How Were the NFL’s Top Tight Ends Acquired, and What Should It Teach the Jaguars?

Do teams need to spend first-round picks or throw large contracts at tight ends to find a productive player? Recent NFL history suggests an answer.

For the last several seasons, the Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled to find production from the tight end position. Whether it is because of injuries, poor play, or in general an anemic passing offense, the Jaguars have lagged behind the rest of the NFL in terms of effectively using tight ends. 

Jacksonville's top tight end in 2019 was James O'Shaughnessy, and he only played in five games due to a season-ending ACL injury he sustained in Week 5. He led the Jaguars' tight ends in catches (14), receiving yards (153), and touchdowns (2). Those numbers were good for the 52nd-most receptions and receiving yards by a tight end in 2019, jarringly low numbers. 

Aside from O'Shaughnessy, the Jaguars' tight end room consists of 2019 third-round selection Josh Oliver (three catches for 15 yards), Seth DeValve (12 catches for 140 yards), Geoff Swaim (13 catches for 65 yards), and Nick O'Leary (13 catches for 109 yards and one touchdown). All together, the Jaguars' tight ends failed to reach the numbers combined that the top tight ends in the NFL were able to reach on their own.

With the lack of production from the position in 2019, the Jaguars could be set to either draft a tight end at some point in the 2020 NFL Draft or sign a veteran free agent such as Austin Hooper, Eric Ebron, or Hunter Henry. 

But what kind of capital should the Jaguars use on a tight end? Is it worth taking one at No. 20 such as Notre Dame's Cole Kmet, or even making Hooper one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL?

To find out the answer, we look at the 10 leading tight ends in receiving yards from 2019 and examine what kind of resources their teams invested to bring them aboard. How many were first-round picks or given massive contracts, and what could this mean for the Jaguars? Is there any trend represented? 

Here are the top 10 tight ends in term of receiving yards from the 2019 season, and how they joined their current teams: 

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce

Stats in 2019: 97 receptions for 1,229 yards and five touchdowns.

How the Chiefs acquired him: Third-round (No. 63 overall) selection in 2013 draft.

Overall: Travis Kelce was the fifth tight end drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, behind Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, Gavin Escobar, and Vance McDonald. He has had an astounding career with the Chiefs thus far, and played a pivotal role in their 2019 Super Bowl victory. Kelce is largely considered one of the three best tight ends in the NFL today, so getting him with the 63rd pick is tremendous value. 

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle

Stats in 2019: 85 receptions for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns.

How the 49ers acquired him: Fifth-round (No. 146 overall) selection in 2017 draft.

Overall: One of the biggest draft steals in recent memory, George Kittle was the ninth tight end off the board in 2017 and has since become one of the most dangerous pass-catching threats in the NFL. The 49ers' passing game revolves around the athletic and versatile tight end, and taking him with a pick so close to No. 150 was a home run.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller

Stats in 2019: 90 receptions for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns.

How the Raiders acquired him: Signed off of Baltimore's practice squad in 2018. Was originally a sixth-round (No. 204 overall) selection in 2015 draft.

Overall: One of the biggest success stories of 2019, Darren Waller was a mismatch nightmare for the Raiders. Built like a giant receiver, Waller is the perfect 'big slot' player who is built to succeed in the modern-era of football. The Raiders took a low-risk flier on Waller and were able to nab him off of another team's practice squad. He entered the NFL as the 204th pick to begin with, so any production from him was going to be a steal in terms of value. 

Philadelphia Eagles TE Zach Ertz

Stats in 2019: 88 receptions for 916 yards and six touchdowns.

How the Eagles acquired him: Second-round (No. 35 overall) selection in 2013 draft. 

Overall: One of the two tight ends on this list drafted with the No. 35 selection in his respective draft, Zach Ertz is one of the top three tight ends in the league, joining Kelce and Kittle. He was a centerpiece to the Eagles' Super Bowl victory in 2017, and has been a consistent producer since day one. 

Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews

Stats in 2019: 64 receptions for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns.

How the Ravens acquired him: Third-round (No. 86 overall) selection in 2018 draft.

Overall: The second tight end drafted by the Ravens in 2018 (they drafted Hayden Hurst in the first round), Mark Andrews has been a hyper-productive pass-catcher for the Ravens over the last two seasons. He led all tight ends in touchdowns in 2019, and has become one of the prime examples for the argument against taking a tight end in the first round. 

Atlanta Falcons TE Austin Hooper

Stats in 2019: 75 receptions for 787 yards and six touchdowns.

How the Falcons acquired him: Third-round (No. 81 overall) selection in 2016 draft.

Overall: Set to hit the free agent market in a few weeks, Austin Hooper will likely command a sizable contract whenever he lands with a new team. He is a big-bodied pass-catcher who runs solid routes and is effective in the red-zone, but he has also been in an ideal situation in Atlanta. Regardless, he has given the Falcons great production for a third round pick. 

Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee

Stats in 2019: 69 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns.

How the Rams acquired him: Fourth-round (No. 110 overall) selection in 2016 draft.

Overall: Tyler Higbee broke out in 2019 and became a featured piece of Sean McVay's passing game. Getting nearly 70 catches and 750 yards from a fourth-round pick who had been a part of a tight end rotation previously is an ideal scenario for the Rams, and another example of a successful mid-round pick used on a tight end. 

New Orleans Saints TE Jared Cook

Stats in 2019: 43 receptions for 705 yards and nine touchdowns.

How the Saints acquired him: Signed as a free agent from the Oakland Raiders in 2019. Was originally a third-round (No. 89 overall) selection in the 2009 draft.

Overall: The only tight end on this list who was signed to his current team as a free agent, Jared Cook was second among tight ends in touchdown catches in 2019 and was frequently a mismatch against linebackers and defensive backs. He has had a long career with a number of teams, and he was a mid-round pick to begin his career.  

Los Angeles Chargers TE Hunter Henry

Stats in 2019: 55 receptions for 652 yards and five touchdowns.

How the Chargers acquired him: Second-round (No. 35 overall) selection in 2016 draft.

Overall: Tied with Ertz for the title of the highest-drafted player on the list, Hunter Henry is set to be a free agent this offseason if he isn't franchise tagged or signed to a long-term extension with the Chargers. He has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, but he has still been a productive and effective player when on the field.

Philadelphia Eagles TE Dalllas Goedert

Stats in 2019: 58 receptions for 607 yards and five touchdowns. 

How the Eagles acquired him: Second-round (No. 49 overall) selection in 2018 draft.

Overall: Drafted to join Ertz in the Eagles' passing offense, Dallas Goedert is one of the few top 50 selections on this list. He has proven himself as one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the NFL and his numbers would likely be close to the players at the top of this list if he didn't share targets with Ertz. 

Overall

Here is the breakdown on how the top 10 tight ends from 2019 were acquired: 

• Three second-round picks
• Three third-round picks
• One fourth-round pick
• One fifth-round pick
• Free agency
• Signed off another team's practice squad

Despite a number of first round tight ends over the last few seasons, such as O.J. Howard, Evan Engram, David Njoku, and Eric Ebron, most of the top tight ends in today's NFL are players who were taken after the first 32 picks and developed by the teams that drafted them. 

A few veterans have found success in free agency, but there have also been a number of cautionary tales about signing tight ends to big-money contracts, such as with Jesse James and Julius Thomas.

Does this mean the Jaguars should avoid a tight end in the first round or opt not to pay one in free agency? Not exactly. It does suggest, however, that the Jaguars may not have to use one of those investments to get a productive tight end. Other teams haven't, and they have been able to shape their offenses around mid-round picks and journeymen veterans.