LONDON – The Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots will play each other Sunday night, which has sparked a polarizing midweek debate over elite tight ends.

Who’s better this year: Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce?

Both guys are awesome, there’s no doubt about that. It seems inappropriate, however, to discuss elite tight ends in 2018 without mentioning Jared Cook.

The Raiders veteran is having an outstanding year, on pace to smash previous bests in receiving yards and touchdowns. He is on pace for 1,248 yards and six touchdowns, which would be an outstanding year for any tight end.

His 390 receiving yards sit just behind Kelce, but his 2.20 yards per route run and 6.6 yards after the catch per reception are league bests.

The Raiders move Cook all around the formation, playing outside receiver, in the slot and as an in-line tight end. He has become a go-to guy in this offense, far more than a year ago, after some strong early performances.

“So far he has been hot,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “I know he’s a tight end, but he’s really a good No. 1 target for any team to have. Jared is obviously a mismatch in man coverage and in zone, he’s so smart that he can soft spots and give me an easy target. It has been good to have him. When teams try and take others away it’s good to have someone like that to give the ball to.”

Kelce and Gronkowski have been excellent for years, and are widely considered the NFL’s best at a valued position. That’s both fair and accurate, but Cook should be ranked among the best this year, at least, as he has found a prominent role in the Raiders offense. He has had two monster games and some average ones as Carr spreads the ball around to several quality targets, so greater consistency could help Cook and the entire Raiders offense thrive. Having him roaming around has created favorable options in the passing game thanks to his rare combination of size, speed and toughness.

“He can stretch the field down the middle, or be a mismatch against smaller DBs or safeties or linebackers,” receiver Jordy Nelson said. “Creating those matchups allows us to be more dynamic.”