After ranking the top wide receivers of 2001–2025, I applied the same approach to tight ends. The result is a ranking that includes some of the position’s most productive pass catchers and shows the different paths they took to the top.
Antonio Gates ranks first with 1,016.6 cumulative Scrimmage Performance Rating points. He is the only tight end to clear 1,000 in the 25-season period, combining 14 qualifying seasons with nine top-five finishes. Tony Gonzalez follows at No. 2, while Jason Witten, Travis Kelce, and Rob Gronkowski complete the top five.
How the ranking works
I added each tight end’s Scrimmage Performance Rating from every season in which he qualified. The resulting cumulative SPR determines the order.
SPR compares a tight end only with other qualified tight ends from the same season. It combines yards from scrimmage, yards per touch, touchdowns per touch, first downs per touch, and fumble avoidance. A tight end needs at least 30 touches to qualify. Because the components are season-relative percentiles, cumulative SPR provides a common framework for comparing players across different offensive eras.
This is a ranking of performance within the 2001–2025 window, not a full-career ranking. Production before 2001 does not count. That notably excludes the first four seasons of Gonzalez’s career and affects other veteran tight ends whose careers began before the window.
The top 20
| Rank | Tight end | Qualified seasons | Cumulative SPR | Average SPR | Best season | Top-five finishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Gates | 14 | 1,016.6 | 72.6 | 2010 (92.9) | 9 |
| 2 | Tony Gonzalez | 13 | 959.9 | 73.8 | 2003 (95.2) | 7 |
| 3 | Jason Witten | 16 | 911.9 | 57.0 | 2013 (76.6) | 4 |
| 4 | Travis Kelce | 12 | 907.5 | 75.6 | 2020 (85.8) | 8 |
| 5 | Rob Gronkowski | 10 | 834.6 | 83.5 | 2015 (96.5) | 9 |
| 6 | Jimmy Graham | 11 | 716.8 | 65.2 | 2013 (93.8) | 4 |
| 7 | George Kittle | 9 | 681.7 | 75.7 | 2023 (94.4) | 6 |
| 8 | Jared Cook | 11 | 667.3 | 60.7 | 2019 (89.3) | 2 |
| 9 | Zach Ertz | 12 | 660.3 | 55.0 | 2017 (75.2) | 1 |
| 10 | Greg Olsen | 11 | 659.3 | 59.9 | 2015 (84.2) | 4 |
| 11 | Vernon Davis | 10 | 594.8 | 59.5 | 2010 (91.0) | 3 |
| 12 | Hunter Henry | 9 | 587.0 | 65.2 | 2025 (86.5) | 3 |
| 13 | Heath Miller | 11 | 575.5 | 52.3 | 2012 (76.1) | 2 |
| 14 | Mark Andrews | 8 | 563.6 | 70.5 | 2024 (85.7) | 5 |
| 15 | Jeremy Shockey | 10 | 540.8 | 54.1 | 2005 (89.8) | 2 |
| 16 | Owen Daniels | 9 | 529.4 | 58.8 | 2008 (70.2) | 0 |
| 17 | Dallas Goedert | 8 | 464.1 | 58.0 | 2021 (77.3) | 2 |
| 18 | Todd Heap | 7 | 450.6 | 64.4 | 2002 (83.9) | 2 |
| 19 | Alge Crumpler | 6 | 438.6 | 73.1 | 2006 (87.4) | 5 |
| 20 | Dallas Clark | 9 | 429.5 | 47.7 | 2007 (72.7) | 1 |
What stands out
Gates combines longevity with elite finishes
Gates did not merely accumulate points by playing a long time. He finished among the top five tight ends in nine of his 14 qualifying seasons and ranked first five times. His 72.6 average SPR shows that his longevity came with consistently high-end performance.
Gonzalez loses four seasons to the cutoff
Gonzalez finishes only 56.7 points behind Gates despite the study beginning with his fifth NFL season. He averaged 73.8 SPR over 13 qualifying seasons in the window, earned seven top-five finishes, and posted a 95.2 in 2003. A full-career calculation would give him four additional seasons and could substantially change the top of the ranking.
Gronkowski owns the dominant peak
Gronkowski’s 83.5 average SPR is easily the highest in the top 20. His 96.5 rating in 2015 is also the best single-season score in the group. He finished in the top five in nine of his 10 qualifying seasons and ranked first five times, matching Gates in both categories despite qualifying four fewer times.
Kelce and Kittle were remarkably consistent
Kelce ranks fourth with 12 qualifying seasons, eight top-five finishes, and a 75.6 average SPR. Kittle is seventh with a nearly identical 75.7 average and six top-five finishes across nine seasons. Their averages trail only Gronkowski among the top 20.
Witten’s longevity secures third place
Witten’s 16 qualifying seasons are the most in the top 20. His 57.0 average SPR is lower than the other members of the top five, but he remained productive enough to add value over an unusually long span. That sustained production puts him ahead of Kelce by 4.4 cumulative points.
Crumpler made nearly every season count
Alge Crumpler is the surprise entry at No. 19. He has the fewest qualifying seasons in the top 20, but five of his six were top-five finishes. His 73.1 average SPR ranks fifth in this group and allows his shorter run to hold up against much longer careers.
Like the wide receiver ranking, this list rewards accumulated season-relative performance rather than reputation alone. It gives credit to both dominant peaks and the ability to remain productive across many seasons.
Browse the NFL ratings archive to see the complete tight end rankings for each season from 2001 through 2025.