Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Top TEs in Madden NFL 22 Player Ratings
July 28, 2021
EA Sports revealed the top 10 tight ends in Madden NFL 22 on Wednesday.
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs leads the way at 99 overall, followed by George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers at 96 and Darren Waller of the Las Vegas Raiders at 93:
No other tight ends broke the video game's 90 threshold, giving the Chiefs, 49ers and Raiders a significant advantage at the position.
In recent seasons, Kelce has established himself as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
He has made the Pro Bowl six straight times and been named a first-team All-Pro in three of those seasons as well.
Over the past five seasons, his yearly averages sit at 95 receptions for 1,229 yards and eight touchdowns. That includes 105 grabs for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, all of which were career highs.
The 1,416 yards are a single-season NFL record for a tight end, and his five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons are a record for tight ends as well.
Before last season, Kittle was firmly in the conversation for the best tight end in football. That changed when Kelce went off in 2020 while Kittle missed eight games because of injury.
Kittle was highly productive in the games he did play, though, recording 48 catches for 634 yards and two touchdowns.
He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2018 and 2019, earned two Pro Bowl selections and was a first-team All-Pro in 2019 when the Niners went to the Super Bowl.
Kittle is also widely regarded as one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL.
The final member of the 90-plus club is Waller, who blew up last season as the Raiders' top pass-catcher.
Waller set career highs with 107 receptions for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection. He was no slouch in 2019 either with 90 grabs for 1,145 yards and three scores.
The 28-year-old is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, and he figures to be a favorite of gamers in Madden NFL 22.
Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens and Hunter Henry of the New England Patriots round out Madden's top five, while Rob Gronkowski of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers comes in seventh with an 86 rating.
Gronk didn't put up huge numbers in 2020 with 45 receptions for 623 yards and seven touchdowns, but he scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl LV, won his fourth Super Bowl title and is a future Hall of Famer.
Madden NFL 22 will be available Aug. 20, and those who pre-ordered the game can play it Aug. 17.