Ranking NFL free agent tight ends: Proven vets, intriguing younger options available, but no true stars
Tight end usage rose in 2025, and several players are looking to take advantage
With NFL free agency contract negotiation window opening March 9 at noon ET, CBS Sports is providing a position-by-position look at the free agent landscape.
Kyle Pitts was the clear and obvious top tight end on track to hit free agency, but the Falcons franchise-tagged him after his bounce-back 2025.
That leaves an interesting mix of veterans, some who are at the end or past their primes and some who haven't hit their primes yet but also haven't produced consistently.
Ranking free-agent tight ends
Dallas Goedert set career highs in receptions and receiving touchdowns in 2025 but also had a career low in yards per reception. That says a lot about the Eagles' frustrating offense; Goedert was often the recipient of quick, short passing out of run/pass option looks. In fact, his eight catches on these plays tied for the most among tight ends. Goedert is a big target and an angular mover with some ability downfield and and in breaking tackles. He's not exactly explosive or dynamic at this stage -- his average yards after catch over expected was the worst of his career -- but he's reliable, and his touchdown production was impressive.
Travis Kelce clearly lost a couple of steps from his lengthy All-Pro peak, but that doesn't mean it's gone completely. After a down 2024, Kelce increased his yards per catch (from 8.5 to 11.2) and his touchdowns (from 3 to 5) while generally looking more explosive. Drops were an issue, in 2025. Still, he's a smart player who finds soft spots in zones, has some shake against man and improvises well with Patrick Mahomes when plays break down.
You know what you're getting with Cade Otton. Each of the last three seasons, he averaged between 9.7 and 10.2 yards per catch, and caught between 68% and 73% of his targets, and each of the last two seasons, he caught exactly 59 passes. He is a complementary piece in the passing game, more steady than explosive but still with hints of downfield and after-catch production. He had a career-low two drops last season.
Isaiah Likely emerged as an intriguing, downfield receiving tight end early in his career when he averaged 13.7 yards per reception in his second season. In his third season, he set career highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns and appeared to be on a major upward trajectory. Then a preseason injury caused him to miss the start of 2025, and he never really got on track, posting career lows in all three major receiving categories. Still, this is a talented pass catcher with the size/speed combo to grab teams' eyes. He's yet to prove he can shoulder the full load -- he's never started more than nine games -- but many teams could present him that opportunity.
Chigoziem Okonkwo is a tough one to project. On one hand, he's a speedy, athletic tight end and among the game's best after the catch. The highlights show an explosive mover who can get downfield and really threaten a defense. But he hasn't consistently produced or shown growth from his rookie year, when he posted 2.65 yards per route run; he's been at about half of that ever since. Plus, he was Pro Football Focus' lowest-graded tight end in run blocking in 2025.
One more to keep an eye on
After a breakout 2023, David Njoku was productive but injuries hampered his 2024 season. In 2025, he was both injured and not quite as productive, leading to impressive rookie Harold Fannin Jr. taking over the top spot in Cleveland's tight end pecking order. Njoku, at his best, is a superb athlete with a big catch radius, vertical speed and physicality after the catch. But he missed 11 games over the past two seasons, he turns 30 this summer, and 2023 is looking more like an exception than the norm.
Five teams to watch
- Evan Engram didn't exactly perform up to expectation in his first year with the Broncos, and Denver adding some juice at the position makes sense, whether in free agency or in the draft.
- The Commanders are looking to get younger and faster, especially at pass catcher. Zach Ertz performed admirably the past two years, but he's 35, coming off a torn ACL and set to be a free agent.
- The Buccaneers got the fewest receiving yards out of their tight ends last season, and almost all of them came from Otton. If he departs, Tampa Bay very much needs to find a replacement.
- The Ravens have, not one, but two tight ends hitting free agency in Likely and Charlie Kolar. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle used two-tight end sets with the Bears, and having someone to complement Mark Andrews should be a priority.
- After cobbling together a rotation of Darren Waller, Greg Dulcich and Julian Hill, the Dolphins could use an upgrade -- particularly a dependable one who will make life easier on whatever quarterback is playing. New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley saw how important tight ends can be with Tucker Kraft of the Packers.
One big question
How do teams view the younger free-agent tight end crop?
Putting multiple tight ends on the field is back en vogue: 2025 saw the most multi-tight end plays across the NFL since 2011. The ability to present multiple looks with multiple tight ends was a boon to many of the best offenses.
Will that make Likely, Okonkwo and Otton more in demand? All three have shown impressive flashes -- Likely downfield, Okonkwo with the ball in his hands, Otton as an all-around solid player who can handle big target numbers here or there -- but none are complete players, especially as blockers. Likely and Okonkwo, because of their physical skill set, seem to have another level to unlock, but the difference between seeming to have it and actually having it is huge. All three tight ends listed above should get multi-year deals. Can they be fulcrums of an offense, or at least of a passing game? Or are they simply complementary pieces?
