Having a top tight end honestly does feel like a cheat code, as it's not always easy to find a quality tight end in the NFL. What we have begun to see more and more are tight ends that thrive as receivers and don't add much as blockers, and vice versa - tight ends that are really only there to block.
Whether a tight end is more of an "F" or a true in-line, "Y" player, the good ones are obvious, and the best ones are typically always on top offenses in the league. We've power-ranked just about every position this offseason and are going to continue with some tight ends.
Let's power-rank the best AFC tight ends for the 2026 season, using production from 2025 but also taking into account each player's skill set.
Power-ranking the best AFC tight ends for 2026 as the offseason rolls on
10. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth can do a bit of everything and has been consistently solid for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Beginning his career back in 2021, he's missed just seven games and has finished with no fewer than 486 receiving yards in a season.
He's also had at least two touchdown receptions in each year of his career, has caught 73.3 percent of his targets, and has four separate seasons of a success rate of at least 53 percent, so he's an efficient target when he's thrown the ball, having been responsible for 145 total first downs.
Not necessarily a special player, though, Freiermuth has kind of been a part of some 'committee' rooms in Pittsburgh over the years. He was drafted in the second round out of Penn State and is given a solid No. 10 ranking ahead of the 2026 season. He'll only turn 28 years old during 2026 and should have several more quality years of football under his belt.
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