Power Ranking the Tight End Rooms in the NFC South

NFL training camps are in full swing, and as teams ease back into on-field drills and practices in the dead of the summer, football fans have a reason to rejoice.

Key points

• 3- New Orleans Saints: Noah Fant, Juwan Johnson, Oscar Delp.
• Fant hasn't reached the TE1 potential plenty of thought he had when he was drafted 0th overall by the Broncos back in 2019.
• Waller is clearly not the Pro Bowl player he was back in 2020, but he's still an effective contributor.
• Outside of Otton, the Bucs obtained just two catches, 17 yards, and one touchdown out of Durham and Culp last year.
• Johnson has gotten better each year he's played in New Orleans, and he's coming off a breakout year in which he caught 77 passes for 889 yards and three touchdowns.

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In practice, the preseason officially began last week, and teams are preparing for their second exhibition games this weekend.

As the start of the NFL regular season inches closer (Sept. 9), we are continuing to look at key offseason storylines for each of the league's 32 teams.

We've already looked at the top position battles to watch, rookies with the best chance of winning a starting job, and the players in the most danger of being cut, plus we've ranked the top head coaches, quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers by division.

Now, we're power ranking the tight end rooms in each division. Next up is the NFC South. 1- Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, Austin Hooper, Charlie Woerner.

Pitts is coming off a career-best 88 catches and five touchdowns last season. He's seen 90 or more targets three times in five seasons, and he's an effective weapon when applied properly. There's no tight end in the division better than Pitts. It is why Atlanta sits at the top of these rankings.

Hooper is a two-time Pro Bowler, but at this stage in his career, he's better suited to being a backup than a heavily relied on starter. He hasn't had more than 46 catches since 2019, but playing behind Pitts he doesn't need to be a high-volume contributor. 2- Carolina Panthers: Darren Waller, Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders.

Waller is clearly not the Pro Bowl player he was back in 2020, but he's still an effective contributor. With the Dolphins last season, he totaled 24 catches, 283 yards, and six touchdowns. He probable won't be the TE1 in Carolina, but the team doesn't need him to be.

Tremble (27, 249, two TDs) and Sanders (29, 190, one TD) are both solid players, and the trio of them plus Waller should offer Carolina a decent group of TEs to assist out quarterback Bryce Young. 3- New Orleans Saints: Noah Fant, Juwan Johnson, Oscar Delp.

Johnson has gotten better each year he's played in New Orleans, and he's coming off a breakout year in which he caught 77 passes for 889 yards and three touchdowns. With quarterback Tyler Shough settling into Kellen Moore's offense, Johnson should continue to play an integral part in 2026.

Fant hasn't reached the TE1 potential plenty of thought he had when he was drafted 0th overall by the Broncos back in 2019. But he's capable of playing well in a 1A-1B role with another player like Johnson. 4- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Devin Culp.

Otton has been a reliable target for quarterback Baker Mayfield, he's just not an elite tight end. He's put up back-to-back seasons with 59 catches and he's hit 572 yards or more both years.

Outside of Otton, the Bucs obtained just two catches, 17 yards, and one touchdown out of Durham and Culp last year. Tampa's tight end depth needs some serious work.

In short, power Ranking the Tight End Rooms in the NFC South is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.