This opens the last full week with an offensive and defensive position ranking for the draft. First, we’re looking at a pretty good tight-end group with a wide variety of prospect types. In the modern game, we rarely find traditional “Y” tight-ends lining up next to the offensive tackle, but rather movable “F” pieces, H-backs in the offensive backfield and big-bodied slot receivers.
Obviously, this group is headlined by a duo of guys, who I personally have flipped compared to general consensus, but see both as legit targets in the top half of round one. Beyond that, there are four more names clearly worthy of going on day two, along with a couple of names that could sneak in if a team values those specific skill-sets. The depth beyond that is somewhat questionable, although there were some interesting evaluations for me.
This is my list:
1. Colston Loveland, Michigan
6’6”, 245 pounds; JR
To me, there are two tight-ends who should be absolute locks for the top-20 in this draft and having Loveland first is more about how I believe he translates to the next level. While he found himself on the ground fairly regularly as a sophomore when blocking and posted PFF run-blocking grades in the low 50s all three years in the Maize and Blue, I thought he clearly improved his functional strength this past offseason and was able to create displacement on combination-blocks, which he can now sustain with adequate leg-drive as he overtakes bodies at the line. He’s fundamentally sound with his initial footwork and latching his hands inside against defenders in the run game, light on his feet to glide up to the second level and wall off bodies, and with how often he was tagged with pre-snap motion leading into blocking assignments on the move, you saw him pack good force in his strike when he arrived at his targets with a bit of a runway. Loveland quickly clears linebackers in man or running the pole in Tampa-2, Deceptive with subtle head-fakes and drifts prior to straightening his routes, and there’s very limited wasted motion when breaks off routes on 90-degree cuts after pushing vertically. He tracks the ball naturally and aligns his hands properly, showcasing easy adjustments to back-shoulder placement. And he already does well to settle down between zone defenders, presenting himself as a target quickly and then getting upfield straight away. The Wolverine standout packs an impressive combination of elusiveness and speed to turn routine plays into chunk gains as a RAC specialist. He’s well-coordinated with pulling his legs away or slightly hurdling diving defenders and uses his off-arm expertly to fend of tacklers and protect his lower body. Loveland has to do a better job of utilizing his hands and not allowing physical man-defenders to impede his progress, and while the ball-placement by his quarterback didn’t help, he could do a little better job of out-wrestling defenders for positioning with the ball in the air.
Grade: Top 15
2. Tyler Warren, Penn State
6’6”, 255 pounds; SR
Warren is a very interesting prospect. I considered him a top-five tight-end in college football at the start of this past season, thanks in large part because he had eliminate some previous dropp concerns (six on 40 catchable targets in 2023). He emerged on the national scene as Penn State started using him in all kinds of different ways – split out wide, taking fly sweeps, as a wildcat quarterback, etc. Having so much put on his plate as an offensive weapon certainly contributed to this, but Warren did post the lowest PFF run-blocking grade of his career this past season (52.8). He does bring the size, strength and strain to develop into a legit Y tight-end, but right now he’s probably at his best coming around as a lead-blocker on sweeps/tosses, where he has that runway against a safety and can just erase them. Warren is sneaky with the way he can release off blocks and get to open space in the play-action game, frequently swipes down the reach of defenders with good timing, but also has the physicality to stay on track for his routes if he does get bumped. He was regularly put in motion and asked to run deep over routes, where he showed good curvilinear acceleration as he bent those across the field, and he can throw in subtle chicken-wings to create separation at the break-point or late when the ball is in the air. Obviously, he has the frame and toughness to come down with challenging combat catches, but the real party starts when the ball is in his hands. This guy becomes a load to bring down, shrugging off glancing shots with great indirect contact balance and is able to power forward through opponents, along with dishing out some impactful stiff-arms. There’s too much herky-jerky to his route-running at this point and he’s just not overly precise, and I don’t see the top speed to break away from the pursuit regularly, but his future OC is going to have a lot of fun finding various ways to deploy him.
