There were five tight ends chosen in the first three rounds, but it’s not a position where players tend to have much success right away. If you tended to operate under the rule that no rookie tight end should ever be drafted, your team would be better off.
In the last 10 years, 49 tight ends have been chosen with picks in the first three rounds. But only three put up top-10 numbers in their first season. Two others at least went top 15. That’s using standard scoring.
I’ve got all five of those players in bold in the chart below, and they represent about 10 percent of the total.
If you’re drafting a rookie tight end, it should be because something about the player or the team makes you believe there’s some chance he’ll be an exception.
Four of the tight ends picked this year, at least, are going to teams where they might play right away. Baltimore tends to throw lots of passes to its tight ends and chose both Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews. Houston needs a tight end and picked Jordan Akins. Mike Gesicki (pictured) might play right away in Miami and is very much a receiving tight end.
Dallas Goedert looks like more of a long-term prospect for the Eagles. Once he’s learned the offense, he’ll be a high-upside backup behind Zach Ertz. If Ertz gets hurt in 2019 or 2020, Goedert could step in and maybe put up top-5 tight end numbers.
TIGHT ENDS CHOSEN IN FIRST THREE ROUNDS | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Pk | Player | No | Yards | TD | Pts | Rk |
2008 | 38 | John Carlson, Sea. | 55 | 627 | 5 | 92.7 | 7 |
2008 | 30 | Dustin Keller, NYJ | 48 | 535 | 3 | 71.5 | 14 |
2008 | 61 | Martellus Bennett, Dall. | 20 | 283 | 4 | 52.3 | 24 |
2008 | 91 | Jermichael Finley, G.B. | 6 | 74 | 1 | 13.4 | 56 |
2008 | 76 | Brad Cottam, K.C. | 7 | 63 | 0 | 6.3 | 72 |
2008 | 48 | Fred Davis, Wash. | 3 | 27 | 0 | 2.7 | 82 |
2008 | 85 | Craig Stevens, Tenn. | 1 | 9 | 0 | .9 | 95 |
2009 | 20 | Brandon Pettigrew, Det. | 30 | 346 | 2 | 46.6 | 25 |
2009 | 89 | Jared Cook, Tenn. | 9 | 74 | 0 | 7.4 | 72 |
2009 | 100 | Travis Beckum, NYG | 8 | 55 | 0 | 5.5 | 80 |
2009 | 64 | Richard Quinn, Den. | 0 | 0 | 0 | .0 | -- |
2009 | 98 | Chase Coffman, Cin. | 0 | 0 | 0 | .0 | -- |
2010 | 93 | Tony Moeaki, K.C. | 47 | 556 | 3 | 73.6 | 20 |
2010 | 42 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 42 | 546 | 10 | 114.6 | 5 |
2010 | 21 | Jermaine Gresham, Cin. | 52 | 471 | 4 | 73.1 | 21 |
2010 | 95 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 31 | 356 | 5 | 65.6 | 23 |
2010 | 70 | Ed Dickson, Balt. | 11 | 152 | 1 | 21.2 | 51 |
2011 | 47 | Lance Kendricks, St.L. | 28 | 352 | 0 | 35.2 | 38 |
2011 | 43 | Kyle Rudolph, Minn. | 26 | 249 | 3 | 42.9 | 36 |
2011 | 69 | Rob Housler, Ariz. | 12 | 133 | 0 | 13.3 | 57 |
2012 | 64 | Dwayne Allen, Ind. | 45 | 521 | 3 | 70.1 | 23 |
2012 | 34 | Coby Fleener, Ind. | 26 | 281 | 2 | 40.1 | 38 |
2012 | 78 | Michael Egnew, Mia. | 0 | 0 | 0 | .0 | -- |
2013 | 85 | Jordan Reed, Wash. | 45 | 499 | 3 | 67.9 | 23 |
2013 | 35 | Zach Ertz, Phil. | 36 | 469 | 4 | 70.9 | 20 |
2013 | 21 | Tyler Eifert, Cin. | 39 | 445 | 2 | 56.5 | 29 |
2013 | 47 | Gavin Escobar, Dall. | 9 | 134 | 2 | 25.4 | 50 |
2013 | 55 | Vance McDonald, S.F. | 8 | 119 | 0 | 11.9 | 63 |
2013 | 63 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 0 | 0 | 0 | .0 | -- |
2014 | 49 | Jace Amaro, NYJ | 38 | 345 | 2 | 46.5 | 30 |
2014 | 10 | Eric Ebron, Det. | 25 | 248 | 1 | 30.8 | 45 |
2014 | 98 | Richard Rodgers, G.B. | 20 | 225 | 2 | 34.5 | 41 |
2014 | 38 | Austin Seferian-Jenkins, T.B. | 21 | 221 | 2 | 34.1 | 42 |
2014 | 99 | Crockett Gillmore, Balt. | 10 | 121 | 1 | 18.1 | 57 |
2014 | 52 | Troy Niklas, Ariz. | 3 | 38 | 0 | 3.8 | 94 |
2014 | 65 | C.J. Fiedorowicz, Hou. | 4 | 28 | 1 | 8.8 | 76 |
2015 | 68 | Clive Walford, Oak. | 28 | 329 | 3 | 50.9 | 30 |
2015 | 55 | Maxx Williams, Balt. | 32 | 268 | 1 | 32.8 | 43 |
2015 | 85 | Tyler Kroft, Cin. | 11 | 129 | 1 | 18.9 | 56 |
2015 | 92 | Jeff Heuerman, Den. | 0 | 0 | 0 | .0 | -- |
2016 | 35 | Hunter Henry , S.D. | 36 | 478 | 8 | 95.8 | 11 |
2016 | 81 | Austin Hooper , Atl. | 19 | 271 | 3 | 45.1 | 35 |
2016 | 94 | Nick Vannett , Sea. | 3 | 32 | 0 | 3.2 | 93 |
2017 | 23 | Evan Engram, NYG | 64 | 722 | 6 | 109.6 | 5 |
2017 | 19 | O.J. Howard, T.B. | 26 | 432 | 6 | 79.2 | 16 |
2017 | 29 | David Njoku, Clev. | 32 | 386 | 4 | 62.7 | 22 |
2017 | 44 | Gerald Everett, LAR | 16 | 244 | 2 | 37.7 | 37 |
2017 | 100 | Jonnu Smith, Tenn. | 18 | 157 | 2 | 27.7 | 47 |
2017 | 45 | Adam Shaheen, Chi. | 12 | 127 | 3 | 30.7 | 44 |
2018 | 25 | • Hayden Hurst, Balt. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2018 | 42 | • Mike Gesicki, Mia. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2018 | 49 | • Dallas Goedert, Phil. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2018 | 86 | • Mark Andrews, Balt. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2018 | 98 | • Jordan Akins, Hou. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
—Ian Allan