PFF ranks George Kittle the second-best tight end in NFL

Pro Football Focus has been releasing a series of positional rankings over the past couple of weeks. They tasked analyst Anthony Treash with tiering the NFL’s tight end. Unsurprisingly, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle slotted into Treash’s top tier, ranking behind Travis Kelce for the second-highest spot on his list. Kelce and Kittle topped a six-player top tier that also included Darren Waller (Raiders), Mark Andrews (Ravens), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), and Dallas Goedert (Eagles).

If not for injuries, Kittle could have very easily ranked ahead of Kelce on the list. Kittle has not played 16 games in a season since 2018. Treash was highly complimentary of the Niners tight end, writing, “If Kittle keeps up his current pace, he’ll be right there with Kelce.”

Kittle racked up 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 71 receptions last season en route to his third career Pro Bowl selection. Over his career, Kittle has amassed 335 receptions, 4,489 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns.

Here’s Treash’s full writeup on Kittle:

If Kittle keeps up his current pace, he’ll be right there with Kelce as one of the best tight ends PFF has ever seen. The 49ers star possesses an all-around game between his playmaking ability in space and run-blocking prowess. His after-the-catch ability is unmatched, and he leads all tight ends since 2018 in receiving yards after contact (1,171), broken tackles after the catch (58) and yards after the catch per reception (7.7). Over that same timespan, Kittle ranks third at the position in run-blocking grade.