TE Power Rankings

The Tight End position has gained more emphasis in recent years, with the near extinction of the Full Back position and the increased use of two-TE sets. Middle-of-the-pack NFL TEs like Randy McMichael and Daniel Graham have received big paydays through free agency and it seems that every year there’s guaranteed to be at least one TE drafted in the first round.

In some offenses, the TE has become the #1 option in the passing attack. Trent Green was a perennial 4,000-yard passer throwing primarily to TE Tony Gonzalez in Kansas City. 2007 was a big breakout year for many young TEs, including Kellen Winslow, Donald Lee and Owen Daniels, but was also a year in which two former Pro Bowl TE fells from grace.

Jeremy Shockey had a fairly decent season, but a leg injury late in the season proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Giants, whose offense ran much more smoothly without Shockey’s strong personality in the huddle. Alge Crumpler, on the other hand, appears to have hit the wall with chronic knee ailments limiting his downfield ability at the age of 30. Shockey was traded to New Orleans while Crumpler will find himself in Tennessee as Vince Young’s #1 checkdown receiver.

This list ranks the NFL’s 32 starting Tight Ends through elite, solid, adequate and fringe classification.

Elite
1. Tony Gonzalez – Kansas City Chiefs – Sure-fire Hall of Famer’s numbers actually improved last year with inconsistent, and sometimes, downright terrible QB play.
2. Antonio Gates – San Diego Chargers – Arguably the most athletic TE in the NFL excels at making plays downfield despite garnering full attention and constant double teams from defenses.
3. Jason Witten – Dallas Cowboys – Set team record for TEs with 96 catches for 1,145 yards in 2007. Is extremely tough and has never missed a game since becoming a starter. Opposing defenses aren’t able to really focus on him due to presence of Terrell Owens on the outside.
4. Kellen Winslow – Cleveland Browns – After two frustrating years to begin his NFL career, Winslow had a solid 2006 campaign followed up with a dynamic breakout 2007 season. He led all NFL TEs with 13.5 yards per catch and does a perfect job of stretching the middle of the field. Has every tool to be great.

Solid
5. Dallas Clark – Indianapolis Colts – TE/H-Back/Slot Receiver had to step up after Marvin Harrison got hurt. He responded with a breakout 2007 season, including 11 TDs; tops among all NFL Tight Ends. Departure of Ben Utecht will give him even more chances to shine.
6. Chris Cooley – Washington Redskins – Cooley finally made his first overdue Pro Bowl last season. He has been a consistent threat for the past three seasons and plays exceptionally well against rival Dallas. Joe Gibbs essentially developed Cooley to fit into his scheme so it is yet to be seen if he fits into Jim Zorn’s new offense.
7. Jeremy Shockey – New Orleans Saints – Was traded to New Orleans this off-season because of personality conflicts rather than on-field production. He’s a fierce competitor who never quits on a play, but tends to be too vocal at times.
8. Todd Heap – Baltimore Ravens – Lost in the quagmire that is the Ravens’ year-in, year-out QB carousel is Heap, Baltimore’s best, but least spectacular receiver. New coordinator Cam Cameron has expressed his excitement in working with Heap, after having developed Antonio Gates in San Diego.
9. Heath Miller – Pittsburgh Steelers – Miller seemingly skipped the unavoidable growing pains of a young NFL player by posting three solid and, above all, extremely consistent seasons. His large frame makes him an attractive red-zone and 18 TDs in three years attest to that.
10. Owen Daniels – Houston Texans – Unheralded TE caught 63 passes for Houston last year and works short-to-intermediate routes very well. Has faded down the stretch in both his first two seasons.
11. Vernon Davis – San Francisco 49ers – Freakish athlete wowed scouts at his combine with sub-4.4 speed, but he has yet to truly live up to expectations, partly due to anemic QB play. Mike Martz brings a new, complex offense to the Bay Area that hasn’t been terribly TE-focused in the past, but you figure Martz won’t deemphasize potentially his most dangerous offensive weapon.
12. Desmond Clark – Chicago Bears – Clark managed to hold off top pick Ben Olsen in 2007 with superior blocking ability and produced more solid numbers. With so much uncertainty and inconsistency on Bears’ offense, Clark is a refreshing, reliable veteran presence.
13. Alge Crumpler – Atlanta Falcons – Former elite TE has somewhat fallen from grace, but received a new contract to be Vince Young’s safety valve in Tennessee. Knee injuries have limited his ability to get downfield, which was arguably the best part of his game.
14. Ben Watson – New England Patriots – Watson has the benefit of playing with Wes Welker and Randy Moss, which limits his numbers, but also makes him more of a red zone threat. He cooled off considerably in the second half of last season.
15. Tony Scheffler – Denver Broncos – Lucrative contract given to Daniel Graham didn’t cost Scheffler his job, although it meant many more two-TE sets. Scheffler amassed 549 yards in just 12 games last year.
16. Randy McMichael – St. Louis Rams – Averaged 61 receptions per season in Miami, so 39-catch debut season for Rams has to be seen as a slight disappointment. Should be better with rest of offense healthy.

