The Rookie Tight Ends Are Struggling ‒ With 1 Exception

Tight end has become an important position in the NFL in recent years. Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez were excellent weapons in the passing game, and Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce have taken the position to new heights, showing that NFL offenses can be built around a big receiving threat in the middle of the field. In addition to that, they are way cheaper than wideouts, which makes them even more intriguing.

The Rookie Tight Ends Are Struggling ‒ With 1 Exception

Rookie tight ends usually need time to adjust to the next level, as they are asked to do way more and way different things compared to their college days. Many of them play as glorified pass-catchers in college, and the coaching staff in the NFL wants and needs to utilize them as blockers, which is often why tight ends have slower starts. They also need to work on their strength to sustain that kind of play.

Just last year, Lions rookie Sam Laporta immediately entered elite territory, shining as a receiver but also holding his own in the running game. Dalton Kincaid stepped up late in the season for the Bills, becoming one of their top options, while guys like Michael Mayer, Tucker Kraft, and Luke Musgrave showed some promise but also room to grow.

The Raiders selected Brock Bowers with their 13th overall pick. He entered a strange situation with last year’s second-rounder, Mayer, which confused the NFL landscape and annoyed fantasy football managers. Through three weeks, however, he has been way worth the pick, posting 18 catches for 197 yards. He is comfortably leading rookie tight ends in receiving yards and has replicated the success he had in Georgia. The program built the offense around his ability to be a mismatch in the middle of the field.

Funny but true, not only is Bowers leading all rookie tight ends in receiving yards, but he has registered more yards than all other rookie tight ends combined, showing the struggles early on in their careers.

The closest to him is Bengals fourth-rounder Erick All, who has caught eight passes for 54 yards. Injuries in college, especially lingering back issues, slowed him down, but he has the talent to be a weapon in the league. Theo Johnson started the season with an unusual chance to see snaps for a fourth-rounder as veteran Darren Waller retired, but in four games, he only logged three grabs for 37 yards in New York’s shaky passing attack.

Texans fourth-rounder Cade Stover has one catch for 18 yards in his track record, while Seahawks fourth-rounder AJ Barner has three catches for 13 yards. Chiefs fourth-rounder Jared Wiley caught one pass for seven yards, and fellow fourth-rounder Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders snatched three throws for 12 yards.

Ben Sinnott, who is a dynamic athlete, went to the Commanders as the second-highest drafted tight end but has yet to log a catch, which might be the biggest disappointment, just like third-picked Tip Reiman, who the Cardinals use primarily as a blocker. Patriots seventh-rounder Jaheim Bell has played in all three games, but 11 of his 12 snaps came on special teams.

Late-round picks Tanner McLachlan (Bengals) and Devin Culp (Buccaneers) haven’t made their NFL debuts yet, and no rookie tight end has caught a touchdown.

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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who was drawn to the sport by Adrian Peterson’s excellence. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and has an affinity for Classic rock. His active Twitter page can be found here. His work can be found on PurplePTSD, VikingsTerritory, and DraftHuddle.