2021 NFL Draft tight end rankings: Kyle Pitts leads the way

The 2021 NFL Draft class of tight ends is just an average group, with only one player earning a first-round grade. That player is Florida’s Kyle Pitts who has a chance to be one of the highest-drafted tight ends in NFL history. Pitts is impressive, but he is not the only tight end in the class who can make an impact at the next level. Follow along as we rank the top tight end prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft class.

1. Kyle Pitts, Florida

6-foot-6, 246 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: First round

Florida tight end Kyle Pitts was one of the biggest playmakers in college football last season. On the year, he accounted for 43 receptions for 770 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He also averaged an impressive 17.9 yards per catch. His impressive year allowed him to finish 10th in Heisman Trophy voting which is the highest any tight end has finished in the past 43 years. He also had a strong 2019 season when he caught 54 passes for 649 yards.

The biggest positive with Pitts is his outstanding ability as a receiver. He shows impressive hands and in fact, was the only player with over 65 targets to not drop a single ball according to Pro Football Focus. To go along with his impressive hands he shows outstanding body control and can easily twist his body into a position to make the catch. He also has the speed to get deep and be a threat in all areas of the passing game.

Even though Pitts is a willing blocker who gives good effort he doesn’t have the strength to hold up in this area. He is routinely overpowered by defenders and will be a liability in this area in the NFL. His lack of physicality also shows up as a receiver, as he is not going to outmuscle a defender for the ball.

While some people are projecting Pitts to be a top-10 pick this is too high for my liking for a couple of reasons. The first one being that he is not a complete tight end and is more of just an oversized receiver who plays tight end. I also worry about the lack of success tight ends have had that were drafted in the top-10 over the past 20 years. There have only been four such players and none of them have been named an All-Pro.

With that being said I do think he would be a great pick in the middle of the first round, and if used properly could develop into one of the better tight ends in the NFL.

2. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State

6-foot-5, 258 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Second round

While Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth season might not have ended the way he wanted it to, as he suffered a season-ending injury in November, he still had a productive season. In just four games, he caught 23 passes for 310 yards. He also had an overall outstanding college career as he holds the Penn State record for touchdowns from a tight end with 16 and accounted for over 1,000 yards receiving in his career.

When watching him the first thing that stands out is how physical of a player he is. He routinely runs over defenders when the ball is in his hands and can fight through traffic to make the catch. He is also a physical blocker and is underrated in this area overall. Another positive with him is his terrific hands. He rarely drops a ball and is a great target in the intermediate passing game.

While Freiermuth might be a more complete tight end than Kyle Pitts, he is nowhere near the playmaker Pitts is. This is due to the fact he lacks the game-breaking speed or the overall athletic ability Pitts poses. While I am higher on him as a blocker than most people, he does need to do a better job of staying on his blocks.

Overall, I see Freiermuth becoming a solid number two tight end in the NFL. He is someone who can help out in the passing game and running game as a blocker. This is definitely the type of prospect worth a second-round pick.

3. Brevin Jordan, Miami

6-foot-3, 245 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Second round

Despite battling a shoulder injury and missing three games this year, Miami tight end Brevin Jordan still had a spectacular year. In just eight games this season, he hauled in 38 passes for 576 yards and seven touchdowns. This was the second impressive season for Jordan as he was named All-ACC in 2019.

When projecting him to the NFL you are seeing a player more in the Kyle Pitts type playing style than the Pat Freiermuth mold. Like Pitts, Jordan is an impressive athlete who has the speed to challenge defenders in every area on the field. He has also been extremely dangerous in the red zone evident by his seven touchdown receptions this season. His coaches rave about how competitive he is, which is yet another positive with him.

The biggest concern with Jordan is a lack of ideal size. At only 6-foot-3, he is shorter than you would like to see a starting tight end be. He also is only 245 pounds which hurts him as a blocker. This is due to the fact he lacks the strength and overall bulk to be a great run blocker despite giving outstanding effort in this area.

