The Daily Ranker: Who are the 10 greatest NFL tight ends of all-time?

Tight ends are often considered a quarterback’s best friend on the gridiron. They come in different varieties, serving as pass-catchers, blockers, and even both in many cases.

But who are the best tight ends in NFL history?

Since the league’s first season in 1920, countless talents have graced the field, but only a few have had the combination of statistical prowess, longevity, and wins to earn the designation as some of the best ever.

FOX Sports Research broke down the numbers and ranked the 10 best tight ends in NFL history.

While there are some obvious choices near the top, there are also some surprising names that made our list when analyzing their performances. Where does your favorite tight end rank?

Let’s take a look:

1. Tony Gonzalez

Simply put, “Tony G” is statistically the best tight end in NFL history. No player at the position has more receiving yards (15,127) or receptions (1,325) than him, and he is one of only two tight ends ever with 100-plus receiving touchdowns. He made 10 All-Pro teams and earned 14 Pro Bowl selections in his illustrious 17-year career.

Gonzalez spent his first 12 years with the Chiefs, where he set the franchise records in all three receiving categories, before someone else on this list surpassed him. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

Considered the greatest tight end of his generation, Travis Kelce is the only active player to crack our list — and also the player we referenced earlier who passed Gonzalez as the Chiefs’ all-time leader in every receiving category. He already ranks in the top five among tight ends in NFL history in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving scores, and has most notably won a stellar three Super Bowl titles with Kansas City. His postseason prowess has been undeniable, as he has the most receiving yards (1,903), receptions (165) and receiving touchdowns (19) of any tight endin playoff history. Kelce has earned seven All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowl nods.

3. Antonio Gates

We mentioned above that Gonzalez is one of two tight ends with 100-plus receiving touchdowns; the other is Antonio Gates, whose total of 116 is the seventh-most in NFL history regardless of position. He is the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions (955), receiving yards (11,841) and touchdown catches. Gates also made eight consecutive Pro Bowls from 2004 to 2011 and garnered six All-Pro selections in that span as well. He is considered one of the greatest red-zone targets in the history of the game, if not the best.

4. Rob Gronkowski

“Gronk” was one of the most-feared tight ends in the game during his 11-year career. Despite injuries shortening his career, he still won four Super Bowls and set several records along the way. His 2011 season was arguably his best, setting the single-season NFL record for touchdown catches by a tight end with 17. Gronkowski was also the only tight end to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a playoff career before Kelce joined him. His 32 games with 100-plus receiving yards is the second-most in NFL history among tight ends, again only trailing Kelce.

5. Jason Witten

With all the superstars “America’s Team” has garnered over several decades of success, no player has etched his name in the Cowboys record books more than Jason Witten. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards (12,977) and receptions (1,215), and finished one touchdown catch shy of tying Dez Bryant for that record as well. Witten also holds the NFL single-game record for receptions by a tight end with 18 against the Giants in 2012. In his 17 seasons, he made four All-Pro teams and earned 11 Pro Bowl selections.

6. Shannon Sharpe

A three-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Shannon Sharpe is one of five tight ends with 10,000 career receiving yards. His 2002 outing vs. the Chiefs is arguably his most memorable, when he recorded 214 receiving yards — setting the NFL single-game record. His 815 receptions is the fifth-most of any player at the position, while his 62 touchdowns catches ranks eighth. Sharpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

7. Greg Olsen

In his 14-year career, Greg Olsen quietly created one of the greatest careers of any tight end. His 8,683 receiving yards and 742 receptions both rank seventh all-time among tight ends, and his 60 touchdown catches is tied for the ninth-most. Olsen became the first tight end in league history to record three consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards when he did so from 2014 to 2016.

8. Jackie Smith

Before Shannon Sharpe recorded 214 receiving yards in a game in 2002, the NFL record by a tight end was held by Jackie Smith — the St. Louis Cardinals great who went off for 212 against the Steelers in 1963. His 22 career games with 100-plus receiving yards are the fifth most of any tight end, trailing only Kelce, Gronkowski, Gonzalez, and Kellen Winslow. Smith was also a prolific blocker, with his versatility earning him a nod into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

9. Mike Ditka

Mike Ditka’s impact was felt the minute he stepped on the field for the Bears. In his first season in 1961, he became the first rookie tight end ever to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Since then, only Kyle Pitts in 2021 has accomplished that feat. He is one of four tight ends in NFL history to catch four touchdowns in a single game. Also known for his blocking and high IQ, Ditka made five All-Pro teams and earned five Pro Bowl selections. He won a Super Bowl as a player in 1971 with Dallas and earned another as a head coach in Chicago in 1986. Ditka was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

10. Jimmy Graham

Another sneaky selection on this list, Jimmy Graham played 13 seasons in the NFL and ranks eighth among tight ends in receiving yards (8,545), eighth in receptions (719) and fourth in receiving touchdowns (89). He recorded 17 career games with multiple touchdown catches, which trails only Gates, Gronkowski and Gonzalez among all tight ends. Graham’s 2011 season is arguably his most memorable, as his 1,310 receiving yards set the single-season NFL record by a tight end before being broken by Kelce (three times), Gronkowksi (that same season), George Kittle (2018), and Mark Andrews (2021).