2016 AFC North Rankings by Position: Tight Ends
By Joe Serpico
No. 4: Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Ladarius Green
The Steelers had one of the best tight ends in the league for over a decade in Heath Miller. They knew that his playing days were almost over and were rumored to be interested in Maxx Williams in last year’s draft. That’s until the Ravens jumped ahead of them to snatch him away from their arch rival.
With Miller no longer with the team, Pittsburgh signed Ladarius Green in the offseason to be their top tight end. Green was stuck behind Antonio Gates in his first four seasons with the San Diego Chargers, but will get the first opportunity to replace the Steelers future Hall of Famer.
Green could be a force at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds with 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash. The physical traits wow you, but the numbers on the field haven’t been spectacular. Gates has battled a lot of injuries in recent years, and Green never took advantage.
The Steelers still have Matt Spaeth, but he has caught six passes in the last three years. Green has big shoes to fill, but if he can become the player that many expected him to be coming out of college, he could quickly jump up this list next season.
Next: Ravens: 3 Storylines to Watch During OTAs
That is all for our rankings of the skill players in the AFC North. We will move onto the big uglies in the upcoming days before shifting our focus to the defense. Feel differently about our rankings so far? Let’s get the discussion going on the comments below or feel free to chat with us on Twitter at @BaltimoreWireFS.