The NFL is already crawling with young tight ends who present plenty of matchup problems for defenses, and the 2014 NFL Draft should add a few more to the mix.
2014 NFL Draft tight end rankings
Jace Amaro vs. Eric Ebron will be the biggest tight end debate in this draft, but has Troy Niklas worked his way into the conversation?
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro stays at the top of our rankings, despite a strong finish to the season from Noth Carolina's Eric Ebron. Amaro may not be as dynamic an athlete, but his frame is more suited to be well balanced player at the position in the NFL.
The biggest riser since our last update is Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas. He was a surprise early entrant into the draft, but his strong performance against Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl showed a lot of what makes him dangerous. His size and body control are impressive down the field. The top four tight ends all have the potential to be impact players.
Here’s our full list of 18 tight ends.
| 1. Jace Amaro | 6'5, 260 pounds | Tight end | Texas Tech * |
| 2. Eric Ebron | 6'4, 245 pounds | Tight end | North Carolina * |
| 3. Austin Seferian-Jenkins | 6'6, 276 pounds | Tight end | Washington * |
| 4. Troy Niklas | 6'6 1/2, 270 pounds | Tight end | Notre Dame * |
| 5. C.J. Fiedorowicz | 6'7, 265 pounds | Tight end | Iowa |
| 6. Arthur Lynch | 6'5, 254 pounds | Tight end | Georgia |
| 7. Xavier Grimble | 6'5, 250 pounds | Tight end | Southern California * |
| 8. Richard Rodgers | 6'4, 275 pounds | Tight end | California * |
| 9. Marcel Jensen | 6'6, 270 pounds | Tight end | Fresno State |
| 10. Crockett Gilmore | 6'6, 245 pounds | Tight end | Colorado State |
| 11. Ted Bolser | 6'6, 254 pounds | Tight end | Indiana |
| 12. Joe Don Duncan | 6'4, 270 pounds | Tight end | Dixie State |
| 13. Jacob Pedersen | 6'4, 241 pounds | Tight end | Wisconsin |
| 14. Alex Bayer | 6'4, 253 pounds | Tight end | Bowling Green |
| 15. Rob Blanchflower | 6'4, 260 pounds | Tight end | Massaschusetts |
| 16. Chris Coyle | 6'3, 222 pounds | Tight end | Arizona State |
| 17. Asa Watson | 6'4, 235 pounds | Tight end | North Carolina State |
| 18. Colt Lyerla | 6'5, 246 pounds | Tight end | -- * |
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