Although there are still some notable names left in free agency, at this stage of the offseason, it feels like the rosters are pretty set. The biggest decisions most teams around the league have are pending training camp battles to decide who will clean up the last couple of spots on the final 53-- and even then, we're still a month and a half out from that.
That's not to say that we definitely won't see any more signings for the Bengals. Last year, they added some players late into the off-season, right before Week 1, in fact. That got them the best guard play they've seen in the Joe Burrow era with Dalton Risner, who was the only one of these last-second additions to get an extension. Still, the rosters feel pretty set as they gear up for training camp.
So, with how each team will look becoming clearer, let's compare teams and find out where the Bengals' roster ranks against the other teams in the AFC North to get a better idea of how successful they will be in 2026. Today, we'll take a look at each team's tight end room and rank them accordingly. from worst-to-best.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
4. Baltimore Ravens - Mark Andrews, Durham Smythe, Matthew Hibner
The last time I ranked the AFC North by their tight end units, Baltimore came out on top. What a difference a couple of years makes, huh?
Doing this during the 2024 offseason, the Ravens had the best tight end in the division with Mark Andrews, a young, promising player who was arguably a top 3 tight end in the division with Isaiah Likely, and a solid, also young depth piece in Charlie Kolar. Now? It's almost completely different.
Likely and Kolar are both gone, one for each of the Harbaugh brothers, with Kolar in Los Angeles, and Likely reunited with his old coach in New York. Andrews is still there, yet a shell of his 3x Pro Bowl and 2021 First Team All-Pro prime. He has declined with age and has made a lot of costly mistakes in critical games along the way that have cost him some love with the Flock. In 2025, the former Sooner posted career lows in receiving yards (422), yards per reception (8.8), receiving success rate (52.9%) and passer rating when targeted (90.3). Yikes.
To pair with a starter on the decline, Baltimore has depth that is far from reassuring. Durham Smythe does have a good deal of experience, at least, being drafted in the same year as Andrews in 2018 and playing in almost every game. Though, since then, he has been relegated to a depth piece the last couple of seasons with Miami and Chicago, respectively, not eclipsing 10 receptions or 100 receiving yards in 2024 or 2025, and he hasn't found the end zone since 2022.
You'd hope that with the lack of production, he would at least be a solid blocking tight end, and that was the case a few years ago. However, in time, Smythe's blocking (in the run game especially) has become lackluster, and it has caused him to see the lowest share of offensive snaps since his rookie season. He'll probably see more this season with the Ravens, just because of how thin the room is.
Behind Smythe is the 4th-round pick out of SMU, Matthew Hibner. Hibner, like all rookies especially on Day 3, is a question mark, but there are some things to be excited about. 6'4, 250lb tight end that has a 4.57 40 time is nothing to scoff at. His raw stats aren't eye-popping, but he did prove to be one of the most reliable pass catchers in the ACC in his senior season. Still, when a Day 3 rookie is the bright spot in the room, things are looking bleak.
3. Cincinnati Bengals - Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, Erick All Jr.
On paper, the Bengals have everything they need in the tight end room. A receiving threat in Mike Gesicki, a blocker in Drew Sample (who, believe it or not, is the longest tenured Bengal on the roster), and a young player who can do it all in Erick All Jr., no pun intended. However, it isn't as cut and dry as that. For starters, Gesicki is coming off an underwhelming season, halving his production from 2024. Injuries, both to himself and his teammates (notably Joe Burrow), deserve a good chunk of the blame, as Gesicki didn't have a game with over 20 receiving yards until Week 12 vs. New England.
As for Drew Sample, you could argue that a few years ago, he was the best blocking tight end in the league. Unfortunately, similar to Durham Smythe, that aspect of his game (which is really the only aspect of his game) has fallen off over the last couple of seasons, struggling especially in the early weeks of the 2025 season. They need him to return to form as a blocking specialist in 2026; the offense operates a lot better when they can rely on him to do that.
Through 3 games, PFF also thinks Drew Sample is having his worst NFL season.
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) September 22, 2025
His 41.3 offensive grade is far below his average of 55.7 average.
His run blocking of 35.4 makes me want to slap my own mother.
And in pass protection, he's been charged with 2 pressures, a sack and…
Finally, you have Erick All Jr., easily the most intriguing player in this group. He is a young player, having been drafted in 2024 and just 25 years old, and he can do it all, whether it's blocking, receiving, or anything in between. The issue? Injures. They plagued him throughout his collegiate career at Michigan and Iowa, and they have wasted no time terrorizing him in the NFL.
After a promising start to his rookie season, All went down with an ACL injury, which not only caused him to miss the rest of 2024, but all of 2025 as well. Now, the Hawkeye alum is fully healthy and ready to contribute on the field. Although Gesicki and Sample are the starters, it's Erick All Jr.-- his health, how well he plays, and how he's going to bounce back after not playing football for so long-- that is the X-factor not only for how good this tight end unit is, but how elite the offense is as a whole.
It's a lot to hedge your bets on, which is why I don't have Cincinnati's group any higher than 2nd-worst in the division.
2. Cleveland Browns - Harold Fannin Jr., Jack Stoll, Joe Royer
Although they lost Njoku during free agency, also to the Chargers, just like Kolar, Cleveland still has one tight end that they're rightfully excited about: Harold Fannin Jr.
One of the most interesting G5 prospects in recent memory, Fannin put together a special rookie season while having a carousel of quarterbacks that ranged from somewhat average to very subpar throwing to him. In his first year at the professional level, the former Bowling Green Falcon put together 72 receptions for 731 yards and six receiving touchdowns, with one more rushing touchdown added to the total.
He's a Swiss Army knife who can play at the slot, out wide, or as a traditional in-line tight end. While his blocking does leave something to be desired, he is still solid at that for what he is and it should, hopefully, improve with time. In one year, Fannin is arguably already the best tight end in the division. So, why isn't Cleveland first?
Well, their depth isn't great. Jack Stoll is a great blocking tight end, but he's been in the league since 2021 and is already on his fourth team. Plus, he's only amassed over 100 yards in a season once, back in 2022 with Philadelphia. He's good for his role, but if Fannin were to go down (knock on wood), they would be missing a lot of production from their tight ends.
That is, unless Joe Royer is able to pick up the slack. Royer, who played at the University of Cincinnati, was drafted by Cleveland in the 5th round of the 2026 NFL Draft after putting together 79 receptions for 937 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons with the Bearcats. An intriguing prospect, no doubt, but, again, you can only set your expectations so high for a Day 3 rookie.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers - Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan
What a difference a couple of years makes indeed. The Ravens were my top tight end room in the 2024 rankings, and now they're at the bottom. For the Steelers, it's the opposite, even though their tight end room has largely stayed the same.
Somehow, Pittsburgh always finds a big, strong tight end who becomes a fan favorite, and Freiermuth is that. After a lackluster 2023 campaign, the former Nittany Lion bounced back strongly in 2024 with 600 yards and seven touchdowns on 65 receptions. 2025 wasn't as good but still solid overall, as the Penn State alum nearly finished with 500 yards and four scores.
That said, Freiermuth isn't the main reason why they've jumped from last to first in a couple of seasons; Darnell Washington is that reason.
Built like an offensive tackle at 6'7, 265lbs, Washington was always going to be a great blocking tight end-- and that much has rang true through his first three seasons in the NFL. In 2025, though, the former Georgia Bulldog took a step as a receiver. His numbers aren't attention-grabbing on the surface, but for his size and the role he plays, they're pretty good.
364 yards and a touchdown on 31 receptions? They shouldn't be asking for much more from him.
Even Robert Tonyan, with 8 years in the league, 1,500+ yards, and 17 touchdowns under his belt, isn't bad depth to have. All this means the Steelers will enter 2026 with the strongest tight end unit in the AFC North, even if they don't necessarily have the best one in the division.
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