New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski ranked as best tight end in NFL

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the Top-10 tight ends heading into 2018. Where did Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots rank?

The New England Patriots have the great fortune of having one of the best tight ends of all-time, Rob Gronkowski, on their team. While many tight ends in the NFL are either good receivers or good blockers, Gronkowski excels at both.

Him being able to be great as both a blocker and a receiver makes him one of the best in the game, and truly valuable for the team. Last season, Gronkowski was able to rebound from an injury-plagued 2016 season.

In 2017, Gronkowski totaled 69 receptions, 1,084 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns in 14 games. During the playoffs, Gronkowski played really well once again, as he totaled 16 receptions, 218 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Those impressive stats came despite the fact that he was knocked out of the game early against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a concussion.

Despite some questions about whether or not he would play this season, hold out, or be traded, Gronkowski is in camp for the Patriots and ready to go for the 2018 season. Recently, Pro Football Focus ranked the Top-10 tight ends heading into 2018. To no surprise, Gronkowski was ranked first.

Seeing Gronkowski come in ranked first is certainly to be expected. Last season, Gronkowski was the only tight end with a grade above a 90 from PFF and he was five points higher than Hunter Henry of the Los Angeles Chargers, who had the second highest grade.

On the list, Travis Kelce came in ranked second, as he is certainly deserving of being ranked well as a great weapon from the tight end position. While Kelce was ranked second, there is certainly a wide gap between him and Gronk when it comes to blocking, as Gronkowski is in a league of his own.

For the Patriots, having the best tight end in the game once again this coming season will help them likely reach the playoffs this coming season. As long as he is healthy, there are few teams that can slow down Gronk.