Where 49ers’ George Kittle falls within Rob Gronkowski’s ranking of the top NFL tight ends

Rob Gronkowski knows a thing or two about being an NFL tight end. The former New England Patriot is considered one of the best to ever play the position.

Gronkowski recently joined Fox Sports as an analyst and, before Sunday's slate of games, ranked, in his opinion, the top active tight ends in the NFL. Here is the complete list within the ranking.

"I just love his energy, just love his style of play," Gronkowski said of the 49ers' Kittle. "Like I said, he reminds me of myself — same attitude. I've met him. His energy is great. He's just a great teammate to have, and it just feels like, whenever he gets the ball, he wants to bring it to the house every single time."

Sunday wasn't the first time Gronkowski has praised Kittle. He discussed the 49ers tight end during his Fox Sports debut on Thursday, October 10, before a matchup between the Patriots and the New York Giants.

"He had that breakout year last year, which I'm pretty sure was his second year in the league too, just like I did, had a breakout year in my second year in the league," Gronkowski said that night. "And I met him this year. And when I met him, he had that energy. He brought that energy to the table.

"You can see he loves lifting weights. He loves being strong. And whenever he gets the ball, he just wants to go all the way to the end zone. That's what I love about him. He's a special talent, and he's a big asset for the San Francisco 49ers."

Kittle is in his third NFL season and has recorded 34 receptions for 376 yards with a touchdown through six starts this season. Last year, the Niners star broke Gronkowski's all-time single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end by amassing 1,377 yards. Gronkowski had been the record holder since 2011.