By John Turney
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| Tyler Higbee |
Throughout their storied franchise history—spanning Cleveland, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and back to L.A.—the Rams have boasted legendary talents at skill positions, especially at running back and wide receiver. Icons like Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Steven Jackson, even Dan Towler and Tank Younger can be included. At receiver, Elroy Hirsch, Tom Fears, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Cooper Kupp have etched their names into NFL lore.
Yet, one position has consistently lagged behind: tight end. While other teams have produced Hall of Fame-caliber players who revolutionized the role, the Rams' tight ends have often been serviceable at best, rarely rising to elite status. This lack of production isn't just anecdotal; the numbers paint a clear picture of underachievement. With all-time franchise leaders posting stats that wouldn't crack the top 50 league-wide, the Rams' tight end woes highlight a historical blind spot in an otherwise decorated offensive group. In fact, the Rams' all-time tight end "room" might be the worst in NFL history.
With the 2026 NFL Draft looming and in some pre-draft chatter, it is reported that the Rams like Kenyon Sadiq, the University of Oregon tight end, who has tremendous athletic ability for his position. Some suggest that if the Rams don't get the wide receiver they want, Sadiq could be a viable option.
But we will know that in a couple of days. What we do know is the Oregon youngster is taken by the Rams and turns out to be great, an All-Pro, he will be the first in Rams history. The first. That is how poor the tight ends of the Rams franchise have been.
The Early Years: Modest Beginnings and Rare Bright Spots
The Rams' tight end history dates back to their Cleveland days in the 1940s or before but that is because all ends were "tight," so it's important to understand that the position we are talking about is a player attached to the line of scrimmage with a receiver flanked out wide.
Early on, teams would motion a running back to the outside to "flank" the end who was right next to an offensive tackle. A little later, teams would just position someone on the outside, creating a "flanker" and a "tight end."
It's a little more detailed than that, but if you have questions, direct them to T.J. Troup; he'd have the best idea, via film study, as to who did what when but suffice it to say it was not a light switch turning on the idea of a tight end/flanker situation to create a strong side of an offense, it was more like a dimmer switch and the light was fully on, by and large by the early 1960s.
So we are discussing the modern tight end, to be sure.
The Rams first began to be a proponent of a tight end, as we understand it today, in the 1950s. But various players filled the role. Likely, 1957 was when the Rams committed someone to play tight more often than in previous seasons. That player was Bob Boyd, yes, he of elite speed. He would play tight and Hirsch would play left outside and Leon Clarke would play right outside.
The previous year, the Rams used a slot formation, primarily with Hirsch and Clarke outside and Tom Fears playing the slot, either side, so 1957 was noticeably different and it could be said the tight end was born that year, as far and the Rams are concerned, but of course, they didn't abondon the slot formation, you could see Boyd playing the slot in 1957 as well. Further, late in the year, rookie Lamar Lundy seemed to get quite a lot of snaps, and usually was attached at the line of scrimmage, additional evidence the Rams wanted to play in a pro formation more than in the past.
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| Bob Boyd at tight end in 1957 |
Again in 1958, Lundy played tight most of the time and made some fine plays, but in 1959, there was a change: Leon Clarke moved inside, and Lundy moved to defense, where he became a Pro Bowl defensive end. Though the Rams would still more often than not use three backs, one of them might be wide on one play; on another, he might play a wing or a flexed tight end. Usually, the "tight" end was Del Shofner coming in for left outside to play tight, or Jim Phillips doing the same from the right. But when they did commit to a game plan involving a pure tight end, we saw Clarke there.
So it is debatable if Boyd or Clarke were modern tight ends. Lundy seems like he was on the line (nearly) all the time. So it is likely that Lamar Lundy was the initial Rams tight end, though with nuance.
Through the early 1960s, they didn't use a tight end much; they continued with three backs with one of them moving around. Pervis Atkins played a multi-faceted role of wing, tight end and slot receiver (and occasional halfback) and was the closest thing the Rams had to a tight end, but it was not a full-time thing by any means.
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| John Adams |
Things changed in 1963 when they traded a second-round pick for John Adams, who'd been Mike Ditka's backup in Chicago after converting from fullback. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds he was a big body, and could handle the blocking duties to make a running game work, which the Rams were presumably doing to follow up running back Dick Bass's 1,000-yard season in 1962.
The available film shows that Adams was essentially a full-time tight end, not moving around like Atkins and the previous guys did. So, for how we define tight end these days, if you don't count Lamar Lundy in 1958 (or Boyd in 1957), he is probably the first guy to play the position for the Rams and not play in the slot at least a little.
Regardless, that did not last long.
Adams lost his job late in the 1963 season to converted linebacker Marlin McKeever. And by 1964, McKeever was "the guy" at the end of the line. Adams retired; so it seems the Rams didn't get good value for their second-round pick, did they? But don't worry, it wouldn't be the last time the Rams tried to import a tight end and didn't get the performance they'd hoped.
