By
Jeff Nowak, WWL Radio Sports
A big issue is the difficulty involved for young tight ends to be productive right away as they attempt to learn the offense, but both as a receiver and an in-line blocker. With later-round picks they're often brought around slowly, and we've seen that development with a majority of the star tight ends like George Kittle (5.146), Mark Andrews (3.86) and Travis Kelce (3.63).
Over the past decade there are more first-round tight ends finding success for a different team than the one that drafted them. Here's that list, dating back to 2010.
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2023: Dalton Kincaid, Bills, 1.20
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2021: Kyle Pitts, Falcons, 1.4
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2019: T.J. Hockenson, Lions, 1.8 (now on Vikings)
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2019: Noah Fant, Broncos, 1.20 (now on Seahawks)
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2018: Hayden Hurst, Ravens, 1.25 (now on Chargers)
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2017: O.J. Howard, Bucs, 1.19 (now a free agent)
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2017: Evan Engram, Giants, 1.23 (now on Jaguars)
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2017: David Njoku, Browns, 1.29 (still on Browns)
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2014: Eric Ebron, Lions, 1.10 (last with Steelers in 2021)
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2013: Tyler Eifert, Bengals, 1.21 (last with Jaguars in 2020)
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2010: Jermaine Gresham, Bengals, 1.21 (last with Cardinals in 2018)
If you go as far as 2006 you'll happen upon Greg Olsen (2007, Bears, 1.31) and Vernon Davis (2006, 49ers, 1.6), which would be difficult to criticize, but it still doesn't do much to change the argument. First round picks TE picks are rare (there are only 26 dating back to 2000), and
when they are made, it rarely works out for the team spending the pick.