns.

His life after football was tinged with tragedy, however, and he became the first professional athlete to die of AIDS-related complications in 1986 at just 43 years old.

30. Riley Odoms

Hometown/high school: Luling, Texas/West Oso (Texas) High

College: University of Houston

Pros: Denver Broncos (1972-83)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Riley Odoms, the grandson of Baseball Hall of Famer Biz Mackey, also was a basketball star growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In 1971, he had a breakout football season with the University of Houston, then became one of the highest-drafted tight ends in NFL history when the Broncos picked him No. 5 overall in 1972.

Odoms wasn’t just effective through the air — he finished his career with 27 carries for 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

29. Ben Coates

Hometown/high school: Greenwood, South Carolina/Greenwood (S.C.) High

College: Livingstone College

Pros: New England Patriots (1991-99), Baltimore Ravens (2000)

Championships: 1 (2000)

Bottom line: Ben Coates made the unlikely leap from playing at tiny NCAA Division II Livingstone College to NFL stardom after the Patriots took a chance on him in the fifth round in 1991.

His career took off under head coach Bill Parcells, who used the same offense with the Patriots that made New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro a star.

Coates capped his career by winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.

28. Russ Francis

Hometown/high school: Seattle, Wash./Pleasant Hill (Ore.) High

College: University of Oregon

Pros: New England Patriots (1975-80, 1987-88), San Francisco 49ers (1982-87)

Championships: 1 (1984)

Bottom line: Russ Francis set a national high school record in the javelin and hardly saw the field during his college career because of injuries.

He turned his back on a pro wrestling career when the Patriots picked him No. 16 overall in 1975 and briefly retired after he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, but returned to play seven more seasons.

After retiring from football, Francis went back to the ring and was a pro wrestler in the American Wrestling Association.

27. Todd Christensen

Hometown/high school: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania/Sheldon (Oregon) High

College: Brigham Young University

Pros: Dallas Cowboys (1978), New York Giants (1979), Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1979-88)

Championships: 2 (1980, 1983)

Bottom line: Todd Christensen was a four-year starter for Brigham Young — at running back.

His resistance to changing positions to tight end in the NFL cost him a spot on two different teams before he caught on with the Raiders, where he was a five-time All-Pro, won two Super Bowls and led the league in receptions in 1982.

Christensen died of complications from liver transplant surgery in 2013 at 57 years old.

26. Heath Miller

Hometown/high school: Richlands, Virginia/Honaker (Va.) High

College: University of Virginia

Pros: Pittsburgh Steelers (2005-15)

Championships: 2 (2005, 2008)

Bottom line: Heath Miller was recruited to Virginia as a quarterback but switched positions during his redshirt year. He went on to win the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end in 2004 and was picked by the Steelers in the first round in 2005.

Miller won two Super Bowls in his first four seasons with the Steelers, and played in another Super Bowl, losing to the Packers. He retired in 2015 after 11 seasons.

25. Charlie Sanders

Hometown/high school: Richland, North Carolina/Dudley (N.C.) High

College: University of Minnesota

Pros: Detroit Lions (1968-77)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Charlie Sanders led the University of Minnesota to a share of the Big Ten title as a senior, then started the next 10 seasons for the Detroit Lions.

Despite making the playoffs just once in his career — a first-round loss to the Cowboys in 1970 — Sanders was one of the most well-respected players of his era, and the two years he made the All-Pro team, he was the NFL’s leading vote-getter.

He died from cancer in 2015, at 68 years old.

24. Jeremy Shockey

Hometown/high school: Ada, Oklahoma/Ada (Okla.) High

College: University of Miami

Pros: New York Giants (2002-07), New Orleans Saints (2008-10), Carolina Panthers (2011)

Championships: 2 (2007, 2009)

Bottom line: Jeremy Shockey helped lead Miami to a national title in 2001, leading the Hurricanes in receptions.

He was an NFL star from the jump with the Giants, who picked him No. 14 overall in 2002, the same year he made first-team All-Pro and the first of four Pro Bowls.

Shockey sat out the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII win with an injury, but revamped his career with the Saints, winning Super Bowl XLIV.

