Noah Fant left off ESPN’s top 10 tight end ranking
Jul 19, 2021, 11:05 AM
(Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Denver Broncos tight end Noah Fant is expected to have a breakout season in 2021, but some league executives, coaches and scouts don’t believe his career has shown enough promise to crack their top-10 tight end list.
In 2019, Fant led all rookie tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards. He finished the season with 40 receptions for 562 yards and three touchdowns after starting in 11 games.
His reception and receiving yard totals were the highest in franchise history by a rookie tight end. His 562 receiving yards represent the sixth-highest total by any rookie in franchise history.
Per Pro Football Focus, through 2021 Fant commanded 93 targets for the Broncos and a 19.3% share of the targets in the games that he played.
He ended the year with 62 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns — 383 of the yards came after the catch. Only two tight ends racked up more YAC than Fant in 2020.
Fant now has two seasons under his belt and could be ready to showcase his true potential in 2021.
Here is the full list of ESPN’s top-10 tight ends:
1. George Kittle, San Francisco
2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City
3. Darren Waller, Las Vegas
4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore
5. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit
6. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia
7. Hunter Henry, New England
8. Evan Engram, New York Giants
9. Jonnu Smith, New England
10. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia
