On July 10, ESPN released its ranking for the top 10 tight ends in the NFL for the 2026 season. The Las Vegas Raiders’ Broke Bowers topped the list like the previous year, and in 10th position, the scouts and executives collectively ranked Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce.
But the list wasn’t as relieving for the Dallas Cowboys fans as it would be for other NFC teams.
The reason is simple: ESPN’s list does not include any Cowboys tight end. Yes. The Cowboys were absent from ESPN’s latest rankings of the NFL’s top 10 tight ends entering the 2026 season, with star tight end Jake Ferguson falling short of making the list.
Why could Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson not make the cut in the top 10?
There is this single most important reason why Ferguson did not make a cut.
Per the report, one of the NFL scouts, whose name wasn’t mentioned in ESPN’s report, shared a sharp reason why the Cowboys tight end is in the top 10. “He is really solid all around, high catch volume, tough, competes in the run game. His problem is fumbling. We targeted trying to get the ball loose when we played him,” the NFL scout said.
Through four NFL seasons, Ferguson has recorded seven fumbles. He was charged with three fumbles during the 2025 season after committing four in 2024. On the other hand, he has caught 231 passes on 312 targets for 2,029 yards.
Ball security has been one of the few concerns surrounding Ferguson’s game in recent seasons. The Cowboys tight end has been charged with seven fumbles over the 2024 and 2025 regular seasons, with several occurring as he fought for extra yards after the catch.
One of the most notable came against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, while additional costly turnovers followed against the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions in 2025. Those mistakes drew criticism from coaches and evaluators, who viewed them as preventable errors in ball protection.
That’s what ESPN’s latest tight end rankings echoed, with one NFC scout specifically pointing to Ferguson’s fumbling issues.
In addition to Ferguson, Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet, Cleveland Browns rookie Harold Fannin Jr., and several others also received honorable mention or votes but did not make the final top 10.
Ferguson has developed into one of Dak Prescott‘s reliable targets over the past few seasons, but ESPN’s panel viewed him just outside the league’s elite tier entering 2026.
The Cowboys will hope the 27-year-old can turn that perception around with a strong campaign as Dallas looks to contend in the NFC East.