2021 NFL Draft – Tight End Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – TE:

You are currently viewing the best tight ends in the 2021 NFL Draft. Our top TE prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the most talented blockers and receivers in college football. Even though only about 15 will get selected in the draft, a lot more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft stars, TE sleepers, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2021 NFL draft tight end prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 19, 2021)

2021:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Kyle Pitts is an elite athlete at the receiver position, with receiver-like route running ability and exceptional positional versatility. At 6’6" and 240 pounds, Pitts still has a slight frame for the position but has put on quite a bit of muscle already without hurting his speed. His production this past year was outstanding for just 8 games, and there wasn’t a player in college football who was able to stop him. Pitts uses his body well and attacks back at the ball, and is way too quick to be defended by a linebacker, even on short routes. His blocking is a work in progress, but is better than most other speed tight ends. Most tight ends don’t see much playing time as a rookie, but Pitts could definitely be an exception.

2020 Stats

8 games: 770 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, 17.9 yards per catch

Freiermuth only played 4 games this past season for the struggling Nittany Lions, so the stats listed below don’t tell the full picture. He’s likely the best red zone target in the class, catching 15 total touchdowns in his first two seasons. Freiermuth has exceptional body control, great hands, and above average athelticism. At 6’5" and nearly 260 pounds, he projects as a great blocker at the next level. This part of his game will still need to be coached, however. Freiermuth is a great leader who was a two time team captain, and looks like the top prototypical tight end this year.

2020 Stats

4 games: 310 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 13.5 yards per catch

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Brevin Jordan push Freiermuth for #2 TE after his pro day. At 6’3" 245 pounds, Jordan doesn’t have elite size for the position, but is by no means small. But unlike most players his size, he’s actually a capable blocker. Jordan was trusted by Miami as a run and pass blocker, and shows above average footwork and power. Of course his true calling card is his receiving, which got better and better throughout his career. Jordan is a crisp route runner and has the athleticism to work the middle of the field. His route running ability allows him to split out in the slot and run a variety of routes, while his size and blocking ability give him the versatility to play on the line or as a lead blocker out of the backfield.

2020 Stats

8 games: 576 receiving yards, 7 receiving touchdowns, 15.2 yards per catch

Tremble is a young, talented tight end from a school who always seems to produce prospects at that position. Tremble is maybe the best blocker in the class, with average to above-average athleticism and decent hands. At 6’4" 250" he has plenty of strength to continue improving his blocking, giving him a pretty high ceiling if he’s not able to improve his route running or feel for receiving. There is no glaring weakness to his game despite being fairly inexperienced, yet he has plenty of room to be coached up.

2020 Stats

10 games: 218 receiving yards, 0 receiving touchdowns, 191.5 yards per catch

Hunter Long broke out as a sophomore, and got even better this year with a new coaching staff and QB. Primarily used as an underneath target, Long was the go to receiver and safety blanket in his system, averaging over 5 receptions per game. At 6’5" and 250+ pounds, Long has the size and experience to be a solid blocker. Despite averaging only 12 yards per catch this year, he was above 15 as a sophomore when he ran more intermediate routes and wasn’t heavily focused on by the defense. Despite leading all tight ends in targets and receptions this past year, he doesn’t have the same separation ability of the tight ends above him which limits his upside.

2020 Stats

11 games: 685 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns, 12.0 yards per catch

Complete 2021 TE draft rankings

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2021: | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

It’s not every year that you find a star at tight end, but it’s expected this year with Kyle Pitts. Behind Pitts there are several more great players in this tight end class, but the fall off hits hard. There is very little depth in this draft class, as quite a few players with draftable grades decided to return to school. In fact, there’s a chance that only the top 4 players in this group end up sustaining NFL careers. Scouting opportunities like the Senior Bowl saw safeties and linebackers dominate the mid round tight end prospects, and few players have stepped up during or after the season. Pro Day performances will be critical for these guys, as the best blocking tight ends in the draft have not shown much athletic explosion on tape. If you aren’t able to get one of the top 4 or 5 tight ends, you might as well wait for next year when the draft class could be as deep as ever.