The tight end position has been one of the most talked about positions over the course of the last few years, especially in fantasy football. However, it takes a lot more than just pass catching abilities to be one of the best tight ends in football, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are taking a look at the Top 10 tight ends in the NFL for 2012.

1: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: There is simply no denying just how good Gronk is. He has huge hands, he is quick off the line of scrimmage, and he is impossible to jam. He’ll be out in the route in a hurry, and if QB Tom Brady gets the ball anywhere near him, Gronkowski is going to get it. It can’t be expected that Gronk is going to be the league leader in touchdown grabs every single year, but as long as the rapport between him and Brady remains strong, there’s no reason that he shouldn’t be one of the best tight ends in the league.

2: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints: Graham has already told the media that he is never going to be catching passes from a quarterback not named Drew Brees in his career. That’s a bold statement to make considering just how much younger Graham is than his quarterback, but it is also a testament to just how well these two work together. Graham was one of the least heralded tight ends out of Miami in the most recent wave of tight ends to come from “The U,” but he has already eclipsed what any of the others have been able to do. This is one of the best receivers in the whole league, and he is built like a linebacker, not a receiver.

3: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers: The big problem that Gates has in his career is that he just can’t stay healthy. However, he is a basketball player by trade, and he is still a true power forward when he is in the middle of the field. Gates has lined up on the outside as well at receiver, and he has the speed to be able to get the job done out there as well. With WR Vincent Jackson now gone, if Gates can stay on the field (and yes, we know that that is a big, big “if”), he could easily be a 1,200-yard receiver once again.

4: Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers: Finley is often overlooked as one of the best tight ends in football because of the offense that he plays in. Yes, Finley doesn’t get the looks of WR Jordy Nelson or WR Greg Jennings, but there are still plenty of passes that come his way. He had eight touchdowns and 767 receiving yards last year, but in terms of talent, the sky truly is the limit. There is no challenging what Finley can do for the Packers if QB Aaron Rodgers looks his way more.

5: Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers: When Davis was drafted by the Niners, he was brought into be a physical monster. There have been moments that he has done some things that just make you go, “Wow!” He has had some spats with his coaches though, most notably the one with Mike Singletary a few years ago. However, Davis had 792 yards and six scores for the 49ers last year, and he was the favorite target at times of QB Alex Smith. In a safe offense, you need a good safety valve, and it doesn’t get much better than what Davis brings to the table with his huge hands and ability to leap out of the building.

6: Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons: Gonzalez is the standard for what tight ends have to live up to in their career. He is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer, and he is still producing, even at the age of 36. Gonzo has caught nearly 1,200 passes, and he’ll get to 14,000 receiving yards this year for his career in all likelihood, not to mention the 95 trips to the end zone. Even last year, Gonzalez had 80 catches, 875 yards, and seven scores, proving that he can still be a threat. His speed is down, and his leaping abilities aren’t what they once were, but Gonzalez is still an athletic freak of a tight end.

7: Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions: Part of Pettigrew’s success has been because of the offense that he is in, and part of the reason that the Lions throw the ball so much is because he can’t block. But as a receiver, we just can’t deny how good Pettigrew really is. He is a red zone threat because he is 6’6″, but more importantly, he is used as a short option in the middle of the field or on the sidelines when WR Calvin Johnson isn’t available for QB Matt Stafford. Pettigrew knows his role, and he knows it well, and he’ll have another 700+ yards this year for sure.

8: Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots: Hernandez was picked in the same draft as Gronkowski was, and though he hasn’t quite paid the same type of dividends, he is a different type of player. Hernandez is a better blocker than Gronk is, and he is a better threat around the line of scrimmage. The former Florida Gator has no problems carrying the ball or being a lead blocker, and to top it all off, he has great hands and solid speed as well. Without Hernandez on his opposite side, Gronkowski wouldn’t be so open, because linebackers and safeties have to pay attention to Hernandez as well.

