It seems crazy to think he could surpass his 2021 stats, but given the state of Baltimores WR depth chart, Andrews could receive even more targets next season. He topped 1,000 yards in all those campaigns, and even a slightly down year in 2021 resulted in a 92-1,125-9 line. This, coupled with the fact that the team has not significantly addressed the wide receiver position, should provide plenty of opportunities in 2022 for Andrews. Most notably, Taylor calls plays on the offensive side, and Anarumos defense has continued to over-perform based on the talent and experience of the players available to him. The Ravens were bitten hard by the injury bug last season, seemingly at every valuable position on the field outside of tight end. Pitts only scored one touchdown last season, and given the Falcons current quarterback situation, he may not find the end zone much in 2022 either. Tight end Charlie Kolar (fourth round) is a reliable pass-catcher with minimal YAC ability. Other than those two massive splashes, the Browns had a relatively quiet free agency window, with the biggest real-life football signing being return ace Jakeem Grant to help on special teams. The 6-foot-8 Zach Gentry is now the primary backup, and the Steelers also drafted Connor Heyward, younger brother of defensive tackle Cam Heyward. The Lions bring back Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson, who should be healthy and ready to roll once again. Njokus production to this point does not match his new salary, but hes talented enough to make a jump in a featured pass-catching role. Goff's tight-window toss to Hockenson wows McAfee on Pro Bowl Games broadcast. But the division has a solid group at the position with no weak links. Amos deal voided last month after a disappointing 2022 season, so the Packers could be looking for two new starters at safety given the fact that Darnell Savage is likely headed to the slot in 2023. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb makes a toe-tapping touchdown catch on a deep dime from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith's for the NFC Pro Bowl Team. Jarwin sadly suffered a potentially career-ending hip injury in 2021 and is no longer with the Cowboys, so Schultz wont have any competition for targets next season. My initial reaction is this: by whom and at what cost? Tomlin has felt the heat from Pittsburgh fans over the past few seasons after winning the division only once in the last four years. Chase Claypool has the athletic profile and draft pedigree to take a massive leap entering his third year, but the quarterback carousel likely puts a small damper on fantasy expectations. Our secondary is a little bit unsettled, we have a couple safeties that are moving on that were here last year. Thats why it wouldnt be a surprise if Moreau was significantly better on his second contract as he continues to get more reps. Moreau is scheduled to hit free agency later this month and that is an issue for the Raiders as Darren Waller has missed a ton of time over the last few seasons. Kolar is more of an in-line option that fits the Ravens system very well. The AFC North is full of talented players, and now they have even more thanks to the draft. The Cleveland Browns invested a lot of money in the tight end David Njoku while hoping that he would take a step forward and develop as a player. Pittsburgh started their draft with the 20th overall selection of quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round, who should compete with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting role to begin the year. 2 in Cleveland, though it remains a run-heavy system overall. Stats: 40 receptions, 599 yards, five touchdowns. Kansas City's Travis Kelce, San Francisco's George Kittle, Baltimore's Mark . 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Baltimore Ravens. This knack for roster building has been reflected in the league standings with the division having five appearances in the playoffs over the past two seasons (Bengals x1, Browns x1, Ravens x1, Steelers x2). 19) Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James intercepts Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith pass at the goal line in the Pro Bowl Games. Pittsburgh has long taken care of its own under Tomlin and this year is no different with the in-house promotion at defensive coordinator. 2 tight end that was brought into the fold in free agency from the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has just 57 career catches in five seasons. Nose tackle D.J. We spoke to the improved offensive line above, leaving the only other major change to this offense the addition of tight end Hayden Hurst. 17) C.J. The front office trio of Kevin Stefanski (head coach), Alex Van Pelt (offensive coordinator), and Joe Woods (defensive coordinator) return for their third year together in Cleveland. 21) Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry's short TD puts AFC ahead before halftime in second flag football contest. AFC North 2022 Position Rankings: Tight End By Frank Platko @FrankJP0 Jul 14, 2022, 9:00am EDT Share Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images The start of training camp is now just days away. Free agent signee Garrett Griffin can handle the veteran blocking TE role, at least . "To move up," Ballard said, "there's got to be a guy worthy of it.". Behind Andrews, Boyle returns for his ninth season. David Bell also has an outside chance of cracking the starting lineup to start the year as the slot wide receiver, but well need to wait and see how he performs in camp and preseason. Schultz has capitalized with 141 receptions, 1,423 yards, and 12 touchdowns over the past two years. Moreau ranked first by converting 70.6% of his catches into either a first down or a touchdown, and 35.3% of his catches were explosive plays that went for at least 15 yards, the third-best rate among tight ends in 2022.. The secondary needs