Adequate
17. Donald Lee – Green Bay Packers – Lee had a great breakout year for Packers with 575 yards. But will he be able to duplicate success without Brett Favre and what should be a considerably less pass-happy offensive attack?
18. L.J. Smith – Philadelphia Eagles – Eagles really missed his production last year, as injuries and poor focus ruined what was going to be a big contract year for Smith. He has good speed and can make the tough catch, but is wildly inconsistent and what seemed for years to an imminent emergence no longer appears likely.
19. Zach Miller – Oakland Raiders – Rookie was one of few bright spots for Raiders last year. With new QB JaMarcus Russell taking over the reigns, Miller will be relied on heavily to bail out his inexperienced signal caller.
20. Chris Baker – New York Jets – Many Jets fans felt they had found themselves a serviceable starter at TE in Baker after he had a pretty solid 2007 season. The front office disagreed with the signing of Bubba Franks and the drafting of Dustin Keller in the first round.
21. Jeff King – Carolina Panthers – With no decent options outside of Steve Smith in Carolina, King, a former 5th round pick, stepped up and recorded 46 receptions. He’s a decent starter but has limited upside.
22. Mercedes Lewis – Jacksonville Jaguars – Followed up disappointing rookie campaign with 37-catch sophomore season. Coaches expect him to improve even more to live up to first round draft status.
23. Alex Smith – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Former third round pick earned starting role early in his career and has been adequate, but hardly anything special for Bucs.
24. Leonard Pope – Arizona Cardinals – Only had one game last year where he recorded more than 40 yards, but his 6’8 frame keeps coaches intrigued with his potential.
25. Dan Campbell – Detroit Lions – Reliable veteran is coming off a severe elbow injury. He’s a serviceable blocking TE in an offense that runs a lot of three- and four WR sets.
26. Kevin Boss – New York Giants – 5th round pick out of Western Oregon surprised when he filled in nicely for injured Shockey in playoffs. Giants were confident enough in him to trade away their Pro Bowl TE.
27. Reggie Kelly – Cincinnati Bengals – Blocking TE does his unheralded job well for Bengals offense that rarely utilizes TEs in passing game. Ben Utecht was brought in from Indianapolis to change that a little.
28. Visanthe Shiancoe – Minnesota Vikings – Had plenty of opportunities due to inexperienced QB and lack of playmakers outside, but was inconsistent and had several brutal drops.

Fringe
29. Robert Royal – Buffalo Bills – Has always been better suited as a #2 TE. Derek Fine was drafted in fourth round and will get snaps early.
30. Anthony Fasano – Miami Dolphins – Drafted in the 2nd round by Dallas, Fasano had not been the factor the Cowboys had hoped for and he was traded back to the man who drafted him, Bill Parcells, with LB Akin Ayodele for a 4th round pick. He’ll have the inside track to start for Miami.
31. Ben Hartsock – Atlanta Falcons – When a team is in a total rebuilding mode like the Falcons currently are, sometimes one off-season isn’t enough to address every position. The team shipped Alge Crumpler out and will rely on a misfit group of journeymen to fill the void.