9: Owen Daniels, Houston Texans: Daniels fell off the face of the earth last year as a receiver in Houston, but what we have to remember is that QB Matt Schaub was out for quite some time, and TE Joel Dreessen and FB/TE James Casey stole a lot of his touches. Still, in Houston, they’ll tell you that this is a man that blocks like there is no tomorrow, and he has a tendency of just finding ways to get open for Schaub. There’s a certain knack to Daniels that we like, and he could be in for a great year in 2012.

10: Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers: Apologies go out to Dustin Keller, Brent Celek, and Fred Davis, all of which were left off this list, but we still think that Miller is a tight end that is always overlooked. The former Virginia Cavalier set all sorts of records for receptions and receiving yards in college, and he came to the pros and became a vicious blocker as well. Miller can block in space, and on the line of scrimmage, and it isn’t his fault that he is utilized this way. Now that Todd Haley has taken over the offense though, we think that Miller could again become a big part of the passing game. Remember that this is a man that caught 76 passes just three years ago.

Whether it be the art of the interception, the thrill of the corner blitz, or the style involved with coming up to defend the run, defensive backs have to do just about everything in the NFL. Here’s our list of the Top 10 defensive backs in the NFL, including some of the best defensive players in the entire league.

1: Darrell Revis, New York Jets: Being on Revis Island definitely isn’t a place that you want to be. It happens to be that Revis’ numbers keep going down year after year, but that’s a testament to the fact that no one is throwing the ball his way. It is legitimately impossible for even the best quarterback to get the job done with his best receiver, and Revis really takes half of the field away. This is definitely one of the best corners in the league, and it is most certainly one of the most explosive defensive players in the NFL as well.

2: Nnamdi Asomugha, Philadelphia Eagles: Asomugha is another one of these players that just doesn’t get the stats that you would figure thanks to the fact that he just doesn’t get thrown at. It was a bit of a frustrating first season last year in the City of Brotherly Love for Asomugha, as he is under a lot more pressure now than he was when he was with Oakland. Still, this is a great corner that has massive shutdown skills, and he has a chance to become the best corner in the league with some more work.

3: Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns: There aren’t a lot of these draft picks that have worked out for the Browns over the course of the last few years, but Haden is most certainly one of them. The former Florida Gator is quietly becoming one of the best cover corners in the league, and he tends to have a nose for the football. We might be overrating Haden just a bit, but we think that he is one of the best kept secrets that the league has to offer.

4: Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens: Reed is probably at the tail end of his career, but quarterbacks still think twice when they throw the ball in his direction. The former Miami Hurricane still has this uncanny ability to jump the snap count, and it feels like five or six times per year that he gets into the backfield before a quarterback is even able to take three steps. He’ll help in the run and the pass, and he has this swagger about him. Reed is still absolutely one of the best defensive backs in the NFL.

5: Johnathan Joseph, Houston Texans: For years and years, the Texans really struggled to get cornerbacks to be able to stick with some of the big receivers in the AFC South. Now, they finally have one. Joseph was a Pro Bowler last year, and he is already the best defensive back that Houston has ever had. Joseph had four interceptions last year, and though that wasn’t one of the best marks in the league, his corner skills are definitely out of this world at this point.

6: Kyle Arrington, New England Patriots: The New England secondary is a gambling unit, and it is a unit that has been taught to do whatever it can to get the ball back in QB Tom Brady’s hands. Not only did Arrington end up with 88 tackles last year, but he also tied for the league lead with seven picks to boot. In terms of sheer talent, Arrington might not quite bit there at this point. However, he is a gambler and really can change a game, and often times, he does just that.

7: Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers: The Green Bay defense had a brutal year in 2011, and part of it might have been Woodson’s transition from corner to safety. Still, the Packers know that they are going to have to get the job done on this side of the ball at some point, and Woodson is likely the man that can turn the whole thing around. He is aging for sure, but his covering abilities are still outstanding, especially for a safety.

8: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Pittsburgh defense isn’t quite as good as it has been over the course of the last few years, but Polamalu is still the MVP of this unit, which is still one of the nastiest in the league. Just like Reed, Polamalu is a future Hall of Famer, and he is really one of the emotional cogs of this unit. The argument could be made that Ryan Clark is the best DB of the bunch, but we still think that Polamalu is the most important player this year for the Steelers.