Grade: Top 15
3. Mason Taylor, LSU
6’5”, 250 pounds; JR
That cluster of TEs beyond that top two may be stacked up differently across the league based on what certain teams value, but I believe everyone can appreciate how clean Taylor is on tape. His feet are light and always underneath him as a route-runner, is slippery to slide inside of ancillary zone defenders or evade them with sudden maneuvers before immediately getting back on track. He glides through speed-cuts without any real wasted movement, yet understands when to straighten his stem before breaking guys off, so they can’t restrict his angle, and he’s able to snaps off routes with great mobility in his lower half and efficient footwork off the vertical push. He’s not much of a quick-twitch athlete who can threaten defenders with sudden bursts and force them to commit their hips the wrong way or has that extra gear to expand separation and consistently get on top of guys, but his ability to find green grass and help out his quarterback on the scramble drill stands out. Taylor plucks the ball at full extension without any bobble once it touches his 10-inch hands, making passes arriving at challenging angles look easy, fluidly adjusting when they come in behind him and he seems undeterred by nearby defenders initiate contact as he puts his hands on the ball. He isn’t going to wow you with any dynamic moves in the open field, but he’s quick to dip inside of defenders breaking on the route and make them miss after the catch with good balance. Where he’s lacking is a certain violence in the run game. He clearly more so gets the job done as a positional blocker rather than someone to moves people against their will. At this point, he’s at his best getting out in front, being well-coordinated and flexible to latch and sustain while running his feet against smaller bodies out on the perimeter.
Grade: Early second round
4. Elijah Arroyo, Miami
6’4”, 245 pounds; RS JR
Arroyo is a fun prospect who can be labelled somewhere between a move tight-end and an oversized slot receiver. Whether out of a staggered or parallel two-point stance, he’s a quick accelerator into his routes, who will clear the second level on seams or gain ground on trailing defenders on deep over routes. Watching him slightly adjust his stems based on any changes in the coverage structure, present his chest right away on hot routes or settles down vs. zone, he displays more adequate football IQ to be more than just a vertical threat. While he’s unproven as a contested-catch option, he only dropped one pass during his career at Miami compared to 46 grabs, with those large paws really swallowing the ball. He naturally adjusts to passes arriving slightly off target and effortlessly tracks them over his shoulder on rail/wheel routes without extending his arms prematurely – which were a big piece of the Hurricanes aerial attack. Arroyo lacks the functional strength to be a legit asset as an in-line blocker, if you ask him to drive edge defenders off the ball or dig out guys in the C-gap, but his ability to glide up and wall of bodies in the back-seven combined with how effective he is slicing across the formation for backside edge defenders, should allow him to be a valuable three-down player if you have a plan for him. Preferably, I’d like to see him on a team that is comfortable with playing more 12 personnel, so he rarely *has to* play on the line of scrimmage next to his tackle’s hip. Either way, people in the NFL will fall in love with the physical profile and I don’t think he makes it out of the top 50.
Grade: Top 50
5. Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green
6’4”, 240 pounds; JR
Fannin is an odd, unique player, who’s tough to really figure out because it looks so different and it’s tough to project to the pros. He has that duck-footed running style but can stretch the seam or run away from linebackers on crossers. He’s almost impossible to stop on slant routes out of the slot with that large frame to shield the ball, and Bowling Green lined up him out wide on just over a quarter of snaps, where he showed the ability to lean into and chicken-wing corners to break open on dig routes. Because of how unorthodox his movement skills are, Fannin is a really tough match on double-moves, since you can’t fully trust what his hips tell you, and he throws in some head-fakes to add to it. Although, there’s definitely some stiffness when you ask him to run more refined routes, where he’s not exploding out of his cuts or whipping his hips around as you’d like to see. Fannin really swallows the ball with those large mitts, consistently works back towards the quarterback and plucks the ball away from his frame on sticks/hitch routes, and is able to absorb force at the catch-point with defenders converging on him. Then, he can give a little stutter and then stride away from defenders trying to corral him in the flats, which is why BGSU constantly flared the ball out to him on quasi-screens/leverage throws, so he’s create offense for them. He’s not overly dynamic with change of direction or can stick his foot in the ground to get vertical right away, but he gets into those wide steps that make it tough to really square him up, uses his off-arm very well to push defenders aside or swipe down their reach trying to grab him and has the strength to fight forward, dragging tacklers along for multiple extra yards. As a blocker, he’s not the most natural bender and really struggles to come to balance against second-level defenders, but he was effective for the Falcons escorting the ball-carrier out to the corner and some as an iso-fullback.
Grade: Late second round
6. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
6’6”, 245 pounds; SR
Ferguson has clearly been the biggest winner of this pre-draft process among the tight-end class. He impressed with route-running skills and hands throughout Senior Bowl week and then easily was the biggest tester of the group at the combine. His 4.63 speed is kind of deceptive because of those long strides and then his ability to roll off the inside foot after eating up ground allows him to regularly come open on sail routes. He showcases great physicality to attack the chest of defenders and push them past the break-point in order to create separation, is able to battle defenders for positioning and does well to shake them when his quarterback is forced into secondary-reaction play mode. Although I will mention that he could use some refinement in his footwork at the break-point. Ferguson consistently plucks the ball away from his frame with large mitts that it just seems to stick to. He had some uncommon moments of alligator-arming passes last year but erased those concerns with none of those tendencies over the last couple of months. He’s dealt well with some passes that he had to reach back and/or use under-hand technique for, without having to slow down a whole lot and once it’s in his hands, he becomes a load to bring down on the run, dishing out mean stiff-arms and requiring DBs to go low on him. The former Duck isn’t overly explosive out of his stance to create displacement in the run game as an in-line blocker and due to not having the greatest grip strength and getting over his skis as much, you see plenty of moments of defenders slipping off his blocks. Yet, he does showcase active feet and plus effort to take care of backside seals, he was often put in motion to lead the way on perimeter plays and sprung the ball-carrier loose with a key block at the end on a few occasions.
Grade: Early third round
7. Gunnar Helm, Texas
6’5”, 240 pounds; SR
Helm profiles as a long-time contributor in the NFL, although it may not be in a starting capacity for an extended period due some athletic limitations. The disappointing combine showing (with a 4.84 in the 40 and just a 30-inch vertical jump) can be somewhat explained by a rolled ankle on his first run, but he’s probably not too far off based on film. He adds in a false step with the back-foot out of a staggered stance and is more of a one-speed guy who doesn’t keep man defenders off balance with variety in pacing, while allowing bodies in zone to round off his routes and funnel him towards teammates too easily. Nonetheless, he’s pretty sudden in the way he contorts his frame and cleanly get off the line of scrimmage for the most part, shows the mobility in his hips and ankles to glide through speed-cuts, but also swiftly drops his weight and comes flat out of harder breaks while simultaneously snapping his head around. Has a knack for navigating around traffic and getting to his landmarks off play-action, as well as to slide away from ancillary opponents and help out his quarterback on the scramble drill. He simply lacks the speed to really threaten the deep parts of the field or the re-acceleration to burn angles with the ball in his hands. You see excellent body control and ball-tracking ability on all three levels of the field with natural catching skills and easy adjustments on imperfect placement, with great focus to haul in tight-window throws or elevate for jump-balls. Then he’s able to stop his momentum for sharp upfield transitions, while being tough and more elusive after the catch than you might think. Helm isn’t a very powerful run-blocker, who will actually drive defensive linemen off their space, but he’s invested, well-balanced and takes excellent angles up to the second level.
Grade: Fringe top 100
8. Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse
6‘4”, 245 pounds; SR
Gadsden has been one of the toughest players to discuss pretty much since his sophomore year when the Orange started listing him as a tight-end, in large part because he didn’t actually play the position, with just eight total snaps in-line prior to logging 183 such this past season (about a third of his total). I’d say he clearly lacks the mass, pop in his hands or ferocity in his game to really give you anything at the point of attack, but he can add some value as a wing working across the formation or up to the second level, where he can wall off bodies. Although his best work as a blocker comes when he takes care of safeties from detached alignments, including when finding work after one of his teammates catches the ball. Syracuse operated plenty between the numbers in the shallow areas with an abundance of choice routes, where the dynamic “TE” was often tasked with making adjustments on the fly. As more of a power slot, he was able to eat on seam and deep over routes, in particular after faking stalk blocks off play-action, where his speed and strong hands can really shine. He excels at navigating around ancillary zone defenders and then once when the ball is in his hands, to can add a little dip before striding away from guys. Gasdsen however is generally upright in his routes with a lack of short-area quickness to consistently separate out of his breaks without excess steps on a very simplistic route tree, and isn’t going to give you a ton of fight after the catch.
Grade: Early fourth round
9. Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
6’4”, 255 pounds; RS SR
If you’re looking for a dynamic receiving option at the tight-end position, Hawes obviously isn’t your designated target, but if you need a bad-ass blocker, you’re getting one of the best we’ve seen at the position coming up the college ranks in recent years. Hawes handles himself as an extension of the offensive line with a desire to put people in the ground. He uncoils his hips, connects his hands and feet exceptionally well to create movement near the point of attack with relentless leg-drive. Whether you want him to widen the C-gap driving edge defenders off the ball, block down on bigger bodies or lead up through the hole on GF counter, this guy opens up rushing lanes with routine. He also fluidly adjusts his assignments as the bullets are flying and showcases tremendous body-control combined with the strain to drive defensive backs into the sideline on perimeter plays. Plus, his anchor, active hands and recognition skills make him a legit sixth linemen if deployed in pass-pro. As a receiver, Hawes just isn’t going to provide a whole lot. There are clearly some excess steps trying to go through sharp breaks, lacking any type of quick-twitch. Way too easily he allows shallow zone defenders to undercut him as he telegraphs settling down. Also, he finished his career with a 12% drop rate and only hauled in three of his 12 contested catch opportunities, showing some stiffness in the way he adjusts to the ball. The former Yellow Jacket does cleanly release out of a two- or three-point stance with pretty good burst, he has the contact balance to deal with contact early in the route and I like how he works back towards the quarterback, shield the ball and secure it with a defender on his backside. He had some nice moments snatching tough passes off his frame during Senior Bowl week and where he can contribute post-catch, because he’ll just shrug off defensive backs if given a runway.
Grade: Fourth round
10. Thomas Fidone II, Nebraska
6’5”, 245 pounds; SR
Fidone is one of my favorite sleeper tight-ends in this class. This was one of the top-100 recruits in the country in 2021, but he basically both his first two seasons with the Cornhuskers due to ACL injuries. Over the latter two, he was fairly productive on an underwhelming offense, but the growth he’s shown individually has me excited for what he can be at the next level. Last year, his in-line percentage rose pretty significantly (61.5%) and he showed improvement as a run-blocker. I didn’t love seeing him drop some weight for the combine, since he already gets jolted back on contact by physical defenders in the front seven, but he brings his hips and runs his feet through defenders as he fits up into blocks around the line of scrimmage. He does well to identify the biggest threat and alter his assignments post-snap and his 34-inch arms grant him extra room for error. As a receiver, he comes out of staggered or parallel two-point stance without wasted movement and shows impressive detail in his routes, softening the edge of defenders playing off on him and changing tempo. He has plenty of wiggle to evade ancillary zone defenders, throws in some violent head- and shoulder-fakes to throw them off and can really sit in the chair, be crisp on 90-degree breaks and accelerate out of them. Fidone consistently plucks the ball out of the air with those massive 10.5-inch hands and takes that mental picture of it before putting it away. And then with the ball in his hands, he showcases great balance, awareness for nearby defenders, an active off-arm to swipe away the reach of defenders and a ton of fight. He lacks some play strength to avoid getting bumped off track by aggressive coverage defenders and frequently gets “caught” by guys capped over him in the slot, but I think there some real skills to bet on.