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| Marlin McKeever |
For a few years, McKeever played decently, becoming the first and only Rams tight end to get a Pro Bowl invite. But it's a bit dubious, the year he went, 1966, he didn't have a Pro Bowl-worthy season, playing only half the season at tight end and spending most of the early part of the year back at linebacker. His 1964 and 1965 seasons were better but he didn't get any individual honors.
The 1965 season was interesting in that it was the first year that the wide receivers would exchange sides. Before it was the left- and right end and various things inside, including usage of a tight end. The arrival of Tommy McDonald changed that. He was a wide receiver who would follow the tight end, meaning if it was strong right, the tight end would be on the right and McDonald, the flanker, would also be. And Jack Snow would be the split end on the left.
If McKeever went left, so would McDonald and Snow would switch sides as well. As much publicity as Crazylegs Hirsch gets credit as the NFL's (and Rams) first flanker, the film shows that honor as far as the Rams go to McDonald.
While in Los Angeles, McKeever's replacement, Billy Truax, stands out as one of the earliest notable contributors. Truax amassed 2,177 receiving yards over 94 games, along with 180 receptions and 16 touchdowns—solid numbers for the era, but hardly dominant. His 16 scores were the most by a Rams tight end until it was broken in 1991. Truax got some All-Pro votes but never enough to rise to the level of second-team All-Pro and Truax's career stats—180 receptions, 2,177 yards and 16 touchdowns—underscore the position's limitations. Why? Because they were club records until recently.
Bob Klein, who was a 1969 first-round draft pick, took Truax's position but was not utilized much as a receiver. And this is where it gets tricky. He was a good tight end, but most of the time, he was a sixth offensive lineman. On occasion, you'd see him, almost mockingly, referred to as a "loose tackle" rather than a tight end. There was talk of moving him to tackle at one point; he was that good a blocker. But he was traded to the Chargers and his replacement, Terry Nelson, was kind of the same kind of player, mostly a blocker who was not going to make your eyes pop at the stat sheet.
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| Bob Klein |
Oh, the Rams tried to get more production from the tight end position, but never succeeded. For example, in 1977, they signed Charle (spelled that way at the time) Young, who'd been a Pro Bowler for the Eagles. He was essentially traded for Ron Jaworski, though officially, both players played out their options and signed with the team the other guy left.
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| Charle Young |
Young, however, was not a terrific blocker and was used in passing situations, but not a ton. After he left the Rams, he caught passes in San Francisco and Seattle like he did in Philly. His Rams years just pale in comparison. Young maintained the Rams didn't use him right. He might be correct, but it came to blocking skills, not receiving.
In that same year, the Rams signed or traded for guys who they thought could give a better option on passing downs, among them Oscar Roan, Walter White (not that one) and Henry Childs. All three of them had at least one good NFL season, White and Childs a few that if they had occurred on the Rams would still rank high in single-season stats for a tight end. Unfortunately, though all three ran well, none of them did anything for the Rams, with Childs being the only one who even made the roster.
In 1982, the Rams traded for Mike Barber, and before he hurt his knee in 1984, he had a couple of good years. In 1983, he caught 55 passes (the club mark for a tight end until 2019), blocked well for Dickerson and was a second-team All-NFC selection, one of the few postseason honors Rams tight ends have ever received.
He hurt a knee early in 1984 and his replacement was David Hill, who was more in the Bob Klein mold, a loose tackle, if you will. Hill was one of the best blockers at his position ever, was never going to threaten defenses in the passing game but he was vital in Eric Dickerson's success.
And the next guy was Damone Johnson, was a Hill clone in terms of roles. Johnson was used as a receiver some, though. He set a franchise touchdown record for tight ends with 18 scores in the late '80s and early '90s, only to be surpassed later, of course. Then the Rams got another similar guy, Pat Carter, to play the loose tackle.
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| Damone Johnson (left) and Pete Holohan (right) |
Here is a curveball.
Often in the 1980s era, the Rams used two tight ends, one who'd be more of an H-Back or "U-back" as they called it. They didn't call it "12" personnel, but it was the one-back offense teams used back then. The spot could be played by a fullback or tight end. But like in the past the Rams tried to get a playmaker at tight end and to play that second tight end U-back they traded for Tony Hunter, which was the pattern we saw with Charle Young, Road, White, Childs, etc., and Hunter got off to a decent start as a "move" tight end (Hill was on the line) with a 50-catch season. However, injuries ended his career prematurely so the pattern of not getting a lot from acquired tight ends continues, though not Hunter's fault. Just call it part of "The Curse of the Rams Tight Ends."
Another attempt to get a playmaker was when they traded for the Chargers' Pete Holohan; they'd have a third-down tight end, often playing in the slot. Holohan's hands set him apart. Jim Everett has said Holohan had the best hands he ever saw, regardless of position. Holohan was basically a third-down receiver, though. He wasn't sticking his nose into a defensive end and driving him out of a hole. That was Johnson's job. But in his role, in three Rams seasons, Holohan averaged just over 50 catches and close to 550 yards per season.