9: Carlos Rogers, San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers took a massive jump last year to be one of the best defenses in the league. Rogers has been around now for a few years, but it looks like he really has a home now in San Francisco. He never really found a home with the Redskins, but playing next to a ferocious front seven, the former Auburn Tiger really has had the ability to get the job done.

10: Drayton Florence, Detroit Lions: The Lions haven’t had a great corner over the course of the last several years, but bringing in Florence is the hope that this franchise has to get the job done. He had 17 picks over the course of the first seven years of his career, and Florence is still one of the best cover corners that the league has to offer. He’ll be a key cog for Detroit this year, and if he doesn’t end up getting the job done, this could be yet another year in which the Lions really have no choice but to outscore everyone in shootouts.

The ACC Coastal Division is always one that is tight all season long, and college football matchups like this one tend to go a long way in deciding which team is going to go to the ACC Championship Game later in the year. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Virginia Tech Hokies might be decided right at the outset of the season, as they are going to be duking it out with one another on the first Monday night of the season, as the two get started on Labor Day. Don’t miss our Labor Day NCAA football picks for this crucial clash in the ACC!

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Picks & Info
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Date: Monday, September 3rd
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Spread: Virginia Tech Hokies -7

The Ramblin’ Wreck averaged 316.6 yards per game last year on the ground, and obviously with the triple option attack, they’ll be up there again this year. They got 243 yards last year against the Hokies, but that wasn’t nearly enough, especially in the fourth quarter when the offense was just totally shut down. Bud Adams’ defense clearly learned what it was doing, and now, Virginia Tech has really had the entire offseason to prepare for facing this defense. QB Tevin Washington is back, and it’s always good to have the leaders of a triple option offense returning to your lineup. Even better is the fact that all five starting offensive linemen from a campaign ago are going to be back as well. Sure, WR Stephen Hill is gone, but G-Tech has always been able to make due with whatever receivers it has had to work with in the Head Coach Paul Johnson era.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Virginia Tech 37 – Georgia Tech 26
2010: Virginia Tech 28 – Georgia Tech 21
2009: Georgia Tech 28 – Virginia Tech 23
2008: Virginia Tech 20 – Georgia Tech 17
2007: Virginia Tech 27 – Georgia Tech 3
2006: Georgia Tech 38 – Virginia Tech 27
2005: Virginia Tech 51 – Georgia Tech 7
2004: Virginia Tech 34 – Georgia Tech 20

That defense that we spoke about for Head Coach Frank Beamer and Coach Adams is returning a whopping nine players, and there is a lot of NFL talent in that bunch. Like we said, the Hokies figured out the triple option at the end of last year’s game, and with the full offseason to work, especially with the majority of the players back from that team that did so well in the fourth quarter last year, we are looking for good things. QB Logan Thomas is going to be the leader of an offense that only returns three players. The big question is going to be at tailback, as gone are both the team’s leading rusher from a season ago, RB David Wilson, and his backup from last year, RB Josh Oglesby. There is only one member left from the offensive line and just one receiver out of the four that were regularly in the rotation. Needless to say, offensively, it could be a slow start to the season if the running game can’t get going.

Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech Free Picks^^: This is a tough, tough game to handicap. We know that we want the ‘under’ for sure. But, given what we know about both of these teams, we think that the Georgia Tech offense is going to do the more struggling of the two teams. Again, it’s a heck of a lot easier to defend this triple option when you have the whole offseason and a longer week of preparation to get the job done, especially when the game is at home, then when you have to go on the road during a short week to prepare. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Ramblin’ Wreck stuck in the high-teens in this one, and if that turns out to be the case, we just don’t see how they are going to be able to cover a TD of a spread.

^^Please Note: The Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech picks listed above on our sports betting blog are made by our staff writers. These football picks are based upon the betting lines listed in August 2012 and do not reflect the actual expert handicapping picks at Bankroll Sports. Click Here to receive our premium expert handicappers NCAA Football Picks for the 2012 campaign.

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