Continuing our rankings series, we're diving into the top five tight end rooms in the NFL. The number of tight ends a team carries often depends on scheme, but as the unexpected run on the position during the NFL Draft made clear, heavier personnel packages are back in style.
Teams are looking to counter smaller, pass-oriented defenses with size, both in the running game and the short-to-intermediate passing attack. While many offenses are still adapting to create those mismatches, a handful of teams have already embraced the trend.
Below, we break down the five best groups in the league, along with a young honorable mention. Let's see which teams reign supreme in 12 personnel.
Honorable Mention: New York Jets
Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq
The Jets have a pair of young, unproven tight ends in Taylor and Sadiq with plenty of upside. Sadiq enters his rookie season as a slot-oriented presence who can move around the formation and even line up out wide. Taylor is more of a traditional inline tight end, though he's still stronger as a receiver than a blocker.
The Jets need all the offensive firepower they can get, and building a strong interior passing game alongside Breece Hall's rushing ability is a logical way to open up the offense. Taylor and Sadiq won't overwhelm defenses as run blockers, so there is still a missing piece here, but if both players develop as expected, the Jets could have a pair of dangerous weapons for whoever eventually emerges as the franchise quarterback.
5. Los Angeles Rams
Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, Max Klare
The Rams entered the 2026 offseason with a few needs, but tight end was not among them. Even so, Sean McVay and Les Snead used a second-round pick on Ohio State's Max Klare, adding another intriguing piece to an already crowded room.
While Klare was certainly a luxury selection, his arrival gives the Rams a very interesting tight end group. Parkinson, the projected starter, stands an imposing 6-foot-7 and 266 pounds. Coming off career highs in targets, receptions, and touchdowns (56, 43, 8), he established himself as a reliable chain-mover and red-zone option.
Tyler Higbee brings a veteran presence, contributing as both a dependable blocker and short-yardage receiver. Terrance Ferguson, a second-round pick in last year's draft, didn't see a large workload as a rookie but made the most of his 11 receptions, turning them into three touchdowns while averaging 21 yards per catch.
With Klare now in the mix, the Rams have the personnel to deploy some massive formations and lean into the running game with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Will they? Probably only in certain situations, given the presence of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. More realistically, Los Angeles has built valuable depth while preparing for a future that may not include Higbee much longer.
4. Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox
Honestly, this Bills duo should probably be higher on the list. Based purely on talent, Kincaid and Knox are both starting-caliber players who complement each other quite well. Kincaid is a seam-stretching beast who can win in the middle of the field, work the boundaries, and outmuscle defensive backs at the catch point.
Knox, meanwhile, is a jack-of-all-trades type. He consistently hauls in more than 60% of his targets and has a knack for finding openings when plays break down. He also provides the blocking ability teams look for, particularly with a running back like James Cook operating behind him.
The problem for Buffalo has been twofold: injuries and inconsistency. Both Knox and Kincaid have dealt with health issues during their careers, though Knox has been remarkably durable over the last two seasons, missing just one game. Kincaid, meanwhile, has appeared in 25 games over the past two seasons and started only 13, though part of that is attributable to Buffalo's opening-drive packages.
Kincaid also struggled with drops in 2024, letting six passes hit the turf. He corrected that issue in 2025, recording just one drop all season, good for a 2% target-to-drop rate. If both players can stay healthy in 2026 and Kincaid continues to show improved reliability, this duo could move significantly higher on this list.
3. Chicago Bears
Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, Sam Roush
I'll be the first to admit I was critical of the Loveland selection when the Bears made it in the 2025 Draft, but as the season unfolded, his talent became impossible to ignore. The rookie finished with 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns. He's big, athletic, possesses reliable hands (1.2% drop rate), and consistently creates yards after the catch.
While Loveland is a quarterback's dream as a receiver, his impact in the run game remains limited, making Kmet's presence essential. Kmet is only two years removed from a 73-catch season and brings a well-rounded skill set. He can line up inline or in the slot and contribute in either role. Just as importantly, he's been remarkably durable, never playing fewer than 16 games in a season.
As versatile as Kmet is, he's not a dominant blocker at the point of attack. That's where Sam Roush enters the picture. The Stanford product was selected in the third round with the expectation of handling early-down and goal-line duties. He'll open running lanes, handle the dirty work, and fill a role neither Loveland nor Kmet is ideally suited for. If Roush can do that, Chicago will have one of the most complete tight end rooms in the NFL.
2. Green Bay Packers
Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave
Here's what Tucker Kraft produced in less than eight full games during the 2025 season: 32 receptions on 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns. Put another way, Kraft was on pace for nearly 1,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns while catching more than 75% of passes thrown his way.
In a world without Brock Bowers, Tucker Kraft might be the most intriguing tight end in football. At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, with some impressive footwork for the position, Kraft has all the tools to become a bona fide star. As veterans like Travis Kelce and George Kittle move toward the latter stages of their careers, Kraft has a legitimate chance to establish himself among the league's elite tight ends.
While Luke Musgrave hasn't emerged as a star, he's still an athletic receiving threat who turns nearly half of his catches into first downs and generates nearly half of his production after the catch. He possesses high-end straight-line speed and can stress defenses down the seam when they lose track of him. At his best, Musgrave creates difficult matchup problems for linebackers and safeties alike. He may not offer the consistency of Kraft, but with defenses often focused on Green Bay's top TE option, Musgrave has the talent to capitalize on favorable opportunities.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer
Brock Bowers is the best tight end in football. That alone is enough to put the Raiders at the top of this list, and it may be the only positional ranking they lead entering the season.
Bowers shattered multiple records as a rookie in 2024, hauling in 112 receptions for 1,194 receiving yards. His 2025 campaign wasn't nearly as productive, as he posted just over half those totals before being shut down by injury. With a new quarterback and a clean bill of health, expect Bowers to reign supreme once again.
Michael Mayer, drafted a year before Bowers in the second round, hasn't developed into the game-changing weapon the Raiders initially envisioned. As a TE2, however, he's been exactly what they need. Mayer does his best work attached to the line of scrimmage and will even line up at fullback in certain packages. He excels at climbing to the second level as a blocker and is a valuable piece in the play-action game after selling the run.
While Mayer will likely never post 800-yard seasons, he would start for plenty of teams around the league. More importantly, he's the perfect complementary piece alongside Bowers, giving the Raiders one of the NFL's best tight end duos.
If this was your kind of read, you’ll like what’s next. Get The Sandman Ticket, our free, weekly newsletter with picks, insights, and a little bit of everything we love about sports.
