NFL training camps are in full swing, and as teams ease back into on-field drills and practices in the dead of the summer, football fans have a reason to rejoice. The preseason officially began last week, and teams are preparing for their second exhibition games this weekend. As the start of the NFL regular season inches closer (Sept. 9), we are continuing to look at key offseason storylines for each of the league’s 32 teams.
We’ve already looked at the top position battles to watch, rookies with the best chance of winning a starting job, and the players in the most danger of being cut, plus we’ve ranked the top head coaches, quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers by division. Now, we’re power ranking the tight end rooms in each division. Bowers put up 64 receptions, 660 yards, and seven touchdowns last year, and he would’ve likely pushed the 100-catch, 1,000-yard mark again had he not missed five games due to injury.
If healthy, he should be have the kind of production he did as a rookie (112 receptions, 1,194 yards). Mayer, a former second-round pick, is good for 30 receptions and 300-350 yards per year. He’s one of the top backup TEs in the league.
He and Bowers are the best 1-2 punch in the division, and a top-five group in the NFL. The Chargers haven’t had an impact tight end since Antonio Gates, but Gadsden could be the answer. He totaled 49 receptions, 664 yards, and three TDs as a rookie last year, and many expect him to have a bigger role next year.
And if Gadsden struggles, LA had a solid backup plan in Njoku, a former Pro Bowler. Njoku is just two years removed from his career-best 81-catch, 882-yard, six-TD season. He and Gadsden give quarterback Justin Herbert two great options to throw to over the middle.
Kelce isn’t the player he used to be, but he still can make an impact catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. Though he’s clearly on the decline, Kelce hasn’t been below 76 catches since 2015, and he’s recorded 800 yards or more in every season he’s played. Gray is a solid backup to Kelce, an 11-time Pro Bowler.
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