There has been a changing of the guard amongst elite NFL tight ends in the past twelve months. Nowhere is that clearer than on ESPN’s latest rankings of the best players at the position. Second-year Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers led the way while perennial top-dog Travis Kelce fell to fifth.
It is hard to argue with the selection of Bowers. His 112 receptions led all tight ends. He blew away the previous rookie record of 86, set by Detroit’s third-year player Sam LaPorta, who finished third in the rankings. The only other TE who went over 100 catches in 2024 was Arizona’s 25-year-old Trey McBride, who snagged 111 balls from Kyler Murray.