Which tight ends get the most targets when the defense blitzes?
Juwan Johnson leads all NFL tight ends with 27 targets against the blitz, on 22 receptions and 1 receiving touchdown across 17 games.
NFL Tight End Targets Against the Blitz
Ranked by TGT · 2025 regular season| # | Player | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | CTH% | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juwan Johnson New Orleans Saints · #83 | 27 | 22 | 236 | 1 | 81.5% | 17 |
| 2 | Travis Kelce Kansas City Chiefs · #87 | 26 | 20 | 273 | 2 | 76.9% | 17 |
| 3 | Trey McBride Arizona Cardinals · #85 | 22 | 16 | 210 | 1 | 72.7% | 17 |
| 4 | Jake Ferguson Dallas Cowboys · #87 | 22 | 17 | 92 | 1 | 77.3% | 17 |
| 5 | Dalton Schultz Houston Texans · #86 | 21 | 18 | 206 | 1 | 85.7% | 17 |
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Open this in the Stat Explorer →Why this matters
Sending extra rushers means pulling a defender away from coverage somewhere else, and that somewhere else is often the shallow middle a tight end already occupies. A quarterback expecting pressure knows exactly where that vacancy tends to open up before the snap, which turns the tight end into a built-in answer rather than a name called only when better options disappear.
This number rewards positioning and reliability more than separation ability. A tight end does not need to beat a defender decisively to show up here, only to be in the right spot when the ball has to come out immediately, so a possession-oriented tight end can lead this list while a more explosive receiving option at the position ranks well behind him.
Treat this as evidence of a trusted safety valve rather than a featured weapon. The role can be valuable for chain-moving and protecting the quarterback from a bad outcome on a given down, but it does not necessarily predict production once protection holds and a fuller route tree is back in play, so weigh it alongside how that tight end produces on ordinary snaps.