The tight end position has gone through many changes over the past 20 years. No longer are the days of the position being a glorified fullback that moved from the backfield to the end of the line as a primary blocker.
Teams nowadays use tight ends mostly as receivers with blocking being an afterthought. The tight end position is vital for short yardage and red zone situations as often the defensive backs cover the wide receivers and a linebacker can become overwhelmed by the extra receiver.
Below, you will read:
- Madden 24’s best tight ends by overall rating as of August 28, 2023
- Why each tight end poses a threat to opposing offenses
- 2023 stats for each of Madden 24’s best tight ends
1. Travis Kelce – 99 OVR (Kansas City Chiefs)
Position: Tight End
Age: 33
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 97 Catching, 93 Spectacular Catch, 92 Ball Carrier Vision
Travis Kelce is coming off of another stellar season and Madden 24 marks his fourth time in the 99 Club. Kelce’s catching attributes are all 90+, scoring a 97 in Catching, 93 for Spectacular Catch, and a 90 Catch in Traffic rating. Kelce is very dominant after the catch as well rating 92 in Ball Carrier Vision, 86 in Speed, and 85 for Stiff Arm.
In 2022, Kelce led all tight ends with 110 receptions, 1,338 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He also broke the record for most and most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with seven. Kelce caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s win over Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII. NFL.com ranked Kelce as the fifth best player in the NFL.
2. George Kittle – 96 OVR (San Francisco 49ers)
Position: Tight End
Age: 29
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 98 Toughness, 94 Catching, 90 Ball Carrier Vision
George Kittle is the type of tight end that will automatically increase a team’s third-down conversion percentage. Kittle’s skill set makes him perfect against stingy, rough defenses. His 98 Toughness, 94 Catching, and 86 Catch in Traffic rating means that his hands are reliable at catching the ball as well as holding on throughout contact. Kittle is an above-average router runner and a solid ball carrier with attributes ratings of 84 Trucking and 90 Ball Carrier Vision and Jumping.
Kittle had 60 receptions for 765 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2022 season. Last season was a career year in scoring, enough for third place in the league among tight ends. Kittle made Second-Team All-Pro as well as being selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in a row. NFL.com ranked Kittle as the 19th best player in the league.
3. Mark Andrews – 95 OVR (Baltimore Ravens)
Position: Tight End
Age: 27
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 95 Catching, 91 Spectacular Catch, 91 Catch in Traffic
Mark Andrews has exceptional hands and amazing athletic ability. Andrews is more of a vertical threat than a blocker with receiving ratings of 95 Catching, 91 Spectacular Catch, and 91 Catch in Traffic. He is also able to burn most running backs and defensive ends with attribute ratings of 91 Acceleration and 87 Speed.
During the 2022 Season, which was Andrews’ first year as a full-time starter, he recorded 73 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in a row and was ranked the 80th best player by NFL.com
4. T.J. Hockenson – 90 OVR (Minnesota Vikings)
Position: Tight End
Age: 26
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 93 Catching, 90 Spectacular Catch, 89 Jumping
T.J. Hockenson has extremely reliable hands to go along with above-average speed and athleticism. He rates 93 in Catching, 90 for Spectacular Catch, and 88 Catch in Traffic. Hockenson has little issue getting to the ball with his display of athleticism. He has 89 Jumping, 87 Acceleration, and 83 Speed attributes as part of his skill set.
Hockenson had 86 Receptions for 914 yards and six touchdowns. The Vikings acquired him via trade from the Lions in November of 2022. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second time in the past three seasons.
5. Dallas Goedert – 89 OVR (Philadelphia Eagles)
Position: Tight End
Age: 28
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 93 Catching, 87 Acceleration, 86 Spectacular Catch
Dallas Goedert has a well-balanced skill set for a modern tight end. Goedert boasts a 93 Catch rating as well as being a very effective run blocker. His ball carrier attributes bring his value full circle with ratings of 87 Acceleration, 84 Speed, and 82 Stiff Arm. Goedert is an excellent choice, especially on a roster with an established receiving corps that can use his run-blocking skills.
Last Year, Goedert suffered a shoulder injury and missed five games. He had 55 receptions, 702 yards, and three touchdowns during the regular season. Goedert and the Eagles made it to Super Bowl LVII where he had six receptions for 60 yards in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
6. Kyle Pitts – 87 OVR (Atlanta Falcons)
Position: Tight End
Age: 22
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 93 Acceleration, 92 Jumping, 91 Speed
Kyle Pitts is a tight end with the speed and athleticism of a wideout. Pitts has five attribute ratings in the top ten percent including 93 Acceleration, 92 Jumping, and 91 Speed. Pitts not only is great at getting to the ball, but his 90 Toughness, 88 Catching, and 84 Catch in Traffic attribute ratings mean he has very reliable hands and will hold the ball during contact.
Last season, Pitts only played ten games due to multiple injuries. In Week 11, he tore his MCL and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. He finished the season with 28 receptions for 356 yards and two touchdowns.
7. Darren Waller – 86 OVR (New York Giants)
Position: Tight End
Age: 30
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 89 Acceleration, 88 Jumping, 88 Speed
Darren Waller is a playmaking tight end. He has great hands, elite speed, and above-average ball carrier skills. He has ratings of 87 for both Catch and Spectacular Catch as well as ball carrier-related ratings of 89 for Acceleration, 88 for Speed, and 82 for Change of Direction. Waller’s skillset makes it hard to cover him while his quickness and elusiveness help him extend plays.
Waller only played the last nine games of the season for the Las Vegas Raiders due to injury. He caught 28 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders traded Waller to the New York Giants on March 15, 2023.
8. Pat Freiermuth – 85 OVR (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Position: Tight End
Age: 24
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 95 Catching, 88 Jumping, 85 Catch in Traffic
Pat Freiermuth’s hands are his obvious greatest asset, but he is also a very serviceable blocker. His receiving attributes are all well above average with ratings of 95 Catch, 85 Catch in Traffic, and 84 Spectacular Catch. Freiermuth’s skill set also takes advantage of his size; he rates 72 in Impact Blocking and 86 in Toughness.
Freiermuth played 16 games, but only started in eight during the 2022 season. He caught 63 passes for 732 yards and two touchdowns.
9. David Njoku – 84 OVR (Cleveland Browns)
Position: Tight End
Age: 27
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 93 Jumping, 90 Acceleration, 87 Spectacular Catch
David Njoku is a terror in the red zone as a tight end. His 93 Jumping and 90 Acceleration attributes allow him to create separation and grab the ball where only he can reach. Njoku also has great hands boasting receiving ratings of 87 Spectacular Catch, 86 Catch, and 84 Catch in Traffic.
Last year, Njoku caught 58 passes for 628 yards and four touchdowns. He missed three games due to a week seven injury.
10. Evan Engram – 84 OVR (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Position: Tight End
Age: 28
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 90 Acceleration, 89 Catching, 88 Jumping
Evan Engram is a speedy tight end with the ability to make all the tough catches. As an athlete, he has attribute ratings of 90 Acceleration, 88 Speed, and 88 Jumping. As a receiver, he rates at 89 for Catching, 85 for Spectacular Catch, and 82 for Catch in Traffic. Engram has an average skill set as a blocker which removes him as a liability on run plays as well.
During the 2022 season, Engram caught 73 passes for 766 yards and four touchdowns. In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, he caught seven passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
There you have the top ten tight ends in Madden 24. Although most teams rely on their tight ends to be great receivers, you can take advantage of the players who excel in blocking if you already have a great group of receivers or if you have an elite receiving tight end on the other side of the line. All tight ends on this list would be great additions to any roster.