I look for Jordan to be drafted towards the middle of the second round. He should be able to carve out a spot as a starting tight end in the NFL, who is primarily used as a pass-catcher, but can certainly make an impact in the middle of the field.

4. Hunter Long, Boston College

6-foot-5, 253 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Third round

The most productive tight end in college football last season was Hunter Long out of Boston College. Long was the leader among tight ends with 57 receptions and also scored five touchdowns on the year. This was quite a jump in production for him as he only recorded 28 receptions in 2019 and only caught 32 passes over the 2019 and 2018 seasons.

When evaluating Long as a prospect, his top trait is his soft hands. He does a great job of catching the ball with his hands and rarely drops a ball. Despite being a limited athlete, he does show nice body control which allows him to make a tough catch from time to time. He also has the size NFL teams like coming in 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds.

While Long has put up big numbers in college, his potential might be limited in the NFL. His upside is limited at the next level as he lacks great physical skills. He is not going to be a deep threat in the NFL and is somewhat of a stiff athlete. I would also like him to be a more physical player, as he lacks the physicality you want to see out of a player his size.

The NFL player Long reminds me of is former Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten. He reminds me of him as both players were never outstanding athletes, have similar body types and did an outstanding job of finding open space in the passing game. While it will be extremely hard for Long to have anything close to Witten’s career, he is someone who could earn a starting role in the NFL.

5. Kenny Yeboah, Ole Miss

6-foot-4, 247 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fourth round

Ole Miss’s Kenny Yeboah is yet another athletic tight end in the 2021 NFL Draft class. His best attribute might be making yards after the catch as he routinely broke off long runs after the catch in 2020. In fact, his 244 yards after the catch were the fifth-most by a tight end this season. He has also been a very productive player in the red zone having accounted for 11 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

My biggest concern with Yeboah is that he is basically a big wide receiver who plays tight end. He is not a great block by any stretch and lacks very little pop in this area. I look for Yeboah to be an early day three pick and someone who sees significant playing time in the NFL next year.

6. Tommy Tremble, Notre Dame

6-foot-4, 248 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fifth round

One of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s draft is Notre Dame tight end Tommy Tremble. On one hand, you have a player who produced very little in college. He never had more than 19 receptions in a year and caught zero touchdowns this year.

This lack of production can partly be attributed to him playing behind two stud tight ends in Cole Kmet in 2019 and Michael Mayer in 2020. Even though he was behind these guys, you would still like to see more production from a mid-round 2021 NFL Draft prospect.

On the other hand, you have a player who has been impressive while on the field. He was graded as the top run blocker among tight ends in college football last year by Pro Football Focus. He also displayed the speed and hands to be a threat in the passing game. Overall, despite his limited playing time, I think Tremble could develop into a potential starter in the NFL.

7. Tre’ McKitty, Georgia

6-foot-5, 245 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fifth round

Georgia’s Tre’ McKitty is another prospect who has intriguing traits, yet only average college production. This season he only caught six passes for Georgia after transferring over from Florida State. However, his playing time was limited to only seven games in 2020 as he missed the start of the season recovering from knee surgery and also opted out of the team’s bowl game.

While at Florida State, McKitty caught 46 balls over his last two seasons, and in 2019, caught 82% of the passes thrown his way.

As a prospect, McKitty is a good athlete who shows the agility to make the tough catch. He also has impressed with his hands as he rarely dropped a ball in college and made several one-handed catches at the Senior Bowl. As a blocker, he is average as he shows a willingness to block but lacks the size to get much of a push. He also had trouble with inside pass rushers in Senior Bowl practice which could be an issue in the NFL.

8. John Bates, Boise State

6-foot-6, 256 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Sixth round

Despite not being a great athlete, Boise State tight end John Bates is the type of player you win with. This is due to the fact he is a hard worker that has the extremely competitive nature you want on the second half of your roster. Bates is also one of the better run blockers in the draft, who will be able to help open lanes in the running game. As a pass receiver, he shows soft hands but lacks the speed to be much of a playmaker in this area.

9. Nick Eubanks, Michigan

6-foot-5, 256 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Sixth round

Michigan’s Nick Eubanks is someone who should have had better production in college when you look at his physical tools. He shows the athletic ability to create mismatches against linebackers. He also displays reliable hands although he tends to allow the body into his body too much. Despite these skills, Eubanks has only had one season at Michigan where he caught over ten passes in a season.

10. Cary Angeline, North Carolina State

6-foot-7, 250 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Sixth round

Cary Angeline undoubtedly has impressive size, coming in at 6-foot-7. His height gives him a major advantage in the red zone where he caught 11 touchdown passes over the past two seasons. He has also been a downfield passing threat as he averaged over 15 yards per reception in both 2020 and 2019. Unfortunately, he is somewhat of a stiff athlete and doesn’t offer much as a blocker. Look for him to try and earn a spot as a backup in the NFL.

11. Zach Davidson, Central Missouri

6-foot-7, 245 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Sixth round

One of the very few Division II players to attract 2021 NFL Draft attention is Central Missouri tight end Zach Davidson. What impresses the most with Davidson is his athletic ability. For someone 6-foot-7, he is a very agile athlete and he also has the speed to get downfield.

I also love the production Davidson has, as he finished in the NCAA top-10 in both receiving touchdowns (15) and yards-per-reception (22.35) in 2019. On the downside, he needs to add weight, and it will take time for him to move from Division II to the NFL.

12. Matt Bushman, BYU

6-foot-5, 240 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Seventh round

One of the best receiving tight ends in college football for the 2019 season was BYU’s Matt Bushman. Bushman led BYU in receiving with 688 yards which placed him sixth among FCS tight ends. Unfortunately, his senior season was wrecked by a torn Achilles tendon which cost him the entire 2020 season. The fact he is coming off that injury, is not a great blocker and will be 25 next year is why he will slide so far in the 2021 NFL Draft.

13. Luke Farrell, Ohio State

6-foot-6, 258 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Seventh round

A team looking for a tight end who can primarily be used as a blocker would be wise to take Ohio State’s Luke Farrell late in the 2021 NFL Draft. Farrell shows the strength and overall technique to hold up as a blocker at the next level. As a receiver, he shows consistent hands but lacks the quickness to gain much separation. He will likely earn his way onto an NFL roster as a number two or three tight end.

14. Shaun Beyer, Iowa

6-foot-5, 248 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Seventh round

Shaun Beyer is the next tight end to come out of Tight End U. What makes Iowa tight ends so pro-ready is the coaching they receive in college, which is also something that is noticeable with Beyer. He is very fundamentally sound as both a blocker and receiver. Unfortunately, he lacks the college production and raw tools to be anything more than an extremely late pick.

15. Noah Gray, Duke

6-foot-4, 240 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Seventh round

The reason I give Noah Grey a late seventh-round grade is his production as a receiver. In 2019, he led all ACC tight ends in receptions with 51. While his production dropped some this past season, he still finished third on the team in receptions with 29. Unfortunately, this is the only trait that makes me think Grey has a chance in the NFL as he lacks any pop as a blocker. He also lacks the speed to create the separation needed in the NFL.

16. Kylen Granson, SMU

6-foot-2, 242 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Seventh round

I am a little lower on SMU’s Kylen Granson than most people are. Granson is an asset in the passing game due to his speed, hands and solid route-running skills. However, his lack of size and strength makes me think he has very little upside in the NFL. Despite these concerns, he might be worth a flyer towards the tail end of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Players with free agent grades

17. Tony Poljan, Virginia
18. Quintin Morris, Bowling Green
19. Dylan Soehner, Iowa State
20. Miller Forristall, Alabama
21. Jack Stoll, Nebraska
22. Briley Moore, Kansas State
23. Erik Krommenhoek, USC
24. Zac Lefebvre, Buffalo
25. Carl Tucker, Alabama