The NFL's increased use of tight ends could have an impact on how teams approach the draft

“I think offenses have tried to counter that by getting them back into base defenses by going heavier,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said of the approach of offenses against defenses with extra defensive backs. "Sometimes 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) will do the trick, other times 13 (one running back, three tight ends) will do the trick. I think having some versatility at the tight end position, that’s hard to find. ... When you have that versatility, it really opens up Pandora’s box.”

The Bears ran the third-most plays last season with multiple tight ends on the field with 501 after surprising some experts by drafting Colston Loveland 10th overall last year to team with Cole Kmet.

But they were far from alone.

The 48,102 offensive snaps played by tight ends last season were the most on record going back 20 years, according to Sportradar. Tight ends also set a record for most receptions (2,866) and yards receiving (29,072) with the yardage per game total increasing 37% over the past 20 seasons.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Kenyon Sadiq, the top tight end prospect in this year's draft. “More tight ends in the game, more snaps for everyone. I think you’re just able to do so much with different kinds of tight ends and different types of personnels in the game. Whether it’s explosive passes, run game, just creating mismatches in different places.”

There has been a 30% increase in plays per game with multiple tight ends since 2018. The use of three tight ends increased even more, with 1,897 plays last year the most on record and a 33% increase from 2024.

The Rams ran 331 plays with at least three tight ends on the field, blowing past the previous high mark over the past two decades of 204 by Cleveland in 2021.

Big class of tight ends at combine

Now the key for teams around the league is finding more players who can do that.

There were 27 tight ends invited to the scouting combine — about 50% more than the usual number — as the increased use of tight ends in college and the increased need for them in the NFL have led to more players at the position becoming potential draft picks.

“You see so many teams running so much 12 personnel even 13 personnel, so you’re seeing more tight end usage,” ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller said. “I think it also just trickled down to the college game. I remember when I was doing this seven or eight years ago, you talked to college coaches about tight ends who had 30 catches. It was like, well, we don’t really throw the ball to our tight ends a lot. Now we see a difference with that where tight ends are being featured in college games.”

There have been an average of 14.1 tight ends taken per draft since 2020, according to Sportradar, with a high in that span of 19 in 2022. The most taken in any draft since 2010 came in 2015 when 22 tight ends were taken.

“It’s such a unique position,” said Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham, who was in Chicago’s front office last season. “The guy that can block, run routes (use them in) spacing. For the coordinator, using them in 12 personnel. Especially, when you get a guy like Colston (Loveland), when you get a guy like Kyle (Pitts), it gives you another weapon. It helps dictate the defense. Whether if they’re going to play base to that or whether they’re going to play nickel. So, it allows a lot of flexibility for an offense. I feel like that position is going to continue to grow moving forward.”

Tight end prospects

Teams have been searching for the elite tight ends more than ever with Pitts getting drafted fourth overall by Atlanta in 2021 and three others going in the top 15 of the last two drafts: Brock Bowers, Loveland and Tyler Warren.

Just two tight ends were taken in the top 18 in a span of 14 drafts from 2007-20 but Sadiq has a shot this year of joining the tight ends to be picked in the top half of the first round.

Sadiq, who had 51 catches for 560 yards for the Oregon Ducks last season, caught the public's attention with an impressive combine performance that featured a 4.39-second 40-yard dash that was the fastest on record for a tight end, along with a 43.5-inch vertical jump.

Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers also had an impressive combine with a 45.5-inch vertical jump and is expected to go on Day 2 of the draft. After that, there will be several tight ends who will picked in the mid to late rounds depending on the specific needs of teams, with Ohio State's Max Klare, Utah's Dallen Bentley, Texas' Jack Endries, Georgia's Oscar Delp, Michigan's Marlin Klein, Baylor's Michael Trigg, NC State's Justin Joly, and Stanford's Sam Roush among the players.

“I’ve got the speed and athleticism and hands to receive and catch balls and be a threat on offense in the pass game as well,” Roush said. “You need guys that can do both. There’s kind a shortage of true Y tight ends that can do both and block. I think that’s where I’ll bring value is the ability to kind of do it all. It’ll be hard to take them off the field.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl