“He can block like a tackle and catch like a big receiver.” With these words, Ernie Adams, Bill Belichick’s secretive data guru, unlocked the mystery behind Rob Gronkowski’s dominance on the gridiron. The man who used to be behind the curtain of the New England Patriots‘ dynasty has finally spoken, and his insights are as revealing as they are rare.

Adams, the former director of football research for the Patriots, this week shared his thoughts on Julian Edelman’s podcast, shedding light on what made Gronk an unstoppable force in the NFL. His analysis puts the Patriots legend on the same pedestal as Kansas City Chiefs‘ star Travis Kelce, sparking a debate that’s set the football world ablaze.

“There are other guys who play tight end, could be a little better route runners, a little more receiving tight ends, but none of them could block the way that Rob would,” Adams explained to Julian Edelman on the Games With Names podcast. This unique combination of skills turned Gronkowski into a nightmare for defenses, able to bulldoze linebackers on one play and outrun safeties on the next.

Adams’ opinion is justified by the numbers. During his career that spanned 11 seasons, Gronk pulled in 621 passes for 9,286 yards and had scored 92 touchdowns in a total of 143 games. His average of 15.0 yards per reception throughout his career is mind-boggling, not just for a tight end but any position on the field. By way of comparison, Jerry Rice, a footballer of repute, averaged at only 14.8 yards per catch over his entire Hall of Fame career.

Edelman, Gronk’s former teammate, added another dimension to the conversation: “You never saw Rob get caught from behind either.” This observation highlights Gronkowski’s deceptive speed, a trait not often associated with 6’6″, 265-pound tight ends.

However, Adams’ compliments do not involve only Gronkowski. Three months ago he had already expressed his fondness for Kelce and Kansas City’s offensive scheme on the Games With Names podcast. “I’ve been impressed for about the last seven years with the Chiefs,” as noted by Adams , pointing out how they altered their game plan to protect Kelce and make him more successful.

Gronk vs. Travis Kelce

Football fans are being made to take sides on who among Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce is the best tight end ever faster than you can say two-minute drill. Both players have put up numbers that will be talked about for decades to come, but the ways they achieved them were very different.

Kelce set the record for most receiving yards by a tight end in one season at 1,416 last year. However, Gronk currently sits fourth all-time with 1,327 in 2011. Only difference? That was in just his second season, demonstrating early on that he was an undeniable force in this game.

When it comes to playoff performance, both tight ends shine brighter than a Friday night scoreboard. Kelce has racked up 1,810 playoff receiving yards, second only to the GOAT wide receiver, Jerry Rice. But Gronk’s not far behind, with 1,163 playoff receiving yards – the third-most by a tight end in NFL history.

And don’t overlook Tony Gonzalez in this discussion. The Chiefs icon set a high standard of 15,127 career receiving yards. Although neither Gronk nor Kelce have reached that mark yet, their per-game averages tell a different tale about them. For example, Kelce records an average of 71.7 receiving yards in every game, while Gronk is close behind with 68.4 yards per game. Both outrun Gonzalez’s record of 56.0 yards per game, thus demonstrating the evolution of the position.

Gronkowski himself acknowledges the comparison with Kelce. “I think they’re great,” he told NBC Sports Boston. “We’re both No. 87 as well. I love Travis. I know Travis, he’s a lot of fun, he’s got a great personality and he’s always loose.”

But this argument between the great tight ends is far from a statistics war only. It is about changing the way the game is played. Gronks physicality and Kelses route-running genius have made defenses change as they caused nightmares to defensive coordinators who are always having the wrong match-ups.

As Neil Reynolds of Sky Sports put it, “Gronk was a revolutionary game-changer and truly was one of a kind – on and off the field. He was unique and impossible to contain at the tight end position.” Reynolds added, “At 6ft 6in and 265 pounds, Gronk was basically an offensive tackle blessed with the ability to run deep downfield, catch passes and run away from defenders.”

His influence extended beyond his catching abilities according to Adams, “The guy we took in the second round, because we really liked a lot, you know, Rob. Obviously, he had issues with his back. But when he’s on the field playing, he can knock them off the ball. He’s a load.”

Kelce, on the other hand, has consistently racked up over 1,000 receiving yards per season, scoring more than 50 touchdowns in his career. His route-running and reliable hands have made him a pivotal target for Patrick Mahomes.

Adams has said that “You throw it in his neighborhood, he’s going to catch it.” But whether he speaks of Kelce or Gronk, there’s no doubt these two have turned around the NFL tight end position into prime property. And if they stay healthy, defenses should shut all doors and hope good luck befalls them.

Gronkowski summed up the debate perfectly: “We’ve got two totally different style games, and I would say that’s what makes the debate so great is that we’re two totally different players but at the same position, and we’re both putting up a lot of points.”