Ranking the Arizona Cardinals tight ends for 2023 (Surprise at #1?)

The Arizona Cardinals have seven tight ends on the roster, and it’s likely only three will make the final 53-man unit. Look for two to make the practice squad.

The Arizona Cardinals are looking to get younger at every position, so it’s easy to understand why they have an influx of young talent at tight end, sans the aging Zach Ertz. Therefore, there could be a surprising addition to the 53-man roster if the Redbirds roll with three tight ends heading into 2023. 

So besides Zach Ertz and Trey McBride, who has the best chance of sticking around? Below, we’ve ranked each player and outlined who we believe will earn that coveted TE3 spot this season. We’ve also made a couple of predictions regarding who could find themselves on the practice squad. 

Arizona Cardinals tight ends ranked for 2023

7 - Bernhard Seikovits

Bernhard Seikovits entered the league through the International Players Pathway program. He will likely end up on the practice squad once again. 

6 - Joel Honigford

If Joel Honigford wants to prove his worth to the Arizona Cardinals, he must do so as a blocking tight end. The former offensive lineman had just one career reception in college. 

5 - Chris Pierce

Chris Pierce’s downfall is that he is a tweener, given his size at 6’4, 231 lb. He kind of reminds you of Hakeem Butler, and his statistics during his final season at Vanderbilt were intriguing back in 2021. He could be a darkhorse to stick around. 

4 - Blake Whiteheart

Blake Whiteheart is another tweener whose college production was nothing much to get excited about. Look for him to perhaps stick to the practice squad, but it would be hard to envision him landing a spot on the Arizona Cardinals roster this season. 

3 - Noah Togiai

Another undersized tight end, Noah Togiai has shown he could stick to rosters in the past. Given his experience, he has the best chance of earning a spot on the team as a third tight end. 

2 - Zach Ertz

Many will rank Zach Ertz at the top of this list, but the aging tight end is likely past his prime. Further, it’s hard to envision him being part of the franchise’s long-term plans. At this point, Ertz is nothing more than a stopgap who will likely see his playing time diminish in 2023. 

1 - Trey McBride

Trey McBride may have had a slow start in 2022, but Ertz’s presence played a major role in that. When the longtime tight end went down with an ACL injury, McBride stepped in and refused to look back. With the direction the Arizona Cardinals are headed, expect McBride to become the team’s TE1 at some point this season.