to be so much better besides Minkah Fitzpatrick, who continues to be an amazing . For our rankings, we will utilize prior performance via advanced metrics and data (with an emphasis placed on the most recent season), as a benchmark. All four teams (the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers) have general managers, front offices, and personnel departments that have proven more than capable of evaluating, acquiring, and retaining talent in recent years. Additionally, if you'd like to donate above and beyond the ad-free option, you can donate via PayPal as well. The most telling off-season moves were the re-signings of David Njoku and Jadeveon Clowney, both of whom represent the particular identity of this team. The Browns have a very nice on-paper roster, but we cant help but feel like the self-induced off-field distractions brought on through the trade for Deshaun Watson and subsequent quarterback outbursts will have some sort of lingering effects this season. The Baltimore Ravens have one of the deepest tight-end groups of any team in the NFL, and leveraged that strength to great effect in 2022. Cincinnati hopes that free agent signee Hayden Hurst back be that guy in the Bengals offense. With the 2022 NFL Draft and most of free agency in the rearview, Gregg Rosenthal will project starting lineups for all 32 teams because that's his idea of fun. I also expect Diontae Johnson to continue to be featured as the primary pass-catcher in Matt Canadas offense. Though he did suffer an injury he was prepared for the expanded role and gave the team a nice weapon as he played great at the beginning of the season. With Ben Roethlisberger retiring, who's the next Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback? . The best defensive player in the AFC resides in Pittsburgh, as T.J. Watt had 22.5 sacks in 2021. The NFL announced Wednesday the complete rosters for the 2022 Pro Bowl, and in a season defined by parity across the standings, it should be no surprise to see such balance reflected in the all-star teams. Despite catching passes from three different quarterbacks, Andrews reeled in 107 receptions for 1,361 receiving yards and nine scores. Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff fires a tight-window throw to former teammate and Minnesota Vikings tight end T . Published 6/13/2022. Hurst will look to have a career year in a Bengals passing attack that had the 9th-highest EPA per dropback in 2021 (0.161) and the 10th-highest early-down pass rate (53.4 percent). You'll now receive the top Packers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Depth: Harrison Bryant, Miller Forristall, Marcus Santos-Silvia. Copyright 2019-2023. Gronk isnt just one of the best tight ends in the NFL heading into the 2022 season hes one of the greatest TEs of all time. So theres some holes there. Without further ado, lets dive into the AFC North TEs rankings. Revealing AFC, NFC contestants for Precision Passing challenge at Pro Bowl Games 2023. The former third-round pick appeared in all 17 games as one of the few Ravens players who managed to stay fully healthy last year, and he was efficient even when Lamar Jackson was unavailable. Njoku seemed to find his game last season, becoming that big-play threat the Browns expected him to be after drafting him in the first round in the 2017 NFL Draft. Cincinnati Bengals At Kansas City Chiefs Jan 30 Afc Championship 50 When asked about his team's success with the play, GM Howie Roseman said, "All I know is everything we're doing is legal and works.". The Kansas City Chiefs (six), Los Angeles Chargers (six), Baltimore Ravens (five), Cleveland Browns (five), Dallas Cowboys (five), San Francisco 49ers (five) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (five) were the other teams to have at least five Pro Bowlers. All just conjecture at this point, but I am currently confident selecting Najee Harris anywhere in the back half of the first round in all season-long formats for his elite athleticism and top-notch projected volume. The majority of the snaps in his scheme come from nickel or light, which primarily translates to Cover-1 and Cover-3 zone coverage principles. Uzomah this offseason, who played an important role during their postseason run last season. *Note that all statistics were sourced from Sports Info Solutions, rbsdm.com, and Pro Football Focus (PFF), unless otherwise noted. The defensive continuity remains strong, with Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey locking down the back end while Calais Campbell, Odafe Oweh, and Justin Madubuike wreak havoc up front. He may not be the most explosive player at the position (4.6 career yards after the catch per reception and 10 missed tackles forced), but he is a reliable pass-catcher with just three career drops on 183 targets. As such, these rankings will attempt to be as objective as possible and provide a guide for where Browns players are currently among their peers in the division. Led by second-year starter Joe Burrow, the Bengals made it all the way back to the Super Bowl and were a few plays away from capturing their first win, but ultimately fell to the . Tight end is a historically difficult and challenging position for young players, but the Packers need a young player to start developing into a long-term starter, and the draft is rich in tight end talent. Thats almost half of the average delta from the other 31 teams in the same splits from a season ago. The 49ers tight end is one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the NFL. Basically, Zac Taylors Bengals remained relatively balanced regardless of game flow. He may never develop into a downfield threat in the mold of Andrews, Darren Waller, or George Kittle, but Freiermuth should fulfill his role in the Steelers' offense as a consistent, possession-type tight end. Our purpose here, over a selection of series throughout the summer months, will be to evaluate this talent and rank