2. Rob Gronkowski – TE
Not only is Rob Gronkowski the greatest tight end to ever play for the Patriots. But he just might be the greatest tight end to ever step on an NFL field.
As soon as Gronkowski joined New England in 2010, he immediately became a favorite target in the red zone for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. As a rookie, the tight end caught a total of 10 touchdowns and eight of these scores came when New England’s offense ran a play in the red zone.
Then came Gronkowski’s second season with the Patriots in 2011 when he established himself as one of the top tight ends in the NFL. The New England tight end finished the year with 90 catches for 1,327 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns.
To this day, no tight end in NFL history has ever caught more touchdowns in a single season than the 17 Gronkowski hauled in back in 2011.
After his performance that season, the talented tight end was voted to his first of five career Pro Bowls and he earned his first of four career First-Team All-Pro selections.
During his time with the Patriots, Gronkowski was basically impossible for opponents to cover in the red zone. Of the 79 receiving touchdowns he scored during his NFL career, 75 percent of them came when New England ran a play in the red zone.
Sadly, after the 2018 season, Gronkowski decided to retire. He left a huge impact on the Patriots during his tenure with the team and if not for the guy throwing him the football, he might be the one at the top of this list.