Tight End (TE) Draft History
911 players listed · 1967–2025
Since 1980, NFL teams have drafted 754 tight ends in the NFL Draft, 45 of them in the first round. 2 of those picks are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Shannon Sharpe (1990) and Tony Gonzalez (1997). By career Approximate Value, the most productive pick was Tony Gonzalez (TE, California), taken in round 1 of the 1997 draft. The biggest value pick was Travis Kelce, a round-3 selection in 2013 who made 11 Pro Bowls. Of the picks made through 2025, 68 (9%) made at least one Pro Bowl and 87% appeared in at least one NFL game. The most common school was Notre Dame, with 24 picks.
Figures cover the 1980–2026 drafts. Source: nflverse.
Summary
Every Tight End (TE) selection recorded in our draft database, 1967–2025. The highest pick at the position on record is Kyle Pitts at 4th overall in 2021. Jason Witten has the longest career among them by games played (267). 63 of these were first-round selections.