If Week 1 is any indication, the tight end position might be the one to watch during the 2015 NFL season.
In fact, the position looks as deep as it ever has. Through 14 games in Week 1, 16 different tight ends caught touchdown passes—with five scoring multiple times.
Thursday night’s opener gave us our first look, as Patriots tight end and frequent football spiker Rob Gronkowski caught three scores during New England’s 28-21 win. He won’t keep up his current 48-touchdown pace, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if a healthy Gronk flirts with the 20-score mark this season.
His disciples followed suite on Sunday.
Travis Kelce, or Gronk 2.0, caught the first touchdown of Sunday’s action, extending above his head on a slant route to haul in a 10-yard score from Alex Smith. A short while later, he found himself wide open on a 42-yard touchdown.
Kelce even gave us a little dance before reaching the end zone:
He finished with 106 yards and two scores on six catches, but he wasn’t the only once dancing in Week 1.
Buccaneers second-year tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught five passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. His three receptions over 20 yards are currently tied with Rams tight end Jared Cook—who hauled in five passes for 85 yards against the Seahawks—for first in the NFL.
Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham—one of the major offseason acquisitions in the NFL—pulled down an easy touchdown on a simple out route to cut the Rams’ lead to 24-21 in the second half. He finished with six catches for 51 yards. After the Seahawks eventually took a 7-point lead, Rams quarterback Nick Foles found tight end Lance Kendricks for the game-tying score.
Out west, Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert put on a show against the Raiders, catching nine of 12 targets for 104 yards and two scores. Now in his third season, the former first-round pick looks ready to break out in a big way.
Tyler Eifert's putting up a 9-104-2 line.
And when you're 6'6'', 250 lbs, you can make plays like THIS: #CINvsOAK http://t.co/ACaSmOoigJ
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2015
The Chargers-Lions tilt in San Diego played host to two young, ascending tight ends.
Ladarius Green, who started for the suspended Antonio Gates, shook off a preseason concussion to catch five of six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. Finally a legitimate factor for the Chargers, he might make it difficult for Gates to reclaim his full role upon reinstatement.
On the other sideline, Detroit enjoyed Eric Ebron’s finest game as a professional. Last year’s No. 10 overall pick caught four passes for 53 yards, including a wide open 18-yard score from Matthew Stafford.
Arizona’s Darren Fells (four catches, 82 yards), Washington’s Jordan Reed (seven, 63), Chicago’s Martellus Bennett (five, 55) and Tennessee’s Delanie Walker (three, 43) all caught touchdowns. New England’s Scott Chandler and Indianapolis’s Dwayne Allen hauled in short scores.
Veteran Heath Miller gained 84 receiving yards for Pittsburgh, while Jordan Cameron caught four passes for 73 yards in his Miami debut.
ARLINGTON, TX-SEPTEMBER 13: Jason Witten #82 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after catching a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys take on the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on September 13, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Sunday nightcap put a nice bow on the opening weekend, with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo throwing three touchdowns to tight ends—including the game-winner to Jason Witten and another to Gavin Escobar.
Note that Greg Olsen wasn’t mentioned. He caught just one pass for 11 yards for Carolina. Owen Daniels and Coby Fleener were quiet, too.
But the fact that three of the top tight ends did next to nothing and we’re still talking about the position only highlights how deep the group is to begin 2015. Also, keep in mind that Vernon Davis and Kyle Rudolph play Monday night, while breakout candidate Zach Ertz is still on the mend. More fireworks could be on the way.
The tight end position has long been one of the most top-heavy, with a few greats and precious few others worthy of very good. The young crop in today’s NFL looks ready to bust down the walls of that stereotype. Week 1 was a strong start.