In final yr’s draft, tight finish Brock Bowers went tenth general to the Raiders en path to being named a first-team All-Professional and having arguably the perfect season for a first-year tight finish in NFL historical past. He was a unicorn on the College of Georgia and that expertise he confirmed in faculty seamlessly transitioned to the professionals.
This time round, there are two very proficient gamers on the prime of the tight finish place, however they nonetheless each fall wanting Bowers when he was popping out. There’s a lot to love about this tight finish class, although, particularly on the expertise you will discover after Spherical 1. NFL groups ought to be capable to discover contributors effectively into the draft and it doesn’t matter what form of skillset you’re after (conventional Y, flex, or “transfer” tight finish), there’s positive to be one thing for everybody.
Alright sufficient chitchat. Let’s go forward and dive in!
10. Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
If Hawes was capable of exhibit extra of a receiving capability whereas at Georgia Tech, he’d seemingly be increased on this record as a result of he’s a bona fide tail-kicker as a run blocker. Sadly, NFL groups like their tight ends to be a bit extra athletic and have some receiving chops. Hawes is a throwback-type with little to no worth as a pass-catcher however he’ll provide you with 110 % effort when requested to open holes for his operating again. He brings all the things he has into contact and constantly drives by way of his man. He needs to complete defenders within the dust each single play which is a demeanor any workforce would love so as to add to their roster.
9. Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame
Evans battled accidents earlier in his profession however managed to remain comparatively wholesome in his ultimate yr for the Combating Irish. He has perfect dimension (6’5, 258 kilos) and examined pretty effectively throughout the NFL Mix and his college’s professional day (4.72 40 time).
There are not any elite traits that stand out in Evans’ recreation, however he’s a well-rounded tight finish who helped lead his workforce to among the best information within the nation and an look within the School Soccer Playoff. Evans is a sure-handed goal over the center and up the seam for his quarterback. He’ll shove his facemask into his opponent’s and provides excessive effort as a blocker.
8. Jake Briningstool, Clemson
At 6’6 and 241 kilos, Briningstool is a tall, lean tight finish with brief arms (31 3/4”) and small arms (sub-8”). He spent over half of his snaps flexed as a slot receiver the place he gained as a long-striding seam stretcher. He leaves Clemson as this system’s all-time chief in profession receptions for a good finish with 127.
Just like Bengals tight finish Mike Gesicki, Briningstool is a contemporary “F” tight finish who gained’t be utilized as a run blocker all that usually in-line. Nonetheless, he confirmed good effort as a “transfer” blocker when requested to guide out into house or from a wing spot. The willingness is there, however he’ll should spend a while in an expert weight room earlier than he can develop right into a well-rounded professional.Mitchell Evans sb nation
7. Gunnar Helm, Texas
Helm examined very poorly on the NFL Mix with a 4.84 within the 40-yard sprint and a 30” vertical leap. At 6’5 and 241 kilos, these are reasonably underwhelming numbers when you think about the mismatch weapons that the fashionable tight finish has turn into.
On the similar time, Helm was greater than productive for among the best offenses within the nation, main the Longhorns in receptions (60) and rating third within the nation in yards after the catch (420). His receptions and receiving yards totals (768) had been additionally each single-season information for a good finish in program historical past.
Whether or not you want his testing outcomes or not, Helm is an easy catcher of the soccer with a pure really feel for eluding tacklers and maximizing further yards for his workforce. He’s additionally no slouch as a blocker which is one thing groups will covet and assist them come to grips together with his lack of lengthy pace and explosiveness.
6. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
Ferguson is an athletic tight finish who wins with notable physique management and vast catch radius. The four-year starter at Oregon was the quickest tight finish at this yr’s NFL Mix with a 4.63 at 6’5 and 247 kilos. His 39” vertical leap was additionally tops on the place which exhibits off his notable basketball background.
Within the Oregon offense, Ferguson was a serviceable blocker at quite a lot of alignments, together with out in house the place his athleticism can shine in opposition to smaller defenders. As a route-runner, he’s bodily by way of press and has a suddenness to interrupt off routes with good timing for his quarterback.