Rookies
32. John Carlson – Seattle Seahawks – Seattle drafted the Notre Dame TE to start from the get-go. Carlson was extremely productive when Brady Quinn was under center for the Irish, and the Seahawks believe he can have similar success in their West Coast Offense.

#2 WR Power Rankings

Generally, the success of a team’s passing attack relies on effective play from the Quarterback position. Sure, having a legit #1 target like Randy Moss or Terrell Owens makes the QBs job a lot easier, but still, as evidenced by Moss’ struggles in Oakland and the delayed breakouts of Andre Johnson and Braylon Edwards, it all really comes down to the play of the QB.

However, there are exceptions to this rule, and these commonly hinge on the ability of a team’s #2 WR. Jon Kitna is far from a great passer, but he has orchestrated one of the league’s best aerial attacks, largely because he has had more than one great receiver to throw to. For blue-chip QBs like Tom Brady, having a deep, legitimate group of receivers boosted very good production up to record-breaking numbers.

This list ranks those WRs who aren’t necessarily the first look in their respective passing attacks, although many could very well be that player on other teams. The players aren’t categorized as elite, solid or adequate #2 options, but rather as elite, solid and adequate receivers in general.

Elite
1. Anquan Boldin – Arizona Cardinals – Boldin battled nagging injuries throughout the 2007 campaign, but when healthy he is arguably as good if not better than teammate and fellow Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald.
2. T.J. Houshmandzadeh – Cincinnati Bengals – He and teammate Chad Johnson were teammates at Oregon State. Johnson was drafted in the second round and Houshmandzadeh lasted until the seventh. However, with excellent route running, sticky hands and steady production in the red zone, he has rivaled Johnson in ability and even tied for the league lead in receptions last season.
3. Marvin Harrison – Indianapolis Colts – Manning to Harrison had become the model QB/WR duo. Now 36 years old and a veteran of two knee surgeries, Harrison has passed the torch on to Reggie Wayne. Still, as steady and reliable as it gets when healthy.
4. Wes Welker – New England Patriots – The Patriots traded Miami a 2nd round pick for Welker last off-season. It seemed like a high price to pay for a guy who had never amassed more than 700 yards in a season. Never question the Patriots; Welker proved to be the ultimate fit in New England’s offense and tied for the league lead in receptions.

Solid
5. Laveranues Coles – New York Jets – Injuries hurt him last year, although 52 of his 55 receptions came in just 8 games. He has been an extremely solid performer his entire career despite never having a great QB to get him the ball.
6. Greg Jennings – Green Bay Packers – Awesome deep threat showed flashes in his rookie year, but really emerged as a playmaker his sophomore season averaging 17.4 yard per catch with 12 TDs. Complements Donald Driver perfectly.
7. Santonio Holmes – Pittsburgh Steelers – Lethal deep threat in the mold of Joey Galloway led the league with 18.1 yards per catch last year. Compares a lot to Greg Jennings.
8. Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions – Biggest WR prospect since Randy Moss failed to satisfy unrealistic expectations as a rookie, but should be a perennial Pro Bowler if he stays healthy.
9. Amani Toomer – New York Giants – Production has taken a dip since arrival of Plaxico Burress, but Toomer is a steady, clutch receiver who plays very well when it really counts.

