Travis Kelce edges out George Kittle for top spot in PFF’s 2021 tight end rankings
Last year, Pro Football Focus spawned some serious debate, ranking San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle ahead of Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce in their preseason position rankings. Fans were confident that Kelce would prove them wrong during the 2020 NFL season. Sure enough, Kelce did just that and now he’s being recognized as PFF’s top tight end heading into the 2021 NFL season.
Kelce finished the 2020 regular season with 105 receptions for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns, breaking the NFL’s single-season receiving yards record by a tight end. It was his fifth straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards, the most ever by a tight end in NFL history. Kelce became one of just two players during the past season voted in unanimously as a First-Team All-Pro, earning the third selection of his career. He carried that crazy success over into the postseason too, setting a number of records for a tight end and moving up the leaderboards in others.
Here’s a look at what PFF’s Ben Linsley had to say about Kelce’s No. 1 rating:
“It’s a 1a/1b situation at the top of the position with Kelce and Kittle. Kelce earns the top spot heading into the 2021 season off the back of another dominant showing this past season, paired with an injury-limited campaign for Kittle.
Over the last five seasons, Kelce’s 2,639 receiving yards after the catch are over 400 more yards than any other tight end or wide receiver in the NFL. Only Golden Tate and Jarvis Landry have forced more missed tackles over that same span. His knack for getting open paired with that after-the-catch ability makes him the most dangerous receiving threat at the tight end position the league has to offer right now.”
What seems to enamor PFF the most here is Kelce’s ability to create yards after the catch and force defenders to miss tackles. He’s been consistently one of the best players at doing so over the course of his career. Really, the five-season stretch he’s had dating back to 2016 has been one of the best in NFL history by a tight end.
There’s no arguing that Kelce’s 2020 campaign was dominant and there’s no sign of him slowing down in 2021. Even with the devastating loss in Super Bowl LV, Kelce put up incredible numbers. He caught 10 passes for 133 yards, recording his third consecutive game with 100 receiving yards and his 11th consecutive game with seven or more catches.
