The tight end position has evolved in the last ten years. Tight ends are no longer big, vertical targets that strictly line up next to the offensive tackle and run block first.

Tight ends are athletes now. They are mixed and matched within personnel groupings and line up as split ends or in the slot. Tight ends are used to generate match ups now.

The 2018 class has a handful of tight ends who fit this description. Dallas Goedert, Hayden Hurst and Mike Gesicki are all hybrid tight end/receivers who should go within the first two rounds of the draft.

Here are our top twenty tight ends and overall thoughts on the class.

XNOJOE’S Top 20 Tight Ends

1. Hayden Hurst, South Carolina, 6-5 253

2. Mike Gesicki, Penn State, 6-6 252

3. Dallas Goedert, S. Dakota St. 6-4 250

4. Mark Andrews, Oklahoma, 6-5 253

5. Troy Fumagali, Wisconsin, 6-5 234

6. Ian Thomas, Indiana, 6-5 248

7. Dalton Schultz, Stanford, 6-6 240

8. Durham Smythe, Notre Dane, 6-4 245

9. Ryan Izzo, Florida State, 6-5 245

10. Ethan Wolf, Tennessee, 6-5 248

11. Cam Serigne, Wake Forest, 6-3 245

12. Christopher Herndon, Miami (Fla) 6-4 252

13. Jeb Blazevich, Georgia, 6-5 248

14. Marcus Baugh, Ohio State, 6-5 258

15. DeAndre Goolsby, Florida, 6-4 245

16. Brandon Lingen, Minnesota, 6-5 250

17. Jordan Thomas, Miss St. 6-5 280

18. David Wells, San Diego State, 6-5 255

19. Jaylen Samuels, N.C State, 5-11 236

20. Andrew Vollert, Weber State, 6-5 245

Thoughts on the Position

• South Carolina’s Hayden Hurst is the best all around tight end in this class. He is a good route runner who beats press coverage at the line and get into his routes quickly. He establishes position on defenders and can go up and high point the ball. Hurst is a good run blocker who gets inside position and moves defenders off the ball. Hurst is a first round talent but may slip into the second round.

• South Dakota State’s Dallas Goedert is right there with Hurst from a talent standpoint. While Hurst is the better blocker, Goedert is the better athlete and can create more one on one match ups versus safeties and nickel corners. Goedert is especially effective in the red zone where he gains separation on corner routes and out routes.

• Mike Gesicki of Penn State is not your prototypical, in-line tight end. He is a hybrid tight end, wide receiver in the mold of Jimmy Graham. Unfortunately, he is also as good a blocker as Graham which is not very good. Gesicki has early round talent. He had strong hands, runs good routes and has a wide catch radius. His basketball background is a plus for him.

• Mark Andrews of Oklahoma has good size, runs good routes and generates match ups in the red zone. Unlike Gesicki, Andrews is also a good blocker who gets proper position and movement at the line of scrimmage. Andrews was Baker Mayfield’s primary target last season so he is obviously reliable.

• Ian Thomas of Indiana is a former receiver who runs good routes, gets in and out of cuts with ease and separates on breaks. Thomas has upside but he needs more touches. Look for him to be more of a focal point with which ever team drafts him.

• Troy Fumagali is a good route runner who gets in and out of cuts with ease. He can stretch the field vertically and he has the ability to separate after the catch. He was featured prominently in Wisconsin’s offense the last two seasons. Fumagali has the potential to develop into a starting caliber tight end.

• Cam Seringe was highly productive as a tight end at Wake Forest but he projects more as an H-Back or move tight end at the next level. Seringe can generate match ups but he is an average blocker.

• Dalton Schultz of Stanford has terrific size for the position at 6-6 240. He is a fundamentally sound route runner and blocker. Stanford tight ends have experience moving around in formations and being targeted in the red zone. Schultz is a seam route, jump ball tight end who can win one on one battles.

• Ethan Wolf of Tennessee has a lot of upside. He wasn’t targeted enough in Knoxville but in the right system, he can be an appealing target because of his route running and ability to separate in space. Wolf is your prototypical hybrid tight end, receiver.

• Florida State’s Ryan Izzo has moved around a lot in personnel groupings and formations during his time in Tallahassee. He has experience playing in a pro-style offense. That experience should help him at the next level as a second tight end which what he project as right now.

• David Wells of San Diego State is a sleeper prospect. He is a terrific run blocker who gets good positioning, takes good angles and finishes his blocks. Wells runs a limited route tree but with more usage in the passing game, he could develop into a solid second tight end.

The tight end position in this draft is top heavy but there are a lot of intriguing prospects in this group that could go in day two and three.