the starting players at each position within the division. The 49ers won the division last year led primarily by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who was the last pick in the NFL Draft. Panthers head coach Frank Reich came away impressed after a meeting with free-agent quarterback Derek Carr on Tuesday, but he said the team is still evaluating both veteran and rookie QB options. Last year, I expected Dobbins to take a firm lead in the backfield before getting injured, and I expect the same this year. He may never develop into a downfield threat in the mold of Andrews. With Chris Godwin likely to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, Gronk would join Russell Gage and Cameron Brate as options over the middle with Mike Evans on the perimeter. (Photo: Eric Hartline- USA TODAY Sports). Will the Packers use free agency or the draft or both to address the two positions? The full picture came into view in 2021 as Zac Taylor led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the division with an unimpressive 8-9 record, and the other three teams followed closely behind with a 7-10 record each. How Eli Apple shook off early career struggles to become key Bengals contributor, The legend of Joe Money, or how the Steelers' Joe Haden found his swag, Steelers' playoff hopes dwindle after failed comeback vs. Vikings, Lamar Jackson, Ravens can't handle pressure in shocking loss to Dolphins, Chris Boswell helps Pittsburgh Steelers eke out win vs. upset-minded Bears, Breaking down the AFC North: Biggest surprises, storylines and what's next, Case Keenum -- in for Baker Mayfield -- helps Browns end skid, stay in playoff race, After 1-3 start, Pittsburgh Steelers show early signs of historically bad season, Steelers' NFL record of 75 games with a sack ends vs. Bengals, Ravens struggle to protect Lamar Jackson and it ultimately costs them, Ravens' Kevin Zeitler is always working on pass-blocking technique -- even while his wife is in labor, Pittsburgh Steelers NFL draft picks 2021: Analysis for every selection, Cincinnati Bengals NFL draft picks 2021: Analysis for every selection, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, A Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Maryland, native who lives in Miami. Hes an absolute monster over the middle of the field, one that stretches the seam and consistently wins down the field. We use ads to fund this site and continue to bring you premium Steelers content. That list included Moreau, who really improved as a receiver last year. Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta updated reporters on Wednesday on where things stand with the star QB. Well, for one, the Ravens attempted 35.9 passes per game in 2021 after averaging just 25.9 in 2020. How would you rank the AFC North starting tight ends? Thats due to the Ravens landing tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in the 2022 NFL Draft as the Ravens truly loaded up at the position after losing Marquise Brown and Sammy Watkins in free agency at the receiver position. 2 TE role well. Outlook: The Jets decided to revamp their tight end corps after getting very little impact from Ryan Griffin and Tyler Kroft, who combined for 43 catches and three touchdowns in 2021. All major signings should immediately contribute as starters. Taylor returns for his fourth season in Cincinnati and brings back defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Consider him a weekly upside receiver at cost. Skinny: Watson was Cleveland's best receiving threat last year, as the team's receivers continue to struggle. 2022 AFC North All-Division Team: The Offense Quarterback: Joe Burrow, Bengals. But expect Gresham to move up this list as early as next season. Veteran Josh Oliver also returns as a big move tight end for the Ravens, though his roster spot is in serious jeopardy. In Pittsburgh, Freiermuth emerged as the next star tight end for the Steelers, hauling in 60 passes and seven touchdowns as a rookie, taking over as the true No. One year after being my biggest tight end fade, Kyle Pitts is now one of the best fantasy football tight end targets in 2022. 14) Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers Odds & lines subject to change. While there are some potential acquisitions that could still take place, most major moves have already transpired in free agency and the draft. Goedert has never received more than 87 targets in a single season. Former quarterback Eli Manning rocks new Death Row chain in an interview with Snoop Dogg and Peyton Manning. Over the first four years of his career (two with the Ravens and two with the Atlanta Falcons), Hurst has hauled in greater than 70 percent of targets and averaged 1.21 yards per route run. Brown, who is sure to soak up looks for Jalen Hurts. Tiers and Rankings for Fantasy Football Tight End 2022-2023 Top Tier Tight Ends There is a clearly defined top tier at the position. Stats: 68 receptions, 763 yards, three touchdowns. The youth at wide receiver persists heading into 2021, with Marquise Hollywood Brown off to Arizona, leaving second-year wide receiver Rashod Bateman as the de facto lead wideout, and a smattering of youth in Devin Duvernay, James Proche II, and Tylan Wallace left to fight over the WR2 and slot snaps. Watch the reveal of the tight ends on 2022 AFC, NFC Pro Bowl rosters. In 2021, the tight end finished with the following advanced statistics and rankings: He also proved adept after the catch, finishing 2nd among all tight ends in yards after the catch per reception (7.2) and 8th in average yards after the catch above expectation (1.1, Next Gen Stats). 50 targets). That relates directly to their off-season free-agent signings, the top five or six of whom should all make this team better. Those guys either have to step into those roles and fill them, or were going to have to look other places, Gutekunst said Tuesday. 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