Posted July 31st at 10:00am.

The days where the tight end is just another blocker are far behind us. It remains a Jack-of-all-trades position, but the modern NFL has a plethora of elite talent at TE. Possibly, we’re watching the best to ever play tight end. The elite guys below aren’t just the tops in the position, they’re also the top targets to throw to on their respective teams. This is mismatch heaven in Madden. Here we have the top 5 TEs in Madden NFL 18.





1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Last season’s Madden cover model and all-around human cheat code, the beast known as Gronk is the finest at the position. An 85 Strength scores him as the strongest TE in the game. He also has a 95 Catch, 94 Spectacular Catch, and a 96 Catch in Traffic. There’s few rosters in Madden that can attempt man coverage on Gronk with success. Your offensive gameplan here should be to throw to Gronk and see what happens.





2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs The Chiefs are loaded with top-tier talent on defense. They have some great role players on offense, but Kelce is their brightest star. He even had his own reality show! No, I will not link to it, you’ll have to use the power of the Internets. I don’t want that chaos on my work computer’s browser cache. No, YOU stay on topic! Ratings-wise, Kelce is less overpowering than Gronk, but more elusive, and scores a 79 Juke, highest among the top 5 TEs





3. Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks Overall, it’s great to see Graham back to form after recovering from a torn patellar tendon. I can tell you about his blocking scores, but you’re playing Madden wrong if you’re concerned about that. He has a solid 87 Catch rating, but where he separates from the pack is a 96 Spectacular Catch, highest of all TEs. To boot, he also carries an 87 Catch in Traffic and 84 Route Running. Seems like you should feed him the ball, but that’s just the strategy to use if you want to win.





4. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans Walker is the all-around good TE of the top 5. They’re all exceptional, but Walker is the best overall blocker. Not the most dynamic on offense, but super reliable. If he’s on your roster, remember he boasts an 86 Stiff Arm. It’s his best ball carrying move and it’s also the best among TEs.





5. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers If you know Madden, you know we couldn’t get through a TE list without Greg Olsen. He’s by far the Panthers’ best receiving option. He’s got a best-in-class 97 Catch, along with a 92 Spectacular Catch, 93 Catch in Traffic. Oh, and he’s also the best TE route runner at 94. He may not have a great Juke or anything, but he’s an excellent pass catcher. Honorable Mentions You watch Antonio Gates, and it’s clear his best years are behind him. Thankfully, Father Time doesn’t have quite the same effect in Madden. Feel free to use him and enjoy having the (soon-to-be) all-time TE touchdown leader on your roster. You know, until Gronk eventually breaks that record. Someone else to watch is Julius Thomas. He’s with the Miami Dolphins now, reunited with Adam Gase. Gase used Thomas with great success as the Denver Broncos Offensive Coordinator. None of that matters too much for Madden, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see his ratings climb once the season starts. -Daniel Williams