Tight End Renaissance: How NFL Offenses are Maximizing Two-TE Sets for Mismatches

The NFL is a copycat league, but sometimes the best innovations are throwbacks. After years of offenses prioritizing spread formations with three or more wide receivers, a growing number of teams are rediscovering the power of the two-tight end set. In Week 15 of the 2024 season, the Baltimore Ravens, with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, ran roughshod over the Jacksonville Jaguars, showcasing the mismatch nightmare that two talented tight ends can create. This isn’t just a fad; it’s a strategic evolution.

The Evolution of 12 Personnel

“12 personnel” (one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers) isn’t new, but its usage is evolving. In the past, it was primarily a run-heavy formation. Now, innovative offensive coordinators are using it to create passing game advantages. As defenses have become adept at containing three-receiver sets, offenses are countering by putting more versatile tight ends on the field. Last season, teams utilized 12 personnel on 19.3 percent of offensive snaps, ranking behind only 11 personnel (62.1%) for the most common usage. That ranked as the second-highest rate of 12 personnel deployment in a single season during the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).

Mismatch Mayhem

The beauty of the two-TE set lies in its inherent mismatch potential. Defenses struggle to account for two big-bodied targets who can both block and catch.

Size vs. Speed: A traditional “Y” tight end (in-line blocker) paired with a move tight end (“H” or “F”) creates conflict. Do you put a linebacker on the move tight end? He’ll likely be too slow to cover him in space. A safety? The Y tight end will bully him in the run game.
Coverage Confusion: Two tight end formations force the opposition to defend an extra gap while negating the advantages of an eight-man front. The grouping also limits coverage selection due to the ‘four verticals’ threat that can emerge.
Pre-Snap Reads: By displacing both tight ends away from the line, offenses are able to quickly identify the coverage based on the alignments of the linebackers and defensive backs. If the corners are matched up with the wide receivers, the quarterback knows the defense is locked in man coverage and he can audible to an effective route combination to exploit the scheme.

Success Stories: Lions, Packers, and Ravens

Several teams have already embraced the two-TE revolution with impressive results.

Detroit Lions: The Lions’ success with Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright exemplifies the power of a well-balanced TE duo. LaPorta, a receiving threat, benefited from Wright’s blocking prowess. Wright played on 44% of Detroit’s offensive snaps last season and was usually asked to block from a three-point stance, freeing LaPorta to stand up and line up in the slot or out wide as one of Jared Goff’s go-to receivers. LaPorta had the most catches (86) by an NFL rookie tight end and had 889 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns to rank among the top-producing first-year players in league history.
Green Bay Packers: Head coach Matt LaFleur has long been a proponent of 12 personnel. Last season, the Packers ran two tight end packages on 32.9 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, with rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft playing significant roles. Musgrave and Kraft combined for 65 catches, 707 receiving yards and three scores in 2023, posting nearly identical individual stat lines.
Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens, when healthy, feature one of the most dynamic TE duos in the league with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Likely’s emergence has allowed the Ravens to create serious matchup problems for opposing defenses.

The Raiders’ Bold Bet

No team has signaled a stronger commitment to the two-TE future than the Las Vegas Raiders. By drafting Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to pair with Michael Mayer, the Raiders are betting big on the strategic advantage of having two elite tight end talents.

“How are you going to stop them?” asked Mayer, who was drafted in the second round last year. “Brock is a lot of speed. I’ve gotten a little bit faster. I think there’s a ton of things. No. 1, in the run game, Brock will be able to help me out with blocking. But then, No. 2, who’s going to guard both of us? If you put a (linebacker), put a small safety here, I’m a big body, Brock is a big body. So it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is already preparing for the challenges this presents. “It forces us to go through a bunch of communication,” Graham said. “It’s good to get that work.”

In 2024, Brock Bowers had the most receiving yards by a tight end, with 1,194 yards.

The Future is Now

The Tight End Renaissance is here. As defenses adapt, offenses will continue to evolve, finding new ways to exploit mismatches and maximize the potential of their personnel. The teams that embrace the versatility and strategic advantages of the two-TE set will be the ones poised for success in the modern NFL.