Rookie Meter: TEs shining in NFL spotlight
Rookie Meter: TEs shining in NFL spotlight
UPDATED: 09/21/2010

It's rare to see a tight end lead his team in receiving. It's even more rare to see a rookie tight end lead his team in receiving.

Don't even get me started on how rare it is to see two rookie TEs lead their teams in receiving in only the second game of the season.

So far this season, the rookie tight ends have been superb, getting involved immediately in their new offenses and making significant contributions, most notably Chiefs TE Tony Moeaki and Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez.

Moeaki led the Chiefs in receiving for the second straight game with five catches for 58 yards in the Chiefs' Week Two win over the Browns. He also led in targets, being targeted by QB Matt Cassel 10 times, twice as many targets as WR Dwayne Bowe.

Hernandez hauled in six catches for 101 yards in the Patriots' Week Two loss to the Jets. Hernandez looked like a wide receiver catching passes and running after the catch. He caught all six of his targets and has the versatility to line up in the slot for QB Tom Brady.

Hernandez and Moeaki aren't even the most heralded tight ends in their class, and Hernandez might still not be the most well-known rookie TE on his own team. Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski had a catch for 14 yards in Week Two and caught a TD pass in Week One. The second-round pick garnered much of the publicity during the preseason, with Hernandez playing in just one preseason game, but Brady clearly likes Hernandez's athleticism.

Bengals starting TE Jermaine Gresham, their top pick from the April draft, had three catches for 15 yards and was targeted five times by Carson Palmer. The Ravens' defense stifled the entire Bengals offense, but expect Gresham to tally some TDs when the Bengals enter the red zone.

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