The NFL is loaded at the tight end position heading into the 2026 season, but maybe particularly so in the NFC.
The top three leaders at the tight end position last season in receiving yards came from the NFC. The top five leaders at the tight end position last season in receiving touchdowns came from the NFC. Four out of the top five leaders at the tight end position last season in receptions?
You guessed it: They came from the NFC.
Our newest NFL Power Rankings (of many this offseason) are going to be ranking the definitive top 5 players at the tight end position in the NFC heading into the 2026 season. There is absolutely no room for debate or discussion here. All kidding aside, here are our top five NFC tight ends ranked for the upcoming season.
NFL Power Rankings: Top 5 NFC TEs for the 2026 season, ranked
5. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
During his rookie season with the Lions, Sam LaPorta may have created an unfair set of expectations for himself going forward.
After catching 86 passes (on a whopping 120 targets) for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, his numbers dipped a little bit in year two, catching 60 passes for 726 yards and 7 touchdowns. Those numbers would still be near the top of the league in most recent years, but the real disappointment wasn't a year two decline.
LaPorta was limited to just 9 games last season due to a herniated disc in his back, an injury he's fully recovered from in 2026. With a big-money contract on the line, everyone in the NFL world seems to be anticipating LaPorta will return to his 2023-24 form and be one of the most dynamic weapons at the position in the NFL once again.
4. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Despite so much speculation in recent years that he could be a misfit for the team and/or traded to the highest bidder, Kyle Pitts and the Atlanta Falcons shocked everyone by agreeing to a big-money contract extension this offseason.
Pitts earned himself an impressive 3-year deal worth $54 million in total money, $36 million fully guaranteed at signing. He had the best year of his NFL career (so far) at the best possible time, catching 88 passes last year for 985 yards and 5 touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro recognition along the way.
Pitts clearly has taken another step as a pro, which was a long time coming for the 4th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It felt like we might not see that same player who once dominated every snap he played at Florida, but the Falcons unlocked him again last year.
Now, Kevin Stefanski and the new staff have the execute their own vision for Pitts, but the plan will be the same: Get this guy the ball and make him one of the featured weapons in the offense.
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