Factoid

April 25, 2025

Instant impact tight ends

More rookies are putting up big numbers early

Two tight ends go in the top 15. That hasn’t happened since the ‘90s. And it’s a position where there’s been more instant impact of late. The No. 1 overall tight end in each of the last two years has been a rookie – Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers.

So I imagine there will be some top-10 consideration for Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren. Loveland was picked earlier, but Warren seems to be the better player right now. He’s heavier, and he was a lot more productive last year.

With the Bears, they may be trying to look more at what these guys will be going forward. Loveland has bigger hands and longer arms, and he’s 2 years younger. If we’re comparing 21-year-old Loveland against 21-year-old Warren, it’s no contest. (Warren caught only 10 passes his sophomore year at Penn State.) Loveland will fill out.

Chicago’s coach, Ben Johnson, had LaPorta at Detroit, which can be seen as a template of sorts. And I definitely like Caleb Williams more than Anthony Richardson. So I guess I’m in the Loveland over Warren camp right now, for dynasty purposes. If we’re looking at just 2025, then I would probably lean towards the more finished product.

There used to be a rule of thumb with tight ends that it was best to just let them be as rookies, with it being a position with a more difficult transition – with them needing to operate as both pass catchers and as part of the offensive line. But that has diminished of late. Some of these tight ends are almost wide receivers with the “tight end” name printed on them.

In the last 10 years, four tight ends have finished top-6 numbers at the position. Three of them looked like wide receivers – Bowers, Evan Engram, Kyle Pitts. Three other tight ends have finished with top-15 numbers.

TIGHT ENDS SELECTED IN FIRST TWO ROUNDS (last 10 yrs)
Year	Player	Pk	G	No	Yds	TD	PPR	Rk
2024	Brock Bowers, L.V.	13	17	112	1,194	5	262.7	1
2023	Sam LaPorta, Det.	34	17	86	889	10	239.3	1
2017	Evan Engram, NYG	23	15	64	722	6	173.6	5
2021	Kyle Pitts, Atl.	4	17	68	1,026	1	176.6	6
2023	Dalton Kincaid, Buff.	25	16	73	673	2	152.3	11
2021	Pat Freiermuth, Pitt.	55	16	60	497	7	153.7	13
2019	Noah Fant, Den.	20	16	40	562	3	113.0	15
2016	Hunter Henry, S.D.	35	15	36	478	8	131.8	18
2018	Dallas Goedert, Phil.	49	16	33	334	4	90.4	20
2017	O.J. Howard, T.B.	19	14	26	432	6	105.2	20
2017	David Njoku, Cle.	29	16	32	386	4	94.7	24
2023	Luke Musgrave, G.B.	42	11	34	352	1	75.2	31
2019	T.J. Hockenson, Det.	8	12	32	367	2	80.7	31
2019	Irv Smith, Min.	50	16	36	311	2	79.1	33
2023	Michael Mayer, L.V.	35	14	27	304	2	71.4	35
2015	Maxx Williams, Balt.	55	14	32	268	1	64.8	39
2022	Trey McBride, Ari.	55	16	29	265	1	61.5	40
2020	Cole Kmet, Chi.	43	16	28	243	2	64.0	42
2017	Gerald Everett, LAR	44	16	16	244	2	53.7	42
2018	Mike Gesicki, Mia.	42	16	22	202	0	42.2	49
2017	Adam Shaheen, Chi.	45	13	12	127	3	42.7	49
2018	Hayden Hurst, Balt.	25	12	13	163	1	35.3	59
2023	Luke Schoonmaker, Dall.	58	17	8	65	2	26.5	67
2023	Brenton Strange, Jac.	61	14	5	35	1	14.5	79
2024	Ben Sinnott, Was.	53	17	5	28	1	13.8	82
2019	Drew Sample, Cin.	52	9	5	30	0	8.0	92

In the previous 10 years, there were also 26 tight ends picked in the first or second round. Only one finished with top-10 numbers (over-aged John Carlson), with three others finishing in the top 15.

It’s a different position now.

TIGHT ENDS SELECTED IN FIRST TWO ROUNDS (previous 10 yrs)
Year	Player	Pk	G	No	Yds	TD	PPR	Rk
2008	John Carlson, Sea.	38	16	55	627	5	147.7	7
2010	Rob Gronkowski, N.E.	42	16	42	546	10	156.6	11
2005	Heath Miller, Pitt.	30	16	39	459	6	120.9	14
2008	Dustin Keller, NYJ	30	16	48	535	3	119.5	14
2010	Jermaine Gresham, Cin.	21	15	52	471	4	125.1	16
2007	Zach Miller, Oak.	38	16	44	444	3	106.4	16
2007	Greg Olsen, Chi.	31	14	39	391	2	92.1	22
2013	Zach Ertz, Phil.	35	16	36	469	4	106.9	23
2014	Jace Amaro, NYJ	49	14	38	345	2	84.5	24
2013	Tyler Eifert, Cin.	21	15	39	445	2	95.5	26
2006	Tony Scheffler, Den.	61	13	18	286	4	70.9	26
2009	Brandon Pettigrew, Det.	20	11	30	346	2	76.6	27
2006	Vernon Davis, S.F.	6	10	20	265	3	65.0	28
2008	Martellus Bennett, Dall.	61	16	20	283	4	72.3	30
2011	Kyle Rudolph, Min.	43	15	26	249	3	68.9	34
2006	Joe Klopfenstein, St.L.	46	16	20	226	1	48.6	35
2011	Lance Kendricks, St.L.	47	15	28	352	0	62.4	37
2012	Coby Fleener, Ind.	34	12	26	281	2	66.1	38
2014	Eric Ebron, Det.	10	13	25	248	1	55.8	40
2014	Austin Seferian-Jenkins, T.B.	38	9	21	221	2	55.1	41
2006	Marcedes Lewis, Jac.	28	15	13	126	1	31.6	51
2013	Gavin Escobar, Dall.	47	16	9	134	2	34.4	54
2006	Anthony Fasano, Dall.	53	16	14	126	0	26.6	55
2013	Vance McDonald, S.F.	55	15	8	119	0	19.9	62
2008	Fred Davis, Was.	48	11	3	27	0	5.4	84
2014	Troy Niklas, Ari.	52	7	3	38	0	6.8	93

—Ian Allan

Colston Loveland Tyler Warren

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