Cardinals’ Zach Ertz a top-15 TE on PFF’s preseason rankings

The Arizona Cardinals leaned closely on tight finish Zach Ertz within the again half of the 2021 season.

He was Arizona’s chief in receptions with 56 from Week 7-on after the Cardinals traded for him from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ertz, who will flip 32 throughout the 2022 marketing campaign, signed a three-year deal to return to the Valley this offseason.

Professional Soccer Focus devised its preseason tight finish rankings and listed Ertz in Tier 3 at No. 15 total.

Ertz’s manufacturing dropped off a cliff in 2020. After ending as one of many NFL’s 10 most precious tight ends in every season from 2014 by way of 2019, the previous Philadelphia Eagle turned in a 57.3 PFF grade for his 2020 marketing campaign. It was the bottom of his profession by over 13 grading factors. The woes carried into 2021 with Philly, culminating in his commerce to Arizona after Week 6. Happily for Ertz, he bounced again with a change of surroundings. Whereas it was removed from his prime type, the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder produced the Eleventh-best receiving grade on the place from Week 11 on (70.1).

Ertz had a profession 12 months in 2018, catching 116 passes for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns.

His manufacturing dropped barely in 2019 with a still-excellent 916 yards, though damage held him to 11 video games in 2020.

Ertz performed six video games for the Eagles final season earlier than the commerce, and he had a extra outstanding position in Arizona’s offense.

The Cardinals have been in want of assist with tight finish Maxx Williams down for the season with a torn ACL, whereas huge receiver DeAndre Hopkins missed many of the second half with a number of accidents.

Ertz will seemingly be closely relied upon once more this season, with Williams nonetheless working his manner again from damage and Hopkins lacking the primary six video games of the season after violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug coverage.

“I’m very lucky to know that I’m gonna be right here this 12 months, however on the identical time, I obtained to go on the market and show myself,” Ertz stated at coaching camp final week. “I don’t have this mentality that my job is protected. I obtained to go on the market and compete every day.”

Travis Kelce of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs is first on PFF’s checklist adopted by the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle and Darren Waller of the Las Vegas Raiders.

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