In last year’s draft, tight end Brock Bowers went 10th overall to the Raiders en route to being named a first-team All-Pro and having arguably the best season for a first-year tight end in NFL history. He was a unicorn at the University of Georgia and that talent he showed in college seamlessly transitioned to the pros.
This time around, there are two very talented players at the top of the tight end position, but they still both fall short of Bowers when he was coming out. There’s plenty to like about this tight end class, though, especially at the talent you can find after Round 1. NFL teams should be able to find contributors well into the draft and no matter what kind of skillset you’re after (traditional Y, flex, or “move” tight end), there’s sure to be something for everyone.
Alright enough chitchat. Let’s go ahead and dive in!
10. Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
If Hawes was able to show off more of a receiving ability while at Georgia Tech, he’d likely be higher on this list because he’s a bona fide tail-kicker as a run blocker. Unfortunately, NFL teams like their tight ends to be a bit more athletic and have some receiving chops. Hawes is a throwback-type with little to no value as a pass-catcher but he’ll give you 110 percent effort when asked to open holes for his running back. He brings everything he has into contact and consistently drives through his man. He wants to finish defenders in the dirt every single play which is a demeanor any team would love to add to their roster.
9. Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame
Evans battled injuries earlier in his career but managed to stay relatively healthy in his final year for the Fighting Irish. He has ideal size (6’5, 258 pounds) and tested fairly well across the NFL Combine and his school’s pro day (4.72 40 time).
There are no elite traits that stand out in Evans’ game, but he’s a well-rounded tight end who helped lead his team to one of the best records in the country and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. Evans is a sure-handed target over the middle and up the seam for his quarterback. He’ll shove his facemask into his opponent’s and give high effort as a blocker.
8. Jake Briningstool, Clemson
At 6’6 and 241 pounds, Briningstool is a tall, lean tight end with short arms (31 3/4”) and small hands (sub-8”). He spent over half of his snaps flexed as a slot receiver where he won as a long-striding seam stretcher. He leaves Clemson as the program’s all-time leader in career receptions for a tight end with 127.
Similar to Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki, Briningstool is a modern “F” tight end who won’t be utilized as a run blocker all that often in-line. However, he showed good effort as a “move” blocker when asked to lead out into space or from a wing spot. The willingness is there, but he’ll have to spend some time in a professional weight room before he can develop into a well-rounded pro.Mitchell Evans sb nation
7. Gunnar Helm, Texas
Helm tested very poorly at the NFL Combine with a 4.84 in the 40-yard dash and a 30” vertical leap. At 6’5 and 241 pounds, those are rather underwhelming numbers when you consider the mismatch weapons that the modern tight end has become.
At the same time, Helm was more than productive for one of the best offenses in the country, leading the Longhorns in receptions (60) and ranking third in the country in yards after the catch (420). His receptions and receiving yards totals (768) were also both single-season records for a tight end in program history.
Whether you like his testing results or not, Helm is an effortless catcher of the football with a natural feel for eluding tacklers and maximizing extra yards for his team. He’s also no slouch as a blocker which is something teams will covet and help them come to grips with his lack of long speed and explosiveness.
6. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
Ferguson is an athletic tight end who wins with notable body control and wide catch radius. The four-year starter at Oregon was the fastest tight end at this year’s NFL Combine with a 4.63 at 6’5 and 247 pounds. His 39” vertical jump was also tops at the position which shows off his notable basketball background.
In the Oregon offense, Ferguson was a serviceable blocker at a variety of alignments, including out in space where his athleticism can shine against smaller defenders. As a route-runner, he’s physical through press and has a suddenness to break off routes with good timing for his quarterback.
5. Elijah Arroyo, Miami
Now Arroyo is a prospect who could end up being better than a few of the guys ahead of him on this list, and one of our voters placed him second.
At 6’5 and 250 pounds, Arroyo has excellent size and length to go with fluid route-running ability. He did not test at the combine or his pro day due to a bone bruise he sustained during his time at the Senior Bowl. However, the film and stats paint the picture of an explosiveness enough athlete who got open a lot for Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Arroyo averaged 16.9 yards per catch and caught seven touchdowns in 2024. He’s most likely a “move” tight end at the next level who can move around the offensive formation to create mismatches for a crafty play-caller.
4. Harold Fannin Jr, Bowling Green
Fannin was the most prolific tight end in the country this past season as he racked up 1,555 receiving yards on 117 catches (both FBS single-season records) to go with 10 touchdowns en route to earning first-team All-American honors.
Despite his massive production, Fannin actually had an underwhelming performance at this year’s combine testing. He ran only a 4.71 in the 40, but posted fairly strong numbers in the three-cone drill (6.97) and vertical (34 inches).
Fannin does not run sharp routes, but he understands defensive coverages enough to know how to slightly bend his stems and drift away from defenders to widen his quarterback’s room for error. He’s also extremely feisty after the catch.
He’s rough as an in-line blocker so the right team will have to utilize him as a flexed tight end in the slot or out of the backfield.
3. Mason Taylor, LSU
Taylor, the son of Dolphins and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Jason Taylor, is a complete tight end who has been surging up draft boards this offseason after a strong showing at this year’s Senior Bowl and an impressive performance at the LSU pro day.
The 6’5, 251-pound Taylor has big 10” hands that he uses to pluck passes cleanly out of the air and outside his frame. He tracks the ball with ease and is a real weapon up the seam who uses excellent body control to box out linebackers to give his quarterback easier throwing windows. He needs to refine his blocking technique, but he’s shown enough in weeks leading up to the draft where some experts have noted a real chance for him to go at the end of round one.
2. Colston Loveland, Michigan
Colston Loveland is the epitome of the modern-day tight end in the NFL. He possesses more of a flex-Y skillset but he’s still got enough in the bag as a run-blocker to not be a liability when on the field as the team’s TE1. With the best route-running in the class for his position, Loveland can win at all three levels of the field, especially in the red zone where he can utilize his length and impressive catch radius to make tight-window throws much easier for his quarterback.
Just like the league’s best, Loveland will be a team’s best mismatch in the slot as he can run away from linebackers and box out defensive backs with ease. At 6’6” and nearly 250 pounds, Loveland exhibits excellent breaks on short to intermediate routes to make him a nightmare on third downs.
One of our voters had him as the top tight end on the board, but that was it.
1. Tyler Warren, Penn State
While the term “Swiss army knife” is usually attached to a do-it-all running back or wide receiver, Warren deserves that description and then some with the way he was utilized in the Penn State offense this past season.
At 6’6 and 256 pounds, Warren caught eight touchdowns (to go with 104 receptions and 1,233 receiving yards) and also rushed for four scores and passed for one as a wildcat quarterback in 2024. He was this year’s John Mackey Award winner (nation’s top tight end), a second-team All-American, and the Big Ten’s Tight End of the Year.
First-round tight ends usually take a year or so to really become impact players at the next level, but like Bowers from a year ago, Warren is ready to hit the ground running in the NFL. If there’s a job that needs doing, be it sealing the edge in the run game, making a crucial catch on third down, or being the quarterback for an infamous “tush push”, Warren is your guy.
