As with every year, there is a new Madden on the horizon. There is also next-gen consoles which should make Madden 21 a standout game from its predecessors.

Also with the new year, there is new Madden ratings. Rob Gronkowski is back! This means there will be a shift in the Madden 21 tight end ratings and we are here to discuss who will be the top five in the newest installment of the hit franchise. Last week we discussed who will be the top five rated wide receivers in Madden 21 and this week we take on the tight end discussion.

5. Austin Hooper

Hooper was nothing short of extraordinary in the first ten weeks of last season as he racked up 608 receiving yards to go along with six touchdowns in that frame. He also did so in a position that doesnt have a lot of depth in terms of big-time production. So, the former Falcon stood out.

But after suffering an injury in week 10, Hooper came back in week 14 and failed to record a single touchdown for the remainder of the year and only put together 179 yards over four games. This was a major drop off in production, but his injury can be used as the reason why. It also can be the fact that Matt Ryan is known to go cold at the end of every season.

That last problem actually fixed itself heading into this season as Hooper is now a Cleveland Brown. Each and every year we all think its the year the Browns finally make the playoffs and each year were disappointed. But Hooper may be the final piece they needed.

4. Zach Ertz

Ertz is the most silent and productive tight end in the game. You never hear much about him because of the fact that he is in Philly and because he doesnt demand attention. Carson Wentz has not been close to how great he was a couple years ago, but Ertz has managed anyway.

The Stanford grad put together 916 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season on only 88 catches. That was a huge drop off as the tight end caught 28 more passes the previous year. This is of course a direct result of the lack of a supporting cast around him. Its hard to manufacture production all by yourself.

However, in Madden your rating isnt based off who is throwing the ball to you most of the time, but rather, what you can do on your own. And Ertz can do plenty. This will sport him a 90 Madden 21 rating at the start of the year, but will likely go down as his potential is halted as long as Wentz is behind center.

But if they put Jalen Hurts in the pocket or if Ertz is miraculously traded, it may shake things up a bit.

3. Rob Gronkowski

In case you were living under a rock lately and didnt hear the news, Gronk is back! The machine who redefined the tight end position will be returning and joining Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. Despite what everyone says about the two former New England Patriots, neither of them are washed up.

Brady somehow put together a solid year last season while leading his team to the playoffs even though he had virtually no help at all. Now, he is taking over the quarterback position in Tampa Bay that was previously held by a lackluster Jameis Winston who still managed to top the league in almost every passing statistic. Brady is going to have his best season ever and will have a familiar face to sling the ball to.

Gronk is without a doubt Bradys favorite person on the field, so he will be getting a healthy portion of the teams receptions. Also, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will direct attention away from the giant TE so that he can burst through for easy yards and touchdowns.

He will start out with a 92 Madden 21 rating but has more than enough potential to jump that line up a ton as the year progresses.

2. Travis Kelce

Kelce is phenomenal, theres no denying that. But the guy above him is still better, thats why he takes the No. 2 spot. Not to mention, he gets more than enough help from the best quarterback in the game, Patrick Mahomes. But that doesnt take anything away from his skills as he is one of the best tight ends in the game.

Yes, Mahomes can sling the ball to him like no other quarterback could, but what Kelce does after the catch is what separates him from other tight ends. Not only can he run over defenders, but he can sprint past them like a wide receiver or running back would. His speed is something more than rare at his spot and combined with his catching ability and route running, it will help propel him to a 98 Madden 21 rating this year.

Mahomes is set to have an even better season than he did last year and Kelce is sure to benefit from it, so he will be in a constant battle for the best tight end in the league discussion with Gronk and the man at the top of this list all year long.

1. George Kittle

If Kittle doesnt strike you as the type who wants payback when its due, you havent been paying much attention to the star tight end. After an extremely disappointing Super Bowl loss to Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs, Kittle will be back with a vengeance this season.

Not just because he wont want to feel that sense of defeat again, but also because he wants to establish his spot at the top, specifically over Kelce.

Not only does Kittle perform better than the KC tight end at times, he also does it without a league and Super Bowl MVP tossing him passes. He makes a name for himself without a ton of help like Ertz does, but way more dynamically. He also is the new Gronk and is miles ahead of Hoopers skills in terms of getting things done on his own at times.

He can burst through defenses, sprint past linebackers and even drag multiple players down the field with him. He is virtually a combination of every single TE on this list, which makes him the best, especially in Madden.