Adequate
10. Reggie Brown – Philadelphia Eagles – All signs pointed to a breakout year in 2007 for Brown, but inconsistency, especially early on, led to a slightly down year. A healthy McNabb could lead to a belated coming out party.
11. Donte Stallworth – Cleveland Browns – Stallworth has absurd deep speed and good run-after-the-catch ability, but also has inconsistent hands and isn’t a reliable target.
12. Vincent Jackson – San Diego Chargers – Led the NFL in postseason receiving yards last year. Enormous target thrived after addition of Chris Chambers.
13. Ronald Curry – Oakland Raiders – Has been a fairly reliable target in an offense that has seen an impressive collection laughable Quarterbacks.
14. Nate Burleson – Seattle Seahawks – Has two 10 TD seasons under his belt. Both have come when there has been a legitimate threat opposite him. Last year, Bobby Engram was that guy. He will continue to start until Deion Branch returns from injury.
15. Mark Clayton – Baltimore Ravens – Clayton had a baffling demise last year when it appeared he was on the cusp of breaking out. His name is far too close to Michael Clayton’s to not worry about a similar decline.
16. Reggie Williams – Jacksonville Jaguars – Inconsistent player, but often wrongfully labeled a bust. He had 10 TDs in 2007, but probably won’t match that with the arrivals of Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson.
17. Kevin Walter – Houston Texans – Houston entered last year with no proven receiver opposite Andre Johnson. Enter Kevin Walter, who doubled his career production in 2007 with 65 catches for 800 yards.
18. Patrick Crayton – Dallas Cowboys – Strong slot receiver was moved into starting lineup after Terry Glenn’s injury. Had better numbers, but was far less effective.
19. Justin Gage – Tennessee Titans – Performed CPR on his own career in first year with Titans despite questionable play at QB position.
20. David Patten – New Orleans Saints – Had a nice bounce-back year last season after two MIA years in Washington.
21. Darrell Jackson – Denver Broncos – Former Seahawk has been a good NFL WR, but he had a bad 2007 season, has brittle knees and will have to fend off Keary Colbert and Samie Parker to start opposite Brandon Marshall.
22. Arnaz Battle – San Francisco 49ers – Battle has very good hands, yet only 48.1% of passes thrown his direction ended up in his hands, a testament to the abysmal QB play in San Fran. Will battle newcomer Bryant Johnson for starting job.
23. Antwaan Randle-El – Washington Redskins – Very versatile WR is jack of all traits, but master of none, and will not be a starter for much longer with rookies Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly waiting in the wings.
24. Drew Bennett – St. Louis Rams – Veteran wideout has great size, but catch total has declined the past four seasons and injuries rendered his first year in St. Louis a big disappointment.
25. Ike Hilliard – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Had best season since rookie year, has good hands and is a clutch third-down target. Maurice Stovall, rookie Dexter Jackson and the mystery that is Michael Clayton will battle for his job, however.
26. D.J. Hackett – Carolina Panthers – When healthy, he’s a decent starter. Was brought in to take some pressure off of Steve Smith opposite him. If he gels in offense, he’ll get a lot of single coverage.
27. Ted Ginn Jr. – Miami Dolphins – He has exceptional speed and is a great return man, but with the 11th overall pick you generally try to get someone who you think can be an elite #1 WR. Few scouts think that of Ginn. Still, he has the ability to be a gamebreaker, especially if he gets more talent around him.
28. Sidney Rice – Minnesota Vikings – Had a decent rookie season. Big receiver added some weight to become a better possession receiver.
29. Laurent Robinson – Rookie out of Illinois St. was a rare bright spot for Falcons in 2007. Falcons really are intrigued with his potential.

Fringe
30. Jeff Webb – Kansas City Chiefs – Nobody is in greater rebuilding mode than Kansas City. Webb, a former 6th round pick who started two games and caught 28 passes last season, enters training camp penciled in as the starter.
31. Mark Bradley – Chicago Bears – Bradley is a former 2nd round pick with all the physical tools, but had just six receptions in 2007. Bears’ receivers are so bad that Brandon Lloyd, third round rookie Earl Bennett and even Devin Hester, a college CB, all have opportunities to be starters.

Rookies
32. James Hardy – Buffalo Bills - Enormous second round pick provides much needed size to the NFL’s smallest receiving corps. He should move Josh Reed to a slot role, where his skill set is much better suited.