The Rams would draft Troy Drayton in 1993 to be the "answer," someone who would be a full-time tight end, not just a receiver, not just a blocker. He had talent but never reached the heights expected. He was a Pro Bowl alternate a few seasons, but never got an official invite to Hawaii. After a few seasons, he was shipped off to Miami for a tackle who didn't make the team. He was just okay, never really being the Rams' version of Ozzie Newsome as it was hoped. His career totals of 108 catches, 1,064 yards and 14 touchdowns would be a single season for guys like the new breed of tight ends.
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| Leon Clarke (left), Troy Drayton (middle), Ernie Conwell (right) |
Drayton was replaced by Ernie Conwell (who the Rams tried to make into a fullback) from 1996 to 2002, providing consistency with his route-running and hands, earning the Ed Block Courage Award for perseverance after injuries. He was even a second-team All-Pro, the highest honor for a Rams tight end ever) one year during the "Greatest Show on Turf" era, when the Rams' offense exploded under Kurt Warner.
These players were integral to team success, yet none approached the production of contemporaries like Shannon Sharpe or Tony Gonzalez, who were redefining the position with 1,000-yard seasons on a regular basis.
The Modern Era: Incremental Improvements, Persistent Shortfalls
Post G.S.O.T., again the Rams tried, but the pattern still held. Draftees like Lance Kendricks (2011-2016) brought versatility, excelling in both blocking and receiving, but his career highs hovered around 500 yards per season. Free agents like Randy McMichael and Jared Cook were supposed to be the answer to the decades-long riddle of why the Rams' tight ends were never up to snuff.
Cook, in three seasons in a Rams uniform, averaged just under 50 catches for just under 600 yards and just under 3 TDs per season. McMichael, per 17 games, averaged 40 catches, 425 yards and two TDs. Kendricks' numbers were about the same as that.
As you can see, once again, these are NOT Pro Bowl numbers.
Enter Tyler Higbee.
Drafted in 2016, over the last decade Higbee has rewritten the franchise record books, becoming the all-time leader in receptions (386), receiving yards (3,949), and touchdowns (27). His consistent work ethic and reliability earned him a contract extension, and he played a key role in the 2021 Super Bowl victory. Yet, even Higbee's impressive resume pales in comparison to league standards. His 17-game averages were 48 catches, 486 yards and three TDs.
For context, the NFL's all-time tight end receiving yards leaders include Gonzalez (15,127 yards), Jason Witten (13,046), and Travis Kelce (over 11,000 and climbing)—figures that dwarf Higbee's total.
Under head coach Sean McVay, the Rams have emphasized tight ends more creatively, using multiple-TE sets to exploit mismatches. Recent additions like Colby Parkinson (free agent), who, believe it or not, holds the team record for TD receptions in a single season with eight. Yes eight. The team record is eight. Let that sink in.
Davis Allen (fifth-round pick) and 2025 second-round draftee Terrance Ferguson show promise, but production remains modest as McVay moved from 11 personnel to 12 or even 13 in a shift in philosophy. Ferguson got off to a slow start but began to make some special plays as his rookie season progressed, finishing with 11 receptions for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The future? The Rams have the 13th overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft and there is some buzz on the Rams fans' and on national social media about Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq being on the Rams' radar. We have no idea, but he seems to have the right stuff to get the Rams off the TE schneid. He is a tremendous athlete and even is a good blocker, a college blocker that is. It will remain to be seen if he can do it on an NFL level. He looks more like a "move" tight end, someone who can play flexed, in the slot, or wide, and that is kind of the role Ferguson is envisioned having. But that's all speculation; we have to wait until this Thursday to get some answers.
Looking Ahead: Can the Rams Break the Cycle?
As the Rams continue to evolve under McVay, there's optimism. The 2026 offseason could see investments in young talent or free agents to bolster the group. With a quarterback like Stafford slinging passes, the potential for a breakout tight end exists. Until then, the position remains a historical footnote in a franchise known for offensive fireworks—a reminder that even great teams have their Achilles' heels. For Rams fans, the wait for a truly dominant tight end continues, but in a league where the role is more vital than ever, change may be on the horizon.
As of now, Higbee has to be considered the best tight end in franchise history, yet he never got an invite to the Pro Bowl (even as an alternate) nor received votes for All-Pro.
Maybe Ferguson will be the true breakout guy, and if he can catch 75 passes for 735 yards and nine touchdowns, he'd own the franchise record in all three, for a single season. And probably wouldn't make the Pro Bowl. To break out, seems like a Rams tight end, at some point, needs to top 1,000 yards. We'll see.
Or perhaps Kenyon Sadiq might be the star the Rams have searched for and never found, though most Rams fans, we think, would prefer a wide receiver at 13th overall, but you never know.
We'll see.
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