Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, George Kittle Lead Top 10 NFL TE Rankings by Coaches, Execs in New Poll

A rough 2025 for the Las Vegas Raiders didn't do anything to dampen the enthusiasm insiders around the NFL have for Brock Bowers.

In a survey of the league coaches, executives and scouts conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Bowers is regarded as the top tight end in the NFL entering the upcoming season.

Behind Bowers on the list are Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals and George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers.

Here's the full top 10 ranking as voted on by NFL personnel.

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
3. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
4. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
5. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
6. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
7. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
8. Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons
9. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
10. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Bowers made the All-Pro first team in 2024 after setting NFL rookie tight end records with 112 catches and 1,194 yards.

Last season saw Bowers' receptions (64) and yards (680) nearly cut in half, though he still managed to catch seven touchdowns in 12 games.

A combination of injuries and poor play across the Raiders offense contributed to Bowers' decline in production, but one coordinator explained to Fowler the 23-year-old remains a cut above everyone else at the position in a few key areas.

"As far as route running, separation, zone instincts, yards-after-catch ability combination — he's better than the field in those areas," the coordinator said. "A down year won't change that."

Another player who was part of a poor offense last season but still put up big numbers was McBride, who set career highs in receptions (126), receiving yards (1,239) and receiving touchdowns (11) for the Cardinals.

While fantasy is not a perfect measure of a player's value, it can help explain how much better McBride was than any other tight end in 2025. His 315.9 PPR points were 105 more than the No. 2 tight end (Kyle Pitts Sr., 210.8).

The 105-point difference between those two is nearly the same as the distance between Pitts at No. 2 and Sam LaPorta at No. 27.

"Ball skills, ball in hand, physical ability — just an extremely impressive player across the board," an NFL coordinator said of McBride. "And not bad in the run game."

Kittle's placement on the list is interesting because of his age (32), and the fact that he's coming off a torn Achilles suffered in the 49ers' playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He also missed six games during the regular season, his most since 2020.

Despite the durability concerns, people in the league still have tremendous respect for Kittle's all-around ability when he is on the field.

"Injuries and durability are becoming a concern, but when he's healthy, he's still the most versatile, dominant, complete tight end," an NFC executive told Fowler about Kittle. "He's still the gold standard for blocking, running and catching."

The trio of Bowers, McBride and Kittle are a cut above everyone else. They are the only three tight ends that received at least one first-place vote. No one else got a vote higher than third.

Tucker Kraft presumably would have been atop the ranking for some voters if he had not torn his ACL in Week 9. The Green Bay Packers star was on pace for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns at the time of his injury.

Colston Loveland is another player who could easily vault up the rankings next year. He had a slow start during his rookie year learning Ben Johnson's complex offense, but his final 10 games saw him put up 597 yards and six touchdowns on 47 catches.

In two playoff games, Loveland racked up 12 catches for 193 yards. If the Bears' offense stays on its trajectory from the second half of the season, he could end up being Caleb Williams' favorite target.

Squeezing in at No. 10 is Travis Kelce as he prepares for his 14th season. He dropped five spots from the 2025 ranking, but earned praise for his ability to adapt his game at an age when his athleticism no longer allows him to be a dominant force like he was at his peak.

"He's still the ageless wonder at the position," an NFC personnel evaluator said. "His elite route savvy, body control and instincts allow him to still compete at a high level, despite him getting up in age."

Even in his age-36 season last year, Kelce put up 76 receptions, 851 yards and five touchdowns for the Chiefs. His 11.2 yards per catch was his highest in a season since 2022.