How early are you willing to select Travis Kelce? He plays a less-valuable position, but he’s definitely got lot of difference-making ability – he’ll outproduce most tight ends by a bunch.
Kelce, in fact, is a rare tight end who’s good enough that his numbers look good even for a top-level wide receiver.
Since the merger in 1970, only 41 times has a tight end finished with numbers that would make him a top-10 wide receiver. Kelce is one of three tight ends who’s done it three years in a row.
All three, oddly, come from the AFC West. Kellen Winslow put up huge numbers for the Chargers from 1980-83, and Todd Christensen piled up a lot of catches for the Raiders five years in a row starting in 1982.
TIGHT ENDS FINISHING WITH TOP-10 WR NUMBERS | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | PPR | Rk |
1971 | Bob Tucker, NYG | 59 | 791 | 13.4 | 4 | 162.2 | 8 |
1971 | Ted Kwalick, S.F. | 52 | 664 | 12.8 | 5 | 154.6 | 10 |
1972 | Bob Tucker, NYG | 55 | 764 | 13.9 | 5 | 162.0 | 10 |
1972 | Rich Caster, NYJ | 39 | 833 | 21.4 | 10 | 182.9 | 4 |
1972 | Ted Kwalick, S.F. | 40 | 751 | 18.8 | 9 | 170.2 | 7 |
1973 | Charle Young, Phil. | 55 | 854 | 15.5 | 7 | 184.8 | 4 |
1973 | Riley Odoms, Den. | 43 | 629 | 14.6 | 7 | 153.2 | 10 |
1973 | Ted Kwalick, S.F. | 47 | 729 | 15.5 | 5 | 153.6 | 9 |
1974 | Charle Young, Phil. | 63 | 696 | 11.1 | 3 | 154.4 | 8 |
1974 | Rich Caster, NYJ | 38 | 745 | 19.6 | 7 | 154.5 | 7 |
1976 | Dave Casper, Oak. | 53 | 691 | 13.0 | 10 | 182.6 | 8 |
1976 | Walter White, K.C. | 47 | 808 | 17.2 | 7 | 171.3 | 9 |
1978 | Dave Casper, Oak. | 62 | 852 | 13.7 | 10 | 207.7 | 6 |
1980 | Kellen Winslow, S.D. | 89 | 1,290 | 14.5 | 9 | 272.0 | 2 |
1981 | Joe Senser, Min. | 79 | 1,004 | 12.7 | 8 | 227.6 | 8 |
1981 | Kellen Winslow, S.D. | 88 | 1,075 | 12.2 | 10 | 255.5 | 4 |
1982 | Dave Casper, Hou. | 36 | 573 | 15.9 | 6 | 130.2 | 8 |
1982 | Kellen Winslow, S.D. | 54 | 721 | 13.4 | 6 | 162.1 | 3 |
1982 | Ozzie Newsome, Cle. | 49 | 633 | 12.9 | 3 | 130.3 | 7 |
1982 | Todd Christensen, Oak. | 42 | 510 | 12.1 | 4 | 116.4 | 10 |
1983 | Kellen Winslow, S.D. | 88 | 1,172 | 13.3 | 8 | 253.2 | 6 |
1983 | Ozzie Newsome, Cle. | 89 | 970 | 10.9 | 6 | 222.0 | 10 |
1983 | Todd Christensen, Oak. | 92 | 1,247 | 13.6 | 12 | 288.7 | 2 |
1984 | Todd Christensen, Oak. | 80 | 1,007 | 12.6 | 7 | 222.7 | 9 |
1985 | Todd Christensen, Oak. | 82 | 987 | 12.0 | 6 | 216.7 | 8 |
1986 | Todd Christensen, Oak. | 95 | 1,153 | 12.1 | 8 | 258.3 | 4 |
1987 | Mark Bavaro, NYG | 55 | 867 | 15.8 | 8 | 189.7 | 8 |
1993 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 81 | 995 | 12.3 | 9 | 234.5 | 8 |
1994 | Ben Coates, N.E. | 96 | 1,174 | 12.2 | 7 | 255.4 | 7 |
2004 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 102 | 1,258 | 12.3 | 7 | 270.3 | 9 |
2005 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 89 | 1,101 | 12.4 | 10 | 259.1 | 10 |
2008 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 96 | 1,058 | 11.0 | 10 | 261.8 | 8 |
2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 100 | 1,106 | 11.1 | 10 | 271.7 | 8 |
2010 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 94 | 1,002 | 10.7 | 9 | 250.2 | 9 |
2011 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 99 | 1,310 | 13.2 | 11 | 296.0 | 4 |
2011 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 90 | 1,327 | 14.7 | 18 | 330.9 | 3 |
2013 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 86 | 1,215 | 14.1 | 16 | 303.5 | 7 |
2014 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 82 | 1,124 | 13.7 | 12 | 266.4 | 10 |
2017 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 83 | 1,038 | 12.5 | 8 | 235.5 | 10 |
2018 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 103 | 1,336 | 13.0 | 10 | 296.6 | 9 |
2019 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 97 | 1,229 | 12.7 | 6 | 256.3 | 8 |
—Ian Allan