2026 NFL Tight End Rankings: Preseason 40-31

That’s right, we’re doing a countdown. But first, some words:

• I’m not trying to figure out who’s injury-prone. It’s a game where hundreds of high-speed collisions occur every week. The entire league is injury-prone. I’m assuming everyone is healthy unless I hear otherwise. Adjustments are for during the season.
• Opportunity matters. Committees don’t foster that.
• These players’ stats use base PPR scoring: 1 point per reception, 0.10 points per yard rushing/receiving, 0.04 points per yard passing, 6 points per touchdown, and -2.00 points per turnover.
• This column has little to do with Dynasty fantasy football. My focus is redraft.
• I love offenses. I will be assuming I have an idea of which teams have the best ones.
• The 2025 stat lines for each player will be, in order: scoring rank based on total PPR points, games played, targets, target percentage, receptions, total yards from scrimmage, yards per reception, red zone targets, total touchdowns, PPR points, PPR points per game.

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This first group is guys I’d rather avoid outside of deep best-ball leagues. I don’t even think tight-end-premium league settings help much. This range scored between 91.7 and 54.0 points in PPR in 2025.

40: Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers

2025: 50, 13, 34, 6.9, 29, 190, 6.6, 9, 1, 54.0, 4.2

I have a soft spot for Sanders. We all have biases. I still think there’s upside here, but the team signing Darren Waller dampens my enthusiasm. I don’t know that Waller’s physicality holds up at 34 years old.

39: Oscar Delp, New Orleans Saints

2025: 2026 NFL rookie

If you followed me last year, you know my enthusiasm for rookie tight ends is low: I was high on Tyler Warren, lower than most on Colston Loveland, and missed the mark on Harold Fannin. I don’t believe the 2026 rookie crop is as deep as 2025 was; I’ll be happy if I’m wrong. Delp is currently behind Noah Fant and Juwan Johnson, his stats at Georgia were modest, and he was picked 73rd in the 2026 NFL Draft. To me, he’s a project, and I have a hard time ranking him higher than players already in the league with clearer paths to production.

38: Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders

2025: 38, 13, 50, 10.0, 35, 328, 9.4, 6, 1, 73.8, 5.7

In 2025, both Mayer and Brock Bowers missed time. As far as the Raiders offense goes, 2026 should be different due to a myriad of changes for the team, including coaching staff, quarterback, and receiving room. With Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, Tre Tucker, and Jalen Naelor presumably ahead in opportunities, upside is difficult to see, but he should see enough to rank here.

37: Elijah Arroyo, Seattle Seahawks

2025: 60, 13, 26, 5.5, 15, 179, 11.9, 5, 1, 36.9, 2.8

RB Jadarian Price smashing through quickly could blow up my assumptions about the Seattle passing game. But I’m going out on a limb. I think until Zach Charbonnet gets back, the Seahawks will throw the ball more, and I don’t think Charbonnet returns soon. Arroyo is 6’5”, 254 pounds, and athletic. Health has been an issue. I think he’ll be battling Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner, and Price for targets. I think 2026 is a step forward despite the perceived obstacles.

36: Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers

2025: 30, 16, 46, 8.3, 34, 293, 8.6, 6, 5, 93.3, 5.8

I love the Jake Tonges story so far: local SF Bay Area kid goes to an area university, goes undrafted in the NFL, makes the 53-man roster as a rookie with the Bears, gets injured, then waived, signs with his local NFL team, spends a year on the practice squad, breaks camp the next year on the roster, catches the winning TD in his first game after the star gets hurt. Tonges has no stand-alone value, but had a 17.9% target share in the games George Kittle missed in 2025. If Brock Purdy is a system QB, Tonges is a system TE. The TD rate seems fragile.

35: Mason Taylor, New York Jets

34: Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets

2025 (Taylor): 32, 13, 65, 13.7, 44, 369, 8.4, 7, 1, 88.9, 6.8

2025 (Sadiq): 2026 NFL rookie

This is where I’m going to be really annoying, because I don’t see what Mason Taylor did in 2025 to fall in so many 2026 rankings. I get that Sadiq is a mid-first-round pick. He’s also a rookie. Sadiq may end up distancing himself from Taylor, but I don’t think that happens this year. The Jets are a blank slate on offense with Frank Reich coming on board as offensive coordinator. WR Omar Cooper is also a rookie. I’ve never been overwhelmed by Adonai Mitchell. Garret Wilson is returning from significant injury. I think there will be plenty of targets for multiple tight ends. If this were a better team, I’d rank one or both of these guys higher.

33: Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

2025: 25, 17, 54, 10.8, 41, 486, 11.9, 9, 4, 113.6, 6.7

I’m a fan of Freiermuth. I’m much less of a fan of the current Steelers offense. In 2025, the leading receiver had 850 yards. Freiermuth was tied for second on the team. On the plus side, Jonnu Smith is gone. On the minus side, WR Michael Pittman has been added. Also, I’m not wild when one game adds significantly to a player’s overall stats, as the Week 6 game against Cincinnati did (5 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TDs).

32: Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals

2025: 41, 13, 42, 7.0, 28, 307, 11.0, 7, 2, 70.7, 5.4

Like Freiermuth, Gesicki’s main competition for targets at his position (Noah Fant) is gone. Erick All is fairly unknown at this level. And while Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown provide clearer obstacles to targets than Freiermuth has, Joe Burrow and the Bengals passing offense are orders of magnitude above the Steelers. Gesicki’s biggest obstacle is his blocking.

31: Theo Johnson, New York Giants

2025: 18, 15, 74, 14.8, 45, 528, 11.7, 13, 5, 127.8, 8.5

I know, I know, shiny new object, but I fear I may expire before the Isaiah Likely breakout happens. The depth of the receiving corps, with the return of Malik Nabers and the arrivals of Likely, Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, and yes, Odell Beckham Jr., leads me to fade Johnson while also believing this is the first player that could eclipse this ranking. Some of that depends on Jaxson Dart’s sense of self-preservation…if such a thing exists.

That’s it for this segment. I’ll continue the countdown tomorrow.

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