23. Dallas Clark

Dallas Clark with the Indianapolis Colts — Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark pulls in a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos in 2003.

Hometown/high school: Sioux Falls, South Dakota/ Twin River Valley (Iowa) High

College: University of Iowa

Pros: Indianapolis Colts (2003-11), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012), Baltimore Ravens (2013)

Championships: 1 (2006)

Bottom line: Dallas Clark led Iowa to the 2002 Big Ten title and won the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end the same year.

After being picked by the Colts in the first round of the 2003 draft, Clark helped lead the team to a Super Bowl win in 2006 and became the NFL’s highest-paid tight end in 2008 with a six-year, $41 million deal.

He played one season with the Buccaneers, then one season with the Ravens to finish his career.

22. George Kittle

George Kittle, Best Tight Ends — San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle runs against the Los Angeles Rams during a game in 2018.

Hometown/high school: Madison, Wisconsin/Norman (Oklahoma) High

College: University of Iowa

Pros: San Francisco 49ers (2017-present)

Championships: None

Putting George Kittle on this list might seem like a bit of recency bias. But it’s impossible to deny his talent after he set the NFL single-season record for a tight end with 1,377 receiving yards in 2018.

It’s also impossible to say this type of success could’ve been predicted for Kittle, who posted no more than 314 receiving yards in a single season (his senior year) at the University of Iowa.

Yet in the NFL, Kittle had one of the more amazing single-game stat lines in league history, when he had 210 receiving yards against the Denver Broncos in 2018 — all in the first half.

So, yes, it's still early in Kittle's career. However, he's off to a strong start.

21. Zach Ertz

Zach Ertz with Philadelphia Eagles — Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz runs after a catch against the Washington Redskins in 2018.

Hometown/high school: Orange, California/Monte Vista (Calif.) High

College: Stanford University

Pros: Philadelphia Eagles (2013-21), Arizona Cardinals (2021-23)

Championships: 1 (2017)

Bottom line: Zach Ertz led all FBS tight ends in receiving in 2012 as Stanford won the Pac-12 title and the Rose Bowl.

Ertz played behind Pro Bowl tight end Brent Celek for his first three seasons in Philadelphia but became the full-time starter in 2016.

He made his first Pro Bowl and helped lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl in 2017, then set the NFL single-season receptions record for a tight end with 116 catches in 2018.

20. Vernon Davis

Vernon Davis with the 49ers — San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis runs through a tackle attempt by the San Diego Chargers in 2014.

Hometown/high school: Washington D.C./Dunbar (D.C.) High

College: University of Maryland

Pros: San Francisco 49ers (2006-15), Denver Broncos (2015), Washington Redskins (2016-19)

Championships: 1 (2015)

Bottom line: Vernon Davis was a consensus All-American at Maryland, then solidified his draft stock by running the 40-yard dash in a blazing, 4.38 seconds at the NFL combine in 2006. The 49ers selected him No. 6 overall in 2006.

Davis played a decade with the 49ers, including helping them make it to the Super Bowl in 2012 before they traded him to the Broncos in 2015, where he finished the season with the only Super Bowl victory of his career.

19. Mark Bavaro

Mark Bavaro with the New York Giants — New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro runs after a catch against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI in 1987.

Hometown/high school: Winthrop, Massachusetts/Danvers (Mass.) High

College: University of Notre Dame

Pros: New York Giants (1985-90), Cleveland Browns (1992), Philadelphia Eagles (1993-94)

Championships: 2 (1986, 1990)

Bottom line: Mark Bavaro was an All-American in high school and at Notre Dame before the Giants selected him in the fourth round of the 1985 draft.

He became a starter as a rookie and set a franchise record that season with 12 catches in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, then helped lead the Giants to two Super Bowl victories over the next five seasons.

Bavaro was a two-time All-Pro and his younger brother, David, also played in the NFL.

18. Keith Jackson

Keith Jackson the Eagles — Philadelphia Eagles tight end Keith Jackson runs with the ball after catching a pass against the New York Giants in 1991.

Hometown/high school: Little Rock, Arkansas/Parkview (Ark.) High

College: University of Oklahoma

Pros: Philadelphia Eagles (1988-91), Miami Dolphins (1992-94), Green Bay Packers (1995-96)

Championships: 1 (1996)

Bottom line: In 2011, Parade Magazine put Keith Jackson on its list of the greatest high school football players of all time.

He’s also in the argument as the greatest college tight end of all time — he led the Oklahoma Sooners to a national title in 1985 and was voted Oklahoma’s offensive player of the century.

In the NFL, Jackson was a Pro Bowler for three different teams and capped his career by helping the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl in 1996.

17. John Mackey

Hometown/high school: Roosevelt, New York/Hempstead (N.Y.) High

College: Syracuse University

Pros: Baltimore Colts (1963-71), San Diego Chargers (1972)

Championships: 1 (1970)

Bottom line: John Mackey missed just one game in 11 NFL seasons and became the second tight end elected to the Hall of Fame.

The award for the nation’s top collegiate tight end is named for Mackey, and he was a key figure in NFL players becoming unrestricted free agents after he won a landmark court case against the NFL.

Shortly after his retirement, Mackey began suffering symptoms of dementia and needed constant care for the remainder for his life, dying in 2011 at 69 years old.

16. Pete Retzlaff

Hometown/high school: Ellendale, North Dakota/Ellendale (N.D.) High

College: South Dakota State

Pros: Philadelphia Eagles (1956-66)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Pete Retzlaff was a star running back at South Dakota State but was cut by the Lions in 1953 and didn’t make an NFL roster until 1956.

He led the NFL in receptions in 1958 despite never having caught a pass in a game before, and had his best season in 1965 with 66 receptions for 10 touchdowns on the way to being named NFL Player of the Year.

Retzlaff’s No. 44 was retired by the Eagles.

15. Brent Jones

San Francisco 49ers tight end Brent Jones crosses the goal line against the Washington Redskins in 1988.

Hometown/high school: Santa Clara, California/Leland (Calif.) High

College: Santa Clara University

Pros: San Francisco 49ers (1987-97)

Championships: 3 (1988, 1989, 1994)

Bottom line: Brent Jones was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1986 out of NCAA Division II Santa Clara University, which disbanded its football program in 1993.

A neck injury prevented him from ever playing for Pittsburgh, and he found a home in San Francisco, where he was part of some of the most dynamic offenses of all time and won three Super Bowls in 11 seasons.

Athleticism runs in Jones’ family as his daughter, Courtney, led the University of North Carolina to two national titles in women’s soccer.

14. Greg Olsen

Hometown/high school: Wayne, New Jersey/Wayne Hills (N.J.) High

College: University of Miami

Pros: Chicago Bears (2007-10), Carolina Panthers (2011-20)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Greg Olsen was the most coveted tight end recruit in the nation coming out of high school and spent one season at Notre Dame before transferring to Miami.

After being a first-round pick of the Bears, Olsen languished in Chicago for his first four seasons before a trade sent him to the Panthers, where he turned into one of the NFL’s best pass catchers.

With the Panthers, Olsen set an NFL record by becoming the first tight end with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

13. Dave Casper

Oakland Raiders tight end Dave Casper catches a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game in 1978.

Hometown/high school: Bemidji, Minnesota/Chilton (Wisconsin) High

College: University of Notre Dame

Pros: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1974-80, 1984), Houston Oilers (1980-83), Minnesota Vikings (1983)

Championships: 1 (1976)

Bottom line: Dave Casper moved from offensive tackle to tight end his senior season at Notre Dame and led the Irish to a national title, earned All-American honors and was named the team’s offensive MVP.

"The Ghost" was at his best in the playoffs, and his five postseason touchdowns in 1977 are still the NFL record for tight ends.

Casper also was involved in one of the more infamous plays in NFL history — "The Holy Roller" game, in which he and his teammates "fumbled" the ball forward for a game-winning touchdown against the Chargers.

