2023 NFL Draft – Tight End Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – TE:

You are currently viewing the best tight ends in the 2023 NFL Draft. Our top tight end prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best receivers and blockers in college football. Even though only about 15 will get selected in the draft, dozens 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 TE draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2023 tight end prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 25, 2023)

2023:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Michael Mayer is the rare tight end prospect who is truly NFL ready. At 6’4" 265 pounds, he has ideal size for a blocking tight end, but with the hands and deceptive route running of a receiving tight end. Despite not having much top end speed, Mayer is a solid athlete who gets separation and knows how to wall of defenders with his frame. He led Notre Dame in receptions, receiving yardage, and receiving touchdowns this past year while lining up in multiple formations and running a diverse route tree. He shows good strength as a blocker, maintaining a proper base and generally using good hand placement.

2022 Stats

12 games: 809 receiving yards, 9 receiving touchdowns, 12.1 yards per catch, 30.1% receiving yardage accounted for

Darnell Washington is likely the best blocking tight end in the class, while also offering plenty of potential as a receiver. At 6’7" 270 pounds, it wouldn’t take much to make him start looking like an offensive tackle, and his play style matches that. Washington is physical and able to open holes in the run game, while having great length to engage defenders. He has decent speed when he gets moving on routes, but doesn’t have the lateral quickness to consistently generate separation. He’s best attacking seams or settling down in zone, then fighting for extra yards as a difficult man to bring down. His massive catch radius, advanced blocking prowess, and decent athleticism relative to his size should be enough to make him a top prospect at the position.

2022 Stats

15 games: 454 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 16.2 yards per catch, 10.2% receiving yardage accounted for

Sam LaPorta was basically the only offensive threat for the Iowa Hawkeyes this past year, finishing the season with nearly twice as many receiving yards as the 2nd best receiver on the team. At 6’4" 250 pounds he has a good frame for the position, with impressive fluidity in his routes and above average separation ability. He’s a solid athlete who came to Iowa as a wide receiver / defensive back, and had extensive experience in Iowa’s pro-style system. He blocks how you would expect an Iowa tight end to block, maintaining good leverage and moving his feet. LaPorta’s experience, prototypical traits, and versatile skillset should allow him to develop into a solid tight end in just about any system.

2022 Stats

12 games: 657 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdowns, 11.3 yards per catch, 32.3% receiving yardage accounted for

Kincaid started his career in the Pioneer League, starring for the University of San Diego before developing into a star for Utah. The key word for Kincaid is “fluidity", using excellent body control and changing speeds on his routes to consistently get solid separation. He has soft hands runs a diverse route tree, while also having experience in a pro style system that has produced a number of NFL tight ends. He’s a better blocker than I originally gave him credit for, using good technique and effort. However, he lacks the strength to consistently hold up as an inline blocker in the NFL, and doesn’t have the frame to add much more strength, seriously limiting his upside as a blocker.

2022 Stats

12 games: 890 receiving yards, 8 receiving touchdowns, 12.7 yards per catch, 25.5% receiving yardage accounted for

Musgrave looked on pace to have a massive 2022 season before an injury sidelined him after just 2 games. While he lacks experience (13 starts), his athleticism and frame look the part of a top tight end. Musgrave is a vertical threat who tracks the ball well and line up all over the field. At 6’6" 250 pounds he has a wide catch radius and the size to develop into an effective blocker. At the moment, his blocking still has room for improvement. He doesn’t engage blocks with much intensity, and doesn’t really work to displace defenders and open holes. The below-desired play strength can also be noticed when he’s jammed on routes, but defenders risk him flying past them on a route. While his physical traits have developed into the receiving game, he’s still a year or two away from being a complete TE1.

2022 Stats

2 games: 169 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdowns, 15.4 yards per catch, 6.5% receiving yardage accounted for

Complete 2023 TE draft rankings

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2023:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

The 2023 tight end draft class is currently looking fairly average after a few prospects with draftable grades opted to return to school for another year. The class has a lot of players with legitimate NFL builds, but is a little less athletic than the typical class. Depth is strong in the middle rounds, but will likely start to thin out by the end of the draft and into free agency. The top of the class has a great blue chip prospect in Michael Mayer, along with a few other talented receivers. As tight ends continue to grow in their roles in the NFL, expect more to be drafted this year than usual despite fairly average depth.