NFL 2016: Game Changing Tight Ends
NFL 2016: Game Changing Tight Ends

NFL tight ends have been performing at an historic level and this season should be no different.

NFL Tight End Rankings

Rank Player Team
Source: NFL Fantasy Football Rankings
1Rob GronkowskiPatriots
2Jordan ReedWashington
3Greg OlsenPanthers
4Travis KelceChiefs
5Gary BarnidgeBrowns
6Delanie WalkerTitans
7Coby FleenerSaints
8Tyler EifertBengals
9Antonio GatesChargers
10Ladarius GreenSteelers

 

Last year, tight ends recorded the most catches (2,518) and receiving yards (27,553) in a single season for the position. Tight ends also caught 211 touchdown passes, the third-most in a single season. The NFL 2016 season should be no different.

Single-Season Tight End Records

Season Catches Season Yards Season TDs
Source: NFL
20152,518201527,5532013236
20122,401201327,2842014216
20132,384201127,0802015211
20112,341201226,1972011198
20142,322201425,6572012197

 

"I've never seen this many tight ends this good at one particular time," says Pro Football Hall of Famer SHANNON SHARPE, one of eight tight ends enshrined in Canton. "We've never seen the position this dominant. This is the golden age of tight ends."

Last season, four tight ends -- New England's ROB GRONKOWSKI (1,176), Carolina's GREG OLSEN (1,104), Tennessee's DELANIE WALKER (1,088, left) and Cleveland's GARY BARNIDGE (1,043) -- surpassed the 1,000-yard mark, the most tight ends with 1,000+ yards in a single season in NFL history.

Tight Ends with 1,000+ Yards in Single Season

Season Number TEs
Source: NFL
20154
20093
20073
19813

 

Cincinnati's TYLER EIFERT (13), Gronkowski (11) and Washington's JORDAN REED (11) caught at least 10 touchdowns each in 2015, tied for the second-most tight ends with 10+ TD catches in a single season in NFL history (2014, four).

Most Tight Ends With 10+ TDs in Single Season

Season Number TEs
Source: NFL
20144
20153
20133
20103
20093
19963
19673

 

Eifert's 13 touchdowns were tied for the third-most in a single season by a tight end, trailing only Gronkowski's 17 in 2011 and JIMMY GRAHAM's 16 in 2013.

Most TD Catches by Tight End in Single Season

Player Team Season TD's
Source: NFL
Rob GronkowskiNew England201117
Jimmy GrahamNew Orleans201316
Tyler EifertCincinnati201513
Vernon DavisSan Francisco201313
Vernon DavisSan Francisco200913
Antonio GatesSan Diego200413

Most TD Catches by Tight End in Single Season

JASON WITTEN (1,020) of the Dallas Cowboys became the second tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions (TONY GONZALEZ, 1,325) and the youngest tight end to reach the milestone (33 years, 215 days old).

 

Top NFL Fantasy Football Tight Ends

NFL Football: "NFL 2016: Game Changing Tight Ends"