3. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
During the 2025 season, rookie tight end Colston Loveland ranked 9th in the league among tight ends with 713 receiving yards. Among players who ranked in the top 10 at tight end last season in receiving yards, Loveland easily had the lowest percentage of his team's target share at 16.53 percent.
With DJ Moore traded to the Buffalo Bills, Loveland stands to benefit tremendously, even though he plays a different position entirely.
Head coach Ben Johnson saw just how special this player was down the stretch last season, and Loveland really hit a stride late in his rookie year as well as during the playoffs. He added 193 yards in just two playoff games on 12 receptions. To say he's going to be one of the most heavily featured players in the NFL at the position this season might be an understatement.
2. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Tucker Kraft is another superstar player we lost in the middle of last season due to injury, but he will be back and better than ever in the 2026 season.
Kraft had 6 touchdowns in 8 games played last season, and looked like he was on another level from anyone else. He could have contended for the NFL lead in touchdown catches at that pace.
One of the best attributes of Kraft's game is his ability to create after the catch. He's one of the most natural playmakers in space, and Matt LaFleur does a great job of putting him in positions to really highlight that skill.
During the 2024 season, Kraft had 456 yards after the catch, 5th-most at the tight end position in the NFL. He ranked extremely high despite only receiving 15.09 percent of the Packers' target share (70 targets overall). Here's the truly mind-numbing stat for Kraft: Despite playing only 8 games last season, he had the 8th-most YAC among all tight ends in the NFL last season (344 yards).
1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Over the last two seasons, Trey McBride has been putting up some seriously historic numbers.
His 126 receptions in the 2025 season are the most in NFL history by a tight end in a single season. He challenged the previous record of 116 by catching 111 passes (in 16 games) during the 2024 season as well.
This guy is a machine when it comes to being a high-volume target, and he obviously led all tight ends in receiving yards, receptions, yards after the catch, and total EPA last season. He's the best in the business right now, or is at least right up there with Brock Bowers at the top of the league.
McBride finished tied for 2nd in the NFL in receiving touchdowns last year as well (11) and could challenge for the overall league lead in 2026.
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