NFC North TE Rankings for 2025
We have had the divisional rankings at QB, RB, and WR, and now it’s time for the NFC North TE ranking for the 2025 season.
VikingsTerritory has NFC North TE rankings for the 2025 season.
Tight end, the position for the man that does everything, a good TE needs to be effective in both the receiving and blocking side of the game in a good offense.
The NFC North has two players vying to be considered top five at the position across the league, while also having another four represented in Pro Football Focus’ Top 32 TEs in the league. It’s another position that is well-represented in the division.
1. Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver
TJ Hockenson had put his name firmly into the top five at the position following his trade across the division for Detroit. He immediately became a focal point of the Vikings’ offense until a knee injury cut short his 2023 season and denied him 1000 receiving yards for the first time.
The same injury saw him miss the first seven games of the 2024 season. Hockenson put up a respectable 455 yards from 10 games but didn’t score a touchdown until the playoffs.
With a full preseason to get in tune with QB JJ McCarthy, I expect Hockenson to be back to his best this year and go over the 1000 receiving yards mark with plenty of touchdowns too. I give the edge to the Vikings in these rankings because Josh Oliver is a great TE2. Possibly the best blocking tight end in the league, he is also capable of making a play.
He finished last season with 258 receiving yards and three touchdowns – his best season to date. He’s the man for an important moment, with 14 of his 22 catches last season making a first down. Minnesota drafted Gavin Bartholemew in the sixth round to act as TE3.
2. Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright
The tight end position was crucial to how Ben Johnson ran Detroit’s offense, and although Johnson has left to become the division rivals the Chicago Bears’ head coach, I don’t expect much to change. After trading Hockenson to Minnesota, the Lions drafted Sam LaPorta, who has been particularly impressive with his ability to score touchdowns — 17 through two seasons.
LaPorta had a great rookie season, but his numbers dipped last year with fewer targets, fewer receptions, fewer yards, and fewer touchdowns. Perhaps a sign that the surprise factor had gone, and opposing defenses were more ready for him.
As with everything to do with the Lions offense this season, we will be looking at what difference the loss of the departed offensive coordinator makes. Finding good matchups for his TEs was one of Johnson’s strengths. New OC John Morton had a big job on his hands to fill Johnson’s shoes.
Brock Wright scored a couple of touchdowns but only had 13 catches for 100 yards across the entire season. The Lions relied heavily on LaPorta in their passing offense.!Shane Zylstra is the Lions TE3.
3. Chicago Bears
Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet
There’s a new first-round TE in Chicago that could potentially push the Bears to the top of this list. If Colston Loveland lives up to his 10th overall draft status, then Chicago will have a very talented duo with Cole Kmet already in the building.
Johnson showed in Detroit what he could do with his TEs, and Loveland has the potential to be an exciting and dangerous duo. However, Loveland has done nothing yet, and you only have to look back a few years to Kyle Pitts, who was drafted fourth overall, to see a player who hasn’t lived up to the hype.
Kmet is a second-round pick himself and has been solid, not spectacular, during his five seasons in the league. He has amassed 2592 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns while never missing a game.
The Bears are well set at the position, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m ranking them number one in a year. Durham Smythe is set to be TE3, a player who has been a good blocking TE in Miami for the last seven seasons.
4. Green Bay Packers
Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave
The Packers have a pair of TEs who both enter their third season on the team and in the league. Tucker Kraft built on an average rookie season with much-improved effort in 2024. Kraft tallied 707 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, a good effort from a TE.
If he can find a little more in 2025, then he will be entering very good TE territory. He was helped by Luke Musgrave, who missed 10 games in the middle of the season with torn ankle ligaments, allowing Kraft to become the main focus at the position.
Green Bay may be bringing up the rest here, but they still have plenty of talent with this duo. If Musgrave can steer clear of injury, something he’s had trouble with in both seasons he’s played so far, then the Packers can make plenty of noise in what is a very strong area across the whole division. Ben Sims, once of the Vikings’ practice squad, will serve as TE3 in Green Bay.
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