12. Jay Novacek

Hometown/high school: Martin, South Dakota/Gothenburg (Nebraska) High

College: University of Wyoming

Pros: St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals (1985-89), Dallas Cowboys (1990-95)

Championships: 3 (1992, 1993, 1995)

Bottom line: Jay Novacek was more than a football hero at Wyoming. He also was a champion decathlete and competed in the 1984 Olympic trials.

His NFL career didn't go anywhere with the Cardinals for five seasons before he became a star with the Cowboys and won three Super Bowls. Novacek was at his best in the playoffs and still is among the Cowboys’ career leaders in postseason receptions, yards and touchdowns.

Chronic back issues forced him out of football after the 1995 season.

11. Kellen Winslow

Hometown/high school: St. Louis, Missouri/East St. Louis (Illinois) High

College: University of Missouri

Pros: San Diego Chargers (1979-87)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Kellen Winslow led the Big Eight in touchdown receptions his final two seasons at Missouri before the Chargers made him the No. 13 overall pick in 1979.

His single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end (1980, 1,290 yards) stood for 31 years, and in 1981, he set an NFL record with five touchdown receptions in one game.

The picture of Winslow being helped off the field after his epic playoff game against the Dolphins in 1981 is one of the NFL’s most iconic images.

10. Jimmy Graham

Green Bay Packers tight end Jimmy Graham catches a pass against the Miami Dolphins in 2018.

Hometown/high school: Goldsboro, North Carolina/Charis (N.C.) Prep

College: University of Miami

Pros: New Orleans Saints (2010-14, 2023-present), Seattle Seahawks (2015-17), Green Bay Packers (2018-19), Chicago Bears (2020-21)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Jimmy Graham, 6-foot-7, played four years of college basketball for Miami before playing one year of football, and showed enough to be a third-round pick by the Saints in 2010.

That gamble paid off. He was a two-time All-Pro, made three Pro Bowls in five seasons and led the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns in 2013.

Graham also was the first tight end to have 1,000 yards receiving in a single season for the Saints.

9. Travis Kelce

Hometown/high school: Westlake, Ohio/Cleveland Heights (Ohio) High

College: University of Cincinnati

Pros: Kansas City Chiefs (2013-present)

Championships: 3 (2019, 2022, 2023)

Bottom line: Travis Kelce was a dual-threat quarterback in high school before moving to tight end at the University of Cincinnati.

He was drafted by the Chiefs after a strong season in 2012 and had three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2016 to 2018, along with three consecutive All-Pro selections.

Kelce, who once had a reality dating show on E!, isn’t the only All-Pro in his family — older brother Jason, a center for the Eagles, is also a two-time All-Pro. Travis Kelce and Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes have formed one of the greatest quarterback-receiver duos in NFL history, winning a Super Bowl in the 2019-20 season and making it back to the big game three times since then.

8. Jason Witten

Hometown/high school: Elizabethton, Tennessee/Elizabethton (Tenn.) High

College: University of Tennessee

Pros: Dallas Cowboys (2003-2017, 2018) Las Vegas Raiders (2020)

Championships: None

Bottom line: A lock to enter the Hall of Fame once his career ends, Jason Witten didn’t play tight end until college, when a lack of roster depth forced him to switch positions from defensive end.

He’s second in NFL history for receptions and receiving yards for a tight end and holds NFL records for most receptions in one half and most games with 15-plus receptions.

One of the most durable players in NFL history, Witten didn’t miss a game over his last 11 seasons.

7. Antonio Gates

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates makes a touchdown reception against the Denver Broncos in 2018.

Hometown/high school: Detroit, Mich./Central High

College: Kent State University

Pros: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2003-18)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Antonio Gates was a basketball star at Kent State and made the Chargers after being signed as an undrafted free agent.

He is one of just nine players with 100 touchdown receptions and passed Tony Gonzales as the NFL’s career leader for touchdown receptions for tight ends in 2017.

One shortcoming has been the postseason, where Gates only has two touchdown receptions in 12 career playoff games. But he still is a future Hall of Famer.

6. Jackie Smith

Hometown/high school: Columbia, Mississippi/Kentwood (Louisiana) High

College: Northwestern State University

Pros: St. Louis Cardinals (1963-77), Dallas Cowboys (1978)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Jackie Smith accepted a partial track scholarship to Northwestern State, and even that was contingent on him also playing football.

Luckily, he showed enough in front of scouts to have the Cardinals use a 10th round pick on him.

He retired after the 1978 season with the most receiving yards by any tight end in NFL history (a record that stood for 12 years) and is arguably the best blocking tight end of all time.

5. Ozzie Newsome

Ozzie Newsome catches a touchdown with the Cleveland Browns — Cleveland Browns tight end Ozzie Newsome catches a touchdown pass against the New York Jets in 1989.

Hometown/high school: Muscle Shoals, Alabama/Colbert County (Ala.) High

College: University of Alabama

Pros: Cleveland Browns (1978-90)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant called Ozzie Newsome the "greatest end in Alabama history," after he rewrote the Crimson Tide record books and he was named Alabama player of the decade for the 1970s.

The Browns picked Newsome with the No. 23 overall pick in 1978, and he still holds the Browns/Ravens franchise records for receptions and receiving yards.

He went on to have a decorated career as an executive with both teams, winning two Super Bowls with the Ravens.

4. Mike Ditka

Mike Ditka playing for the Chicago Bears — Chicago Bears tight end Mike Ditka in action against the Green Bay Packers in 1966.

Hometown/high school: Carnegie, Pennsylvania/Aliquippa (Pa.) High

College: University of Pittsburgh

Pros: Chicago Bears (1961-66), Philadelphia Eagles (1967-68), Dallas Cowboys (1969-72)

Championships: 2 (1963, 1971 )

Bottom line: Mike Ditka played football, basketball and baseball at Pittsburgh and led the team in receiving all three seasons he played.

Drafted No. 5 overall by the Bears in 1961, he represented the next level for tight ends with his combination of elite blocking and pass-catching ability.

Ditka won a Super Bowl as a player with the Dallas Cowboys and as a coach in 1985 with the Chicago Bears, and became the first tight end inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

3. Rob Gronkowski

Hometown/high school: Amherst, New York/Woodland Hills (Pennsylvania) High

College: University of Arizona

Pros: New England Patriots (2008-18), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020-21)

Championships: 4 (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020)

Bottom line: Rob Gronkowski played less than two full seasons of college football at Arizona before being picked by the Patriots in the second round of the 2008 draft, then carved out a career as one of the greatest tight ends of all time.

He’s the only tight end to lead the NFL in touchdown receptions, with 17 in 2011, and owns almost every NFL postseason record for a tight end.

Gronkowski retired in 2019 after winning his third Super Bowl in nine seasons but returned to play two more seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning a Super Bowl in Feb. 2021 alongside former New England teammate Tom Brady.

2. Shannon Sharpe

Hometown/high school: Chicago, Illinois/Glenville (Georgia) High

College: Savannah State University

Pros: Denver Broncos (1990-99, 2002-03), Baltimore Ravens (2000-01)

Championships: 3 (1997, 1998, 2000)

Bottom line: Shannon Sharpe and his older brother, Sterling, made their way from abject poverty growing up in Georgia to NFL stardom.

At the peak of his career, Sharpe won three Super Bowls in four seasons, grabbing back-to-back titles with the Broncos and one with the Ravens.

He retired with NFL records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns for tight ends. Sharpe still holds the NFL single-game record for most receiving yards for a tight end with 214 in 2002 against the Chiefs.

1. Tony Gonzalez

Tony Gonzalez catches a touchdown — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez beats the Denver Broncos defense for a touchdown in 2003 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Hometown/high school: Torrance, California/Huntington Beach (Calif.) High

College: University of California

Pros: Kansas City Chiefs (1996-2008), Atlanta Falcons (2009-2013)

Championships: None

Bottom line: Tony Gonzales was a two-sport star at Cal in basketball and football, then was selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 1997 draft.

He retired with nine NFL receiving records and is second on the NFL career list for receptions behind just Jerry Rice. Gonzalez also is the NFL’s career leader for receiving yards for tight ends, but never played in a Super Bowl.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.