There are generally three options when drafting the tight end position. You can spend high picks on high-end talent. But there aren't many of them, so even if that's your plan, it might not work out. You can pick from the next wave of tight ends, but that's also where you should be focusing on depth at more important positions. And then, either by choice or necessity, you can punt the position until late in your draft.
Why It Pays to Punt
Last season, Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and George Kittle were the only tight ends who averaged more than 12 half-PPR points per game. Unsurprisingly, they now sit atop 2025 draft boards.
You won't get laughed out of the draft room for taking them early. They're great players. Bowers had the best rookie tight end season we've ever seen. McBride caught more passes than CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and Malik Nabers. And Kittle consistently ranks among the top three tight ends when healthy.
The problem is opportunity cost. These three aren't Travis Kelce at the peak of his powers. Kelce used to deliver a six-point weekly advantage over a replacement-level tight end. Last year's top scorers offered closer to two or three points.
Our projections have Bowers leading tight ends with 13.15 points per game, yet his ADP puts him next to De'Von Achane, who projects for 16.44 points. McBride projects for 11.9 points per game and is drafted near Chase Brown, who's projected for 15.32. Unless one of these tight ends falls below ADP or takes a huge step forward from last year, they barely make up the scoring gap you create by passing on elite running backs or wide receivers. And the positional edge you drafted them for becomes minimized.
After the top-3, tight end is one huge, flat tier. The next 10 tight ends by ADP are clumped within two points per game in the projections. A handful, like Sam LaPorta and David Njoku, have upside, but most come with capped ceilings or significant risk compared to the running backs and wide receivers you'd be passing on at the same draft slots.
The takeaway is clear. Early tight ends aren't worth chasing, and the middle tier offers average production at inflated prices. To win at the position, you'll need to dig deep.
What to Look For in a Late-Round Tight End
Long-time readers will recognize this approach from previous successes:
- George Kittle's TE3 sophomore breakout in 2018 (TE13 ADP)
- Mark Andrews' TE5 finish in 2019 (TE13 ADP)
- T.J. Hockenson's TE5 campaign in 2020 (TE15 ADP)
We missed in 2021 and then took a three-year hiatus, but the time of the late-round tight end is upon us once again.
Here are the three traits we're looking for:
- Past production: The sample can be small, but they must have shown they can produce at the NFL level.
- Size-adjusted athleticism: Leads to yards after catch (YAC) and red-zone production - two keys to a top-shelf fantasy season.
- A path to targets: Breakouts only happen when talent meets opportunity.
- Bonus points: Belonging to a top offense increases scoring chances. Most weeks, all you need from your starting tight end is a touchdown catch.
This year's top late-round tight ends (by ADP):
Kyle Pitts (ADP TE17)
Past production: As a rookie in 2021, Pitts turned 110 targets into 68 catches and 1,026 yards. Since then, he hasn't cracked TE17 in points per game and has become the poster child for fantasy underachievement.
There's plenty of blame to go around:
- He hasn't looked the same since tearing his MCL in 2022.
- Matt Ryan left after that rookie year, and Pitts has since played with Josh Rosen, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, and a hobbled Kirk Cousins as his quarterbacks.
- Arthur Smith's bizarre personnel usage probably didn't help either.
Size-adjusted athleticism: This is the siren song that keeps luring us in. Pitts ran a 4.49 forty at 6-foot-6 and 245 lbs.—right in Calvin Johnson's neighborhood as an athlete. His frame and catch radius should make him a red zone force, though last season's four touchdowns were a career high.
A path to targets: Targets were an issue last year under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Pitts saw just 74 of them and a 13.7% target share. But early camp reports are encouraging. Pitts has been working almost exclusively in the slot or out wide and has been "the star of camp" so far.
And now, more opportunities may be opening up.
Darnell Mooney hurt his shoulder diving for a loose ball, and head coach Raheem Morris has been vague about his Week 1 availability:
Raheem Morris was asked about Darnell Mooney's availability for Week 1 and said they will re-evaluate his health after the next few weeks of keeping him off the field. Kept things a bit open ended.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) July 29, 2025
Adam Hutchinson suspects it's likely an AC joint sprain, which typically carries a recovery window of four weeks. However, if Mooney isn't back by late August, more serious outcomes, such as a labral tear or SC joint sprain, become a possibility. Either could lead to surgery or significant time missed.
Mooney's 21.3% target share is up for grabs in any games he misses with the injury or an aggravation. If that happens, Pitts is the most likely beneficiary.
Bonus points? Yes. Atlanta ranked sixth in total yards and has elite weapons across the board. If Michael Penix Jr. builds on last year's solid audition, the Falcons could sneakily become one of the league's top offenses.
Brenton Strange (ADP TE23)
Past production: A 2023 second-round pick, Strange didn't play much as a rookie. But when injuries sidelined Evan Engram last season, Strange finally saw extended action and held his own
In the seven games where he played at least 60 percent of the snaps, Strange averaged five targets, 4.1 receptions, 39.3 yards, and scored twice. Extrapolating from a small sample is always risky (and sometimes stupid), but that pace over a full season would result in 132 half-PPR points, which is good enough for a borderline top-10 finish most years.
Size-adjusted athleticism: Strange checks in at 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds with 4.7 speed. He doesn't win with long speed, but his vertical and broad jump numbers point to strong yards-after-the-catch potential. Don't be surprised if he becomes a regular red zone target for Trevor Lawrence. Despite his inconsistent snaps, Strange ranked third on the team with four targets inside the 10-yard line and converted two of those into touchdowns.
A path to targets: If the Jaguars' offense stays healthy, Strange probably won't see more volume than he did while filling in for Engram. But that doesn't mean he can't build on last year's per-start production.
Liam Coen's arrival as offensive coordinator raises the ceiling for everyone. Travis Hunter gives Jacksonville a second big-play threat next to Brian Thomas Jr., and the backfield is stocked with three capable runners. This offense should move the ball more efficiently, pass more often, and create more red zone opportunities than it did last year.
If Strange can maintain his red zone role and score six touchdowns with increased playing time, he could produce something close to what Zach Ertz delivered as the TE7 in 2024.
Bonus points? Yes. It's far from a lock, but the Jaguars have a shot at finishing as a top-10 offense.
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