The NFC’s tight end group is stacked enough that even a top-five list comes with real star power at the bottom. Last season, the conference owned the position’s production: the top three tight ends in receiving yards were all NFC players, the top five in receiving touchdowns were all NFC players, and four of the top five in receptions came from the NFC as well.
That sets the stage for a ranking that starts with two names who have already shown they can carry an offense when things are rolling.
Sam LaPorta lands at No. 5 for the Detroit Lions, and the only real knock on him is that his rookie season was so explosive it made everything after look a little smaller. He opened his career with 86 catches on 120 targets for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, then followed that with 60 receptions for 726 yards and 7 touchdowns in year two.
Those are strong numbers by any standard, but last season was the real setback: LaPorta played only 9 games because of a herniated disc in his back. He’s fully recovered in 2026, and with a big-money contract ahead of him, the expectation around the league is that he gets back to the level he showed in 2023-24.
Kyle Pitts checks in at No. 4 for the Atlanta Falcons after finally delivering the kind of season people have been waiting on for years. After plenty of chatter about whether he was a fit in Atlanta or a trade candidate, the Falcons locked him up with a 3-year, $54 million extension that includes $36 million fully guaranteed at signing.
Pitts backed it up with the best season of his NFL career, catching 88 passes for 985 yards and 5 touchdowns while earning second-team All-Pro honors. For a player taken fourth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, it was the step forward that had been coming for a long time.
The Falcons now have to build around that version of Pitts and keep feeding him as one of the offense’s featured weapons.
In Other News...
Falcons May Finally Be Facing Their Biggest Quarterback Turning Point
Atlantas quarterback picture has a new layer of intrigue as the team looks ahead to 2026, with Tua Tagovailoa emerging as the kind of addition that could reshape the offenses direction. His rsum still carries real weight: he once led the league in passing yards and later topped it in completion percentage, which is the sort of efficiency profile that keeps teams believing there is more left to unlock.
The appeal in Atlanta is obvious enough. A change of scenery and a different coaching setup could give Tagovailoa the reset he needs after his time in Miami, and the Falcons would be betting on a passer whose strengths still line up with what an offense wants to build around. If the fit clicks, it would give Atlanta a chance to turn a long-running question at the position into something far more stable. [Read more 🡒]
Former Draft Bust Is Forcing His Way Into Falcons Camp Plans
C.J. Henderson is making the kind of camp push the Falcons had to notice. The former first-round pick spent most of last season on the practice squad, but in Atlanta this summer he has been active in practice and has flashed the kind of playmaking that can change a roster conversation quickly, especially in a cornerback group where depth matters as much as upside.
Henderson now looks like he belongs in the middle of the fight for one of those valuable backup spots, and his recent work has put him in position to stick on the 53-man roster. With established names ahead of him, the real question is whether he can keep turning those practice reps into enough trust to become a reliable outside option when the Falcons start sorting out the back end of the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Announce Heartbreaking Loss For Jeff Ulbrichs Family
The Falcons are dealing with a deeply personal loss off the field after the team announced the death of Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Atlanta and owner Arthur Blank both issued statements offering condolences and honoring her life, while also asking for privacy for the Ulbrich family as they navigate an incredibly difficult time.
For a coaching staff already focused on the season ahead, the news lands far beyond football. Jeff Ulbrich returned to Atlanta this offseason after previously working with the Falcons from 2015 to 2020 and spending time with the Jets, but for now the attention around him is understandably on family first, with the organization making clear that support matters more than anything else. [Read more 🡒]