Rob Gronkowski set a new standard for his position

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is unlike any other tight end in the past couple of decades.

Despite some of his goofy antics, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski spent the last 10 years resetting the standard for the tight end position in the NFL.

Gronkowski put together a Hall of Fame résumé after being drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Arizona by the Patriots. Prior to the 2010 Draft, one scouting report on Gronkowski concluded, “If he can stay healthy he could provide a team with a quality starting tight end.”

At this point, it’s safe to say that was quite prophetic, though Gronk provided the Patriots more than just a ‘quality starting tight end’. He was an absolute superstar, and one of the most dominant forces in the NFL for the past 10 years regardless of position.

In 2011, Gronk had 17 touchdown catches, which are the most in a single season for a tight end in NFL history.

In his 16 postseason games, Gronkowski has 12 touchdown catches, which are the most for any tight end in league history.

For his NFL career, he averaged a whopping 11 touchdowns per 16 games.

In a league where so many players at the tight end position are considered ‘move’ players, ‘big slots’, ‘H-backs’, ‘in-line players’, ‘blocking players’, and so many other traits that limit them schematically, Gronk found a way to break the mold through intense physical pain.

Gronk was one of the most dominant receivers we’ve ever seen at the tight end position in league history, but those who watched him play consistently saw the kind of blocker he was.

Gronk was an extension of the Patriots’ offensive line at his best.

His exceptional work in the trenches as a blocker was richly rewarded in the passing game, where he and Tom Brady had chemistry up there among the best duos in professional sports history.

This is a guy who averaged 15.1 yards per reception in his pro career, absolutely unprecedented for a tight end at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds.

Gronkowski wasn’t the fastest, but he was deceptively quick with long-striding long speed and the ability to separate at the catch point with a ridiculous catch radius.

He consistently made impossible catches look routine, and helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls before he even turned 30 years old.

Of all the players Bill Belichick let come and go through the Patriots’ building, Gronk was a guy the Patriots built around for the past 10 years, along with Brady of course.

He set an unfair expectation for most tight ends coming into the league as a player who could really do everything at an elite level.

Injuries have taken their toll on Gronk, but he impressively played through those injuries and saw the reward as a three-time Super Bowl Champion, four-time All-Pro, and five-time Pro Bowl selection.

His next accolade will involve a gold jacket and a bust in Canton.