Player
Jonnu Smith
TE
It reframes Smith from 'journeyman move-TE' to a position-leading YAC weapon — coaches use him like an oversized slot/H-back, getting him the ball at or behind the LOS and letting him generate yards in space.
Among 200+ catch TEs since 2017, Smith's 63.8% YAC share leads them all — even George Kittle.
ComparisonTE YAC share of receiving yards (2017-2025, min 200 rec)
| Rank | Player | Rec | YAC | Rec Yds | YAC % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonnu Smith | 358 | 2,306 | 3,615 | 63.8% |
| 2 | Jake Ferguson | 242 | 1,224 | 2,156 | 56.8% |
| 3 | Gerald Everett | 301 | 1,664 | 3,032 | 54.9% |
| 4 | Evan Engram | 561 | 2,956 | 5,533 | 53.4% |
| 5 | Noah Fant | 335 | 1,886 | 3,604 | 52.3% |
| 8 | George Kittle | 629 | 4,332 | 8,469 | 51.2% |
Why it matters. It reframes Smith from 'journeyman move-TE' to a position-leading YAC weapon — coaches use him like an oversized slot/H-back, getting him the ball at or behind the LOS and letting him generate yards in space.
Only Smith and Delanie Walker have logged a first 80-catch TE season at age 29+ since 2017.
RareFirst 80-reception TE season, age 29 or older (2017-2025)
| Player | Season | Age | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delanie Walker | 2017 | 33 | 84 |
| Jonnu Smith | 2024 | 29 | 88 |
Why it matters. TE breakouts almost always come by year 4; passing the 80-catch threshold for the first time at 29+ is essentially extinct in the modern game. Smith's late bloom is positionally unusual, not just personally.
Career YAC/rec: 6.44 — 2nd among TEs with 200+ catches since 2017, behind only George Kittle.
ComparisonTE YAC per reception (2017-2025, min 200 rec)
| Rank | Player | Rec | YAC | YAC/Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Kittle | 629 | 4,332 | 6.89 |
| 2 | Jonnu Smith | 358 | 2,306 | 6.44 |
| 3 | Noah Fant | 335 | 1,886 | 5.63 |
| 4 | David Njoku | 396 | 2,208 | 5.58 |
| 5 | Dallas Goedert | 465 | 2,581 | 5.55 |
Why it matters. YAC per reception isolates what a TE does with the ball in his hands — independent of route depth or scheme. Smith ranking next to Kittle means coaches who give him 5-yard targets get Kittle-tier outcomes on the run-after.
Smith's 2020: 8 TDs on 43 catches — an 18.6% TD rate, 2nd among all TEs (min 30 rec).
Rare2020 TE TD rate (min 30 receptions)
| Rank | Player | Rec | TD | TD Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Tonyan | 60 | 12 | 20.0% |
| 2 | Jonnu Smith | 43 | 8 | 18.6% |
| 3 | Jimmy Graham | 52 | 9 | 17.3% |
| 4 | Rob Gronkowski | 53 | 9 | 17.0% |
| 5 | Irv Smith | 30 | 5 | 16.7% |
Why it matters. An 18.6% TD rate in a 16-game stretch is a red-zone signal, not noise. The Titans clearly designed for Smith inside the 20 in 2020 — and the contract market took notice (he signed a 4-yr/$50M deal with NE that offseason).
Smith's 2024 (884 yds, 8 TDs) — the latest of just 16 3rd+ round TE seasons to clear 800/8 since 2017.
ComparisonTE seasons 800+ rec yds & 8+ rec TDs since 2017, drafted Round 3 or later
| Season | Player | Yds | TD | Draft (Rd-Pk) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jonnu Smith | 884 | 8 | 3-100 |
| 2024 | George Kittle | 1,106 | 8 | 5-146 |
| 2023 | Jake Ferguson | 854 | 8 | 4-129 |
| 2022 | George Kittle | 929 | 11 | 5-146 |
| 2021 | Dalton Schultz | 897 | 8 | 4-137 |
| 2021 | Mark Andrews | 1,361 | 9 | 3-86 |
| 2020 | Darren Waller | 1,196 | 9 | 6-204 |
| 2019 | Mark Andrews | 891 | 10 | 3-86 |
| Other | Travis Kelce | — | — | 3-63 (7 seasons) |
Why it matters. Round-3 TEs rarely become offensive focal points; producing a 800/8 line is the modern benchmark for a 'TE1 with TDs.' Smith's 2024 entry into that group was the system-fit confirmation that the Patriots and Falcons missed.
5 teams, 31 TDs, 358 catches — Smith is the most well-traveled TE with 25+ career TDs since 2017.
AnomalyTEs with 25+ career receiving TDs since 2017, by teams played for
| Player | Teams | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonnu Smith | 5 | 358 | 3,615 | 31 |
| Austin Hooper | 5 | 427 | 4,274 | 28 |
| Jimmy Graham | 4 | 229 | 2,398 | 31 |
| Zach Ertz | 3 | 629 | 6,266 | 46 |
| Travis Kelce | 1 | 1,015 | 11,990 | 88 |
| Mark Andrews | 1 | 513 | 6,267 | 56 |
Why it matters. TEs typically anchor with one team; 5 stops at 31 TDs means front offices keep buying Smith as the 'finish the offense' add-on. He's a system-dependent profile coaches keep counting on — and his MIA peak shows why.
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