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🏈 NFL Tight Ends, Ranked: 1-32

Plus: 10 make-or-break players for contenders, the most-penalized players since 2021, fantasy insights and more. JOIN PFF+ NFL NEWS FANTASY DRAFT TOOLS

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July 27, 2026 4:20pm EDT

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The 2026 TE Rankings Are In

The 2026 PFF Wide Receiver Rankings are here, continuing our positional preview series after quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick rank all 32 of the NFL's best tight ends using career production, receiving and blocking work, and PFF's advanced data.

Sitting at No. 1: George Kittle. The 49ers star led all tight ends in PFF grade (90.7) for the third straight season and the fifth time in his nine-year career. Kittle has finished as a top-five graded tight end every year but his rookie season, and no one at the position has produced more value across the past three years by PFF WAR. He tore his Achilles in January, but he's on track to be ready for Week 1.

See where every top-32 TE lands.

SEE THE FULL RANKINGS

10 Make-or-Break Players for 2026 Contenders

Quarterbacks get most of the credit and blame, but a handful of non-QBs on contenders can quietly swing an entire season. Bradley Locker breaks down 10 make-or-break players whose 2026 could turn their team from playoff hopeful into Super Bowl contender, or unravel the season entirely.

Headlining the group: D.J. Moore. The Bills gave up a second-round pick to acquire him from the Bears, betting he can fix a WR room that graded 24th in receiving despite Buffalo's second-ranked offense by EPA per play. The problem: Moore just posted career lows in receiving grade (67.9) and yards per route run (1.24). If he rebounds with former OC Joe Brady, the Bills might finally break through in the AFC. If not, Buffalo could hit the same ceiling again.

See all 10 players who could decide 2026.

SEE ALL 10 MAKE-OR-BREAK PLAYERS

Ranking the NFL's Most-Penalized Players

Splash plays get the headlines. Yellow flags get the coaches yelling. Bradley Locker used five years of PFF charting to identify the NFL's most-penalized players since 2021, and the top of the list isn't close.

At the top of the list nobody wants to be on: Jawaan Taylor. The Falcons' new right tackle has racked up 74 penalties since 2021, the most in the NFL by a wide margin. Fifty-six of those came from 2023-25 alone while protecting Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, powered by a league-high 35 holds and 10 illegal formation calls (second-most). The wrinkle: he's now landed with the Falcons, one of the least-penalized teams in football. Something has to give.

See all 10 players with the most yellow flags since 2021.

VIEW THE FULL LIST

Editor's Picks

Fantasy: Nathan's updated PPR top 250 rankings 📊

Ja'Marr Chase hit a career-high 90.1 PFF grade in 2025. So who tops the PPR rankings ahead of him?

The NFL's most and least effective routes 🏈

Drake London led all WRs in hitch targets, the league's most popular route. But is it actually one of the most effective?

Fantasy: The perfect Zero RB draft for 2026 🏆

An elite tight end anchors the perfect Zero RB build in 2026. Who else should you target round by round?

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🏈 NFL Tight Ends, Ranked: 1-32

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