Travis Kelce, George Kittle Headline Top 10 NFL TE Rankings by Coaches, Execs

Travis Kelce will turn 34 years old during the 2023 season, but the Kansas City Chiefs star is still the standard at his position.

In a survey of coaches, executives scouts and players conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Kelce was the overwhelming choice as the top tight end with more than 80 percent of the first-place votes.

"You got to see a different element of his game last year as the focal point of the offense with Tyreek Hill gone, with an appreciation and respect for what he does," one AFC personnel evaluator said of Kelce. "He can take over a game."

George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers was second, followed by Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles and Darren Waller of the New York Giants.

The loss Hill from Kansas City's offense seemed like it would result in the unit taking a step back.

Instead, Patrick Mahomes had arguably the best season of his career with a league-leading 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns to win his second NFL MVP award.

Kelce also turned in possibly the best year of his Hall-of-Fame career in 2022. The eight-time Pro Bowler set career-highs in targets (152), receptions (110) and touchdowns (12). He was the only tight end with more than 1,000 receiving yards (1,338 yards).

Kittle is one of the best all-around players in the NFL. His receiving stats aren't as gaudy as Kelce's in part because the 49ers tend to favor an equal split between runs and passes, but he still produced big numbers with 765 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns last season.

Fowler noted Kittle's 7.2 yards after the catch average since 2017 is the best among all tight ends. He also has a reputation as an elite blocker.

Injuries have been a problem for Kittle throughout his career. The four-time Pro Bowler has missed at least two games in each of the past four seasons that drag his stock down a little bit.

The gap between Kelce, Kittle and everyone else is fairly significant, based on the voting. They were the only two tight ends that didn't rank lower than fourth on any ballot. Goedert and Waller were the only other players didn't receive at least one vote outside the top 10.

Waller might be the most intriguing top-tier tight end going into the 2023 season by virtue of being the only one who changed teams. He was traded to the Giants by the Las Vegas Raiders in March.

New York's passing attack was limited last season as the team tried to find a good mix with Richie James, Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins playing significant snaps.

Waller should immediately step in as the best pass-catching option for the Giants outside of Saquon Barkley. The 30-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued 2022 that saw him miss eight games, but he averaged 84 receptions and 1,002 yards over the previous three seasons.

The Giants haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018.