Madden 19: Fastest tight ends (TE)

It used to be that tight ends spent the majority of their time blocking and very occasionally went out to catch a pass. Oh how the times have changed. While blocking is still part of their job, the best tight ends in the game are also deadly receivers who can line up all over the field and torment defenses with their size and speed as pass catchers. It's that speed factor that has really increased over the last few years.

How to choose the fastest tight ends in Madden 19's Franchise Mode

Speed is obviously the key stat here, but your tight end (TE) needs to get off the line in a hurry as well as change direction quickly. That is why you should also look at the acceleration and agility stats when trying to find the fastest tight ends possible. Here is every tight end in Madden 19 with a speed stat of 85 or more.

Evan Engram, New York Giants (OVR 85)

Age: 23

Development Trait: Quick

Contract: 3 years/$8.17m

2018 Cap Hit:  $2.58m

Stats: Speed (90), Acceleration (91), Agility (89)

In need of an athletic tight end, the Giants picked Evan Engram 23rd overall in the 2017 draft. His rookie season was inconsistent thanks to all the internal problems that hampered the Giants last season, but Engram still finished the year with 64 catches on 115 targets, racking up 722 yards and six touchdowns. His athleticism made him a matchup nightmare for defenses, who weren't sure if they should defend him like a wide receiver or a true tight end, and they paid the price.

Moritz Boehringer, Cincinnati Bengals (OVR 64)



Age: 24

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$480k

2018 Cap Hit: $480k

Stats: Speed (89), Acceleration (94), Agility (91)

Moritz Boehringer became the first player to be drafted without attending a US college program in 2016 when the Vikings took him in the sixth round. Born in Germany, Boehringer was a star from a young age in the German Football League before wowing NFL scouts at a pro day. His 4.43 second 40-yard dash and 6.64 second 3-cone were remarkable times for someone as big as he is.

He didn't make it beyond Minnesota's practice squad, but in May 2018 Boehringer was signed by the Bengals, who moved him to tight end. In Madden 19 Boehringer has some of the worst blocking stats you'll see at tight end, but his speed (89) and catching (77) make him a serious threat.

Devon Cajuste, Cleveland Browns (OVR 69)

Age: 25

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$480k

2018 Cap Hit: $480k

Stats: Speed (89), Acceleration (92), Agility (85)

Devon Cajuste has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted in 2016. He first found a home with the 49ers, but was cut after training camp. He spent some time with the Packers before signing a reserve/future contract with the Browns in January 2018.

Cajuste's college career was far more successful though. He spent four years at Stanford, catching 90 passes for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns. At his combine Cajuste ran a 4.62 40-yard dash and nailed his 3-cone with a time of 6.49 seconds. His athleticism isn't in doubt, it's just the rest of his game.

Niles Paul, Jacksonville Jaguars (OVR 73)

Age: 29

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 2 years/$4.21m

2018 Cap Hit: $2.07m

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (91), Agility (82)

Niles Paul entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick by the Washington Redskins in 2011. He was initially a wide receiver, but struggled for game time there, seeing just 28 targets in his first three years. The Redskins transitioned him to tight end, and he found modest success in 2014 when he caught 39 passes for 507 yards. That was as good as it got for Paul though.

Paul's athleticism has always shined through. He finished his career at Nebraska with 1,532 receiving yards and a massive 4,122 all-purpose yards. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at his pro day, and that speed is still with him today.

OJ Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (OVR 79)

Age: 23

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 3 years/$8.46m

2018 Cap Hit: $2.68m

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (90), Agility (82)

Howard was the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft thanks to a strong college career at Alabama and an impressive combine. Howard wasn't a major part of Alabama's offense, but he stood out for his size and athleticism. He finished his Alabama career with 114 receptions, 1,726 yards and seven touchdowns. At his combine he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash and did the short shuttle in 4.16 seconds.

Howard's rookie year with Tampa Bay didn't go as expected. He had just 26 catches for 432 yards and six touchdowns and was very much the #2 tight end behind Cameron Brate. His speed (87) in Madden 19 should make him a primary weapon for you though.

Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts (OVR 84)

Age: 25

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 2 years/$7m

2018 Cap Hit: $3.49m

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (89), Agility (86)

Ebron was the 10th overall pick in 2014 for the Detroit Lions after a glittering junior season with North Carolina. Ebron caught 62 passes for 973 yards and three touchdowns and was a dominant force in the 2013 season. However, he was never really able to replicate that success in the NFL. He caught just 25 passes during his rookie year, and 47 the year after that. 2016 saw his peak performance for the Lions with 61 catches for 711 yards, but after taking a step back in 2017 they allowed him to walk in free agency and he landed with the Colts.

In Madden 19, Ebron's speed (87) and catching (86) make him an effective tight end option, far more so that in the NFL.

Vernon Davis, Washington Redskins (OVR 83)

Age: 34

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 4 years/$27.81m

2018 Cap Hit: $5.87m

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (89), Agility (84)

Vernon Davis must have found the fountain of youth, because at 34 he is still a supreme athlete at his position. A first-round pick in 2006 for the 49ers, Davis quickly became a key piece of their offense. In 2009 he caught 78 passes for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns. In a three year span from 2009 to 2011 he would be the dominant force at tight end, catching 201 passes for 2,671 yards and 26 scores.

Age and injuries started to take their toll on Davis, but after leaving San Francisco in 2015 and winning the Super Bowl with Denver, he seems to have a new energy. In the last two years in Washington, Davis has made 87 catches for 1,231 yards and five scores, averaging 14.1 yards per catch. He still has the athleticism that wowed scouts at the 2006 combine (4.40 40-yard, 4.17 short shuttle).

Will Tye, New England Patriots (OVR 77)

Age: 26

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$700k

2018 Cap Hit: $700k

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (89), Agility (83)

Will Tye went undrafted in 2015 after two productive years at Stony Brook where he made 79 catches for 1,015 yards and nine touchdowns. His pro day was impressive enough to get the Giants to sign him after the draft, with his 4.57 40-yard dash particularly impressive.

Tye made an impression as a rookie, finishing the year with 42 receptions, 464 yards, and three touchdowns. He followed that up with a solid 2016 in which he caught 48 passes for 395 yards. In 2017 he was a non-entity with the Jets though, and in 2018 he signed with the New England Patriots.

His athleticism is still there in Madden 19, even if he hasn't really had the chance to prove it yet in the NFL.

Bucky Hodges, Free Agent (OVR 70)

Age: 23

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: N/A

2018 Cap Hit: N/A 

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (89), Agility (74)

Hodges has bounced around the NFL in his short career. He was drafted in the sixth-round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2017 but was soon waived. He spent a few weeks on the Carolina Panthers practice squad and then signed with the New York Jets in April 2018 but was released at the end of July. He recently signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hodges played his college ball at Virginia Tech, where he racked up 133 catches, 1,747 yards, and 20 touchdowns. That production was enough to get him an invite to the NFL combine where he impressed with a 40-yard dash time of 4.57 seconds and a short shuttle of 4.45 seconds. He also had a 39-inch vertical jump and an 11'2' broad jump. That athleticism has come with him into Madden 19. 

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (OVR 77)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Quick

Contract: 3 years/$2.01m

2018 Cap Hit: $630k

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (88), Agility (76)

A fifth-round pick in 2017, George Kittle was a constant threat for the 49ers in 2017. In his first game he caught five passes, albeit for just 27 yards. He scored his first touchdown in his fifth game, against the Indianapolis Colts, but it was when Jimmy Garoppolo took over under center that Kittle became a true part of the offense. His importance grew until he registered his first 100-yard game in the final week of the season.

Kittle wasn't especially productive in his college career at Iowa. But he did run a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the combine, which is where his impressive 87 speed comes from in Madden 19.

Other fast tight ends