The tight end uses to be of little significance to the passing game. Back in the '50s and '60s, and even into the '70s and the '80s, the job of the tight end was primarily to block.
Oh sure, they would catch the occasional pass across the middle on third and six. But their main job was to block for the ball carrier or the quarterback. It was like having an extra offensive linemen. Big, tough guys like Mark Bavaro, Pete Metzelaars, and Dave Casper defined the stereotype of blocking tight ends who paved the way for the running game.
Defenses that sent that extra linebacker in to blitz had to worry about the tight end picking up his rush. Some offenses even implemented a two tight end set—an offense the Indianapolis Colts run to perfection these days. Joe Gibbs was said to be the founder of this system, putting an extra tight end on his line to block the legendary Lawrence Taylor.
Gradually, the tight end has evolved from a brute blocker to a speedy pass catcher. NFL teams nowadays actually prefer a guy who can stretch the field and play a major role in the passing game. Guys who are too big for safeties and too fast for linebackers—these players cause mismatch problems every time they step on the field.
Players like Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey, and Antonio Gates have become major factors of the passing game, putting up numbers that would have been unthinkable just twenty years ago. In '04, Gonzalez hauled in 102 passes, a new record for tight ends, for 1,258 yards. Compare that to John Mackey, the best pass-catching tight end of his generation, who never caught more than 55 passes or totaled more than 829 yards in a season.
Gone is the traditional blocking tight end. Those players have been replaced by a new breed of players. Tight ends are utilized more in the offense than ever before, routinely pulling in 80 catches per season. Coaches are always trying to find those rare tight ends who can dominate the defense with sure hands and sub 4.5 speed.
Tight ends are getting drafted in the first round more and more, with players like Vernon Davis in '06 and Kellen Winslow, Jr. in '04, each selected as the sixth overall pick. With modern players bigger and faster than they used to be, and a constant appreciation for the pass around the NFL, tight ends should continue to play an ever-increasing role of importance in the offense.
With this in mind, I wanted to make a ranking of the top ten tight ends of all-time. I factored in the ability to catch passes, as well as guys who left their legacy through blocking. Here then are the ten greatest tight ends of all-time.
10. Mark Bavaro
He wasn't a pass catcher, but rather a bruising blocker who paved the way for two Super Bowl championships for his Giants. Bavaro was one of the last of his type—
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about 1 month ago
Cody, would you please send this article to Andy Reid?
from about 1 month ago
Why? We have LJ Smith...
about 1 month ago
Bill Walsh said the most under utilized position in the NFL is an attacking TE. Most teams ignore the position...
from about 1 month ago
Yeah, like my Eagles... I wish we had traded that second round pick for Tony Gonzalez back in the summer.
about 1 month ago
Possibly the two greatest runs after the catch that i have ever seen are Mark Bavaro against the 49ers in 1986 and John Mackey where he broke like 9 tackles.
about 1 month ago
Yep! And I was waiting to be "picked up" as a TE in that pick up game yesterday. What happened? I guess I'm too far down to be considered, eh? Pawp
about 1 month ago
Maybe you haven't seen my latest stats! Pawp
from about 1 month ago
Haha. Good point. Next year you will be on my team...
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