Cowboys starter had worst season in history last year, did they improve at his position?

The NFC East has a storied history of many things, including talent at the tight end position; there's been numerous stars at the position for each of the four teams. New York can boast of Mark Bavaro and Jeremy Shockey, Dallas of Jason Witten and Jay Novacek. For the Washington franchise names such as Chris Cooley and Jerry Smith evoke memories for their fans, while Philadelphia's recent run may be their best stretch in team history.

The Eagles have dominated the 2025 NFC East position rankings so far. The Cowboys topped the list at receiver, but the Eagles were first at running back and second at linebacker. The Commanders had the best linebacking corps and the Giants have brought up the rear more often than not.

The Commanders have an aging veteran coming off a great season. Dallas is looking for a bounce-back from someone most believed would be a star, and the Giants are looking for a young tight end to jump out. The rankings aren't just about the starters, so the question is, how will these units match up with one another?

4. New York Giants

Theo Johnson snatched the starting tight end job for New York as a rookie. He didn't do anything special before a Thanksgiving injury against Dallas put him out for the season, but he does have the frame coaches look for in a tight end. Johnson is 6-foot-6 and weighs over 260 pounds. He has the frame to move defensive ends and linebackers in the running game, and over 11 yards per reception as a receiver. He only got in the end zone once, surprising for his size, but he might not have been given the opportunities with their QB situation. The Giants hope he can take the developmental leap Daniel Bellinger never did after his rookie year.

Bellinger was supposed to be the man after starting 11 games for Darren Waller in his rookie year. He was drafted to be the star of the future, but he was a great blocker as a second tight end immediately. He added some nice plays catching the ball, and with his terrific size, there was no reason to believe he wouldn't develop into the future at the position. Unfortunately for New York, the development as a pass catcher never came.

Chris Manhertz is going into his 10th season as a third tight end who blocks and plays special teams. He has done that well enough to stick around for a long career.

3. Dallas Cowboys

If players were asked who the best tight end in the NFC East would be going into 2024, plenty would have answered Jake Ferguson, especially with future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce mentioning him as one of his favorites to be a top tight end in the future.

Ferguson had a nightmare 2024 with under 500 receiving yards, and he didn't score a single touchdown, while having a success rate under 40%. It was so bad, it technically was the worst season a starting TE has had in NFL history.

With Dak Prescott returning from injuries, better weapons surrounding him, and Ferguson being in a contract year, he likely bounces back. However, after his performance in 2024, he can't be any higher than the third-best starting tight end.

Luke Schoonmaker and Breyn Spann-Ford will battle for the second tight end spot. Schoonmaker was a second-round pick in 2023, and he had an underrated bounce-back campaign from a disappointing rookie year. Spann-Ford was an undrafted free agent rookie who made the team as a blocking tight end.

2. Washington Commanders

Zach Ertz had a resurgence in Washington after looking to be almost out of the league in Arizona. With the Commanders last season, he played all 17 games and caught 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. It was his highest yards receiving since 2021 and touchdowns since 2018. Father Time could come around at any time for Ertz, but after last season, Ertz earned respect.

John Bates and Ben Sinnott will be the squad's second and third tight ends unless Washington makes a move to bring in another player, with Bates likely getting the second spot. He might be preparing to take over for Bates in the future, but he will need to become a better blocker before he is trusted to do so. Colson Yankoff, Cole Turner, Tyree Jackson, and Lawrence Cager are all names that could emerge for the Commanders, but none have done enough to be a factor in these rankings.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert might be in a decline going into Year 8, but that doesn't mean he isn't a quality tight end. He was on a 17-game pace of 71 receptions for 843 yards and three scores with the highest catch rate of his career. He only played in 10 games and had the lowest success rate of his career, but he still routinely made clutch receptions for first downs in critical situations. He isn't a top-five tight end anymore, borderline top 10, but he is still the top option at tight end in the NFC East.

Grant Calcaterra was a significant contributor for Philadelphia despite not being a major receiving threat; he was the blocking option at tight end for the best rushing game in the league. One of Kylen Granson, Harrison Bryant, or E.J. Jenkins will make the team as the third tight end, but none have been around to make many plays yet.

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys hope to escape the basement in divisional TE position rankings