Hunter Henry did not need a top-five placement to validate what he did last season for the New England Patriots.
At least, a single vote would have made sense.
But he was nowhere to be found in ESPN’s annual tight end rankings.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released these rankings on July 10, based on voting from NFL executives, coaches and scouts. The list included a top 10, five honorable mentions and seven additional players who received votes.
Twenty-two tight ends made some portion of the conversation.
Henry is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career and produced like one of the league’s better tight ends.
Unfortunately, the ranking treated him like an afterthought.
Henry’s 2025 Numbers Belonged in the Discussion
Henry finished with 60 receptions for a career-high 768 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games. Those numbers were useful for New England and stacked up well against the position.
PFF ranked Henry seventh among 37 qualified tight ends in receiving yards, fifth in touchdown catches and third with 12.8 yards per reception. His 76.4 overall grade ranked eighth, while his 80.4 receiving grade also finished eighth.
Henry did not pile up empty catches in a struggling offense or survive entirely on red-zone touchdowns. He created 337 yards after the catch, averaged 8.2 air yards per target and generated a 119.0 passer rating when targeted, according to PFF.
The ESPN list had room for Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland at No. 7 after he finished with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns. Baltimore Ravens veteran Mark Andrews landed at No. 9 after posting 48 catches for 422 yards and five scores.
PFF’s evaluation supports Loveland’s placement.
He earned an 81.1 overall grade and an 83.3 receiving grade, ranking fifth and third, respectively, among 37 qualified tight ends. Loveland’s rookie production, age and ability after the catch give evaluators plenty of reason to project another jump in 2026.
The case for Andrews at No. 9 requires more reliance on his reputation and career accomplishments. He finished with 48 catches for 422 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 8.8 yards per reception.
PFF gave Andrews a 64.4 overall grade, which ranked 26th among 37 qualified tight ends. His 61.6 receiving grade ranked 31st.
In defense of the rankings, Loveland is younger and carries considerable upside. Andrews has years of elite production behind him.
And you can find other reasons for why other tight ends on the list made it.
Still, the complete omission of Henry is difficult to defend.
Henry exceeded Loveland in catches, yards and touchdowns. He nearly doubled Andrews’ receiving-yard total.
Even if those players belong ahead of him, Henry did enough to earn a mention somewhere after the first 10 names.
Henry’s Quiet Game May Be Working Against Him
Henry has never been the loudest tight end in the league.
He does not run like a wide receiver, command weekly highlight packages or force an offense to build its identity around him.
Highlight reel bravado does not speak to his value, though.
He gets open and makes tough catches in traffic, giving Drake Maye a steady target when the field compresses.
Henry led the Patriots with seven receiving touchdowns during the regular season and added 112 yards with another score in the playoffs. His 2025 season also marked the second-straight year he cleared 60 receptions.
Age probably hurt him in the voting.
Henry turns 32 in December, and an evaluator building a list for 2026 may prefer younger tight ends with more explosive ceilings.
His game is built on timing and reliability; these are qualities that rarely create the same excitement as speed or open-field power.
But difficult to ignore is Henry’s production, PFF grades and importance to Maye’s development.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Patriots’ Star Gets Major Snub in ESPN Rankings appeared first on HEAVY.