Grade: Fifth round
Just missed the cut:
Jake Briningstool, Clemson
6’6”, 235 pounds; JR
Briningstool’s role at Clemson was very consistent at about 60% slot, just over 30% as an H-back/wing and sparingly out wide. He lacks the functional mass for even a part-time in-line role at the pro level currently and doesn’t really snatch up defenders and dictate terms to them as a blocker. However, he has improved the width of his base and how he takes away air space to defenders in order to contribute as a blocker. He rolls his hips into contact pretty effectively to execute pin-downs and help turn bodies near the point of attack and generally does a good job of keeping his pads square and his elbows tight as he occupies slot defenders. Bringingstool packs a nice, tight swim move to win against tight coverage at the line and put the defender on his hip. He features the speed to run by linebackers on seam/wheel routes and quickly gets rolling on drags. You typically don’t see him cheat with keep the initial stem, features a pretty sudden hip- and shoulder-turn on quick breakers, but is also fluid in his movements, being able to roll through speed-cuts and not really lose speed as he needs to slightly adjust his path to elude ancillary zone defenders. The soft hands are illustrated 3.8% drop rates as a sophomore and junior before to doubling that mark in 2024. His tape included several diving grabs, where he had to fully extend for passes as he was going to the ground, and he embraces some pretty big hits. Yet, he does show some lapses when he gets bumped prior to addressing the football and then is somewhat limited with sub-32-inch arms. I’d also like to see him sell double-moves more diligently and for more of a big slot anyway, not having a single catch of 20+ yards last season (on five targets) a little discouraging.
Luke Lachey, Iowa
6’6”, 255 pounds; RS SR
Lachey is a player I’ve had my radar for multiple years now, but an ankle injury cost him nearly the entire 2023 season and a lack of stability at quarterback held down the receiving totals for everyone on that offense. He doesn’t offer a whole lot of juice out of parallel or staggered two-point stance and tips off routes regularly by tilting towards where he’s about to break or rounding them off in general. However, he understands how to attack the blind-spots of defenders as he pushes at them and how to create separation out of his breaks. He expertly sneaks past defenders off play-action and generally gets off the line cleanly, although he could do a better job of reducing his surface area against hands-on coverage defenders and putting them in a disadvantageous position early in the route. Still, he showcases good spatial awareness to settle down depending on the zone shell and recognizes nearby defenders closing in, almost pivot away from them in order to create a window for the ball to arrive. Lachey plucks every ball out of the air if possible, jumping back into contact when the flight of the ball demands it, he doesn’t show any flexibility or confidence in his hands to collect passes low off the ground without leaving his feet and he’s a really strong body-catcher on in-breaking routes, to haul in passes with defenders climbing over his back, never dropping more than one passes in any season. His basketball background shows up in how easy he transitions into being a runner following the catch, you guys ricochet off him quite a bit and he has some tremendous moments of twisting and fighting for the first-down marker when he’s about to be tackled just short of it. In the run game, Lachey tends to dip his head and doesn’t latch to steer defenders as a blocker with great grip strength, but good initial thump and effort as a blocker while being fundamentally sound with his initial hand-placement and footwork.
Just missed the cut:
Jalin Conyers (Arizona State), Brant Kuithe (Utah), Gavin Bartholomew (Pittsburgh), Joshua Simon (South Carolina), Benjamin Yurosek (Georgia) & Mitchell Evans (Notre Dame)
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