5. Elijah Arroyo, Miami
Now Arroyo is a prospect who might find yourself being higher than a number of of the fellows forward of him on this record, and considered one of our voters positioned him second.
At 6’5 and 250 kilos, Arroyo has glorious dimension and size to go along with fluid route-running capability. He didn’t check on the mix or his professional day on account of a bone bruise he sustained throughout his time on the Senior Bowl. Nonetheless, the movie and stats paint the image of an explosiveness sufficient athlete who acquired open so much for Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Arroyo averaged 16.9 yards per catch and caught seven touchdowns in 2024. He’s most definitely a “transfer” tight finish on the subsequent stage who can transfer across the offensive formation to create mismatches for a artful play-caller.
4. Harold Fannin Jr, Bowling Inexperienced
Fannin was probably the most prolific tight finish within the nation this previous season as he racked up 1,555 receiving yards on 117 catches (each FBS single-season information) to go along with 10 touchdowns en path to incomes first-team All-American honors.
Regardless of his huge manufacturing, Fannin really had an underwhelming efficiency at this yr’s mix testing. He ran solely a 4.71 within the 40, however posted pretty sturdy numbers within the three-cone drill (6.97) and vertical (34 inches).
Fannin doesn’t run sharp routes, however he understands defensive coverages sufficient to know the way to barely bend his stems and drift away from defenders to widen his quarterback’s room for error. He’s additionally extraordinarily feisty after the catch.
He’s tough as an in-line blocker so the correct workforce should make the most of him as a flexed tight finish within the slot or out of the backfield.
3. Mason Taylor, LSU
Taylor, the son of Dolphins and Professional Soccer Corridor-of-Famer Jason Taylor, is an entire tight finish who has been surging up draft boards this offseason after a robust exhibiting at this yr’s Senior Bowl and a powerful efficiency on the LSU professional day.
The 6’5, 251-pound Taylor has massive 10” arms that he makes use of to pluck passes cleanly out of the air and outdoors his body. He tracks the ball with ease and is an actual weapon up the seam who makes use of glorious physique management to field out linebackers to present his quarterback simpler throwing home windows. He must refine his blocking approach, however he’s proven sufficient in weeks main as much as the draft the place some specialists have famous an actual probability for him to go on the finish of spherical one.
2. Colston Loveland, Michigan
Colston Loveland is the epitome of the modern-day tight finish within the NFL. He possesses extra of a flex-Y skillset however he’s nonetheless acquired sufficient within the bag as a run-blocker to not be a legal responsibility when on the sector because the workforce’s TE1. With the perfect route-running within the class for his place, Loveland can win in any respect three ranges of the sector, particularly within the pink zone the place he can make the most of his size and spectacular catch radius to make tight-window throws a lot simpler for his quarterback.
Similar to the league’s greatest, Loveland will likely be a workforce’s greatest mismatch within the slot as he can run away from linebackers and field out defensive backs with ease. At 6’6” and practically 250 kilos, Loveland displays glorious breaks on brief to intermediate routes to make him a nightmare on third downs.
One among our voters had him as the highest tight finish on the board, however that was it.
1. Tyler Warren, Penn State
Whereas the time period “Swiss military knife” is normally connected to a do-it-all operating again or vast receiver, Warren deserves that description after which some with the way in which he was utilized within the Penn State offense this previous season.
At 6’6 and 256 kilos, Warren caught eight touchdowns (to go along with 104 receptions and 1,233 receiving yards) and in addition rushed for 4 scores and handed for one as a wildcat quarterback in 2024. He was this yr’s John Mackey Award winner (nation’s prime tight finish), a second-team All-American, and the Large Ten’s Tight Finish of the Yr.
First-round tight ends normally take a yr or so to essentially turn into affect gamers on the subsequent stage, however like Bowers from a yr in the past, Warren is able to hit the bottom operating within the NFL. If there’s a job that wants doing, be it sealing the sting within the run recreation, making an important catch on third down, or being the quarterback for an notorious “tush push”, Warren is your man.
