Thor Nystrom ranks the top 20 tight ends going into the 2025 NFL Draft, leading off with likely first-round picks Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland.

It's time to round out the skill-position rankings with the position other than quarterback that seems to have the greatest learning curve: tight end. Though in the past two seasons players like Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers have shattered the idea that rookie tight ends cannot produce big numbers. Could any players from this class continue that run at the tight end position? 

Rookie Tight End Rankings In 2025 NFL Draft

1. Tyler Warren | Penn State | 6054/256 | Comp: Jeremy Shockey

Warren is an enormous, athletic offensive chess piece. He plays with a fiery, die-on-the sword ethos. You can line Warren up anywhere on the field. Your only mandate is to get him the ball.

Anything you can think of to get Warren the ball, Penn State tried. He was extremely effective on shovel passes, lining up inline and essentially becoming a between-the-tackles runner after getting the ball behind the center.

Warren is an absolute berserker with the rock. He wore the No. 44 at Penn State because he grew up idolizing John Riggins. Warren runs fearless, with a violent bent. He is a menacing Wildcat quarterback in short-yardage situations. Last season, Warren averaged 8.4 YPC as a runner—with 5.0 after contact. He broke 11 tackles on 25 rushing attempts.

Warren was an unfair one-on-on matchup in college. At the snap, Warren detonates off the line. When sent up the seam, you’d see him blow by a creaky-hipped linebacker, or draw a strong safety whom he dwarfed. The former basketball player has a natural gift for boxing out and playing above the rim—he meets the ball at its highest point and brings it down.

The improvement in Warren’s hands was one of the most striking things about his 2024 breakout. In 2023—Warren’s first as a starter—he had a troubling 15.0% drop rate on 49 targets. In 2024, he slashed that all the way down to an exceptional 2.8% drop rate over 135 targets. 

One area to continue the improvement: While Warren shows admirable extension on downfield throws, he has a weird habit of sometimes trapping balls on short throws while he’s on the move, seemingly more focused on the run after the catch. That nonchalance didn’t cost him in 2024, but we saw him flub freebies the previous two years.

Warren’s route-running has steadily improved the past three years— remember, he didn’t start learning the position until he arrived at Penn State. The big, long-legged moose doesn’t have snappy natural agility, and there is rounding at route breaks. 

But he seems to have a good feel for the defender’s point of view, baiting his man with upper-body deeks that mime the initial movement of routes run earlier in the game. Another area where Warren’s football IQ shines through is against zone coverage. 

Warren reads the initial post-snap movements of defenders like he used to as a signal-caller, and similarly sees patches of grass opening in advance. Warren is going to be a target hound against zone in the NFL.

Warren’s frame screams inline, and he’ll surely log plenty of snaps there at the next level. He does need to work on his blocking technique. Warren gets after it—effort isn’t the question—and he has the frame and strength for the work. 

I noted two issues, one of which he cannot help. Warren’s arms are strangely short—the shortest of my top-20 ranked TEs. To my eyes, that lack of length never came into play as a receiver—probably because of how well Warren uses his big frame.

But in hand-to-hand combat scenarios against defensive ends, Warren’s man almost always got hands on him first. Which brings us to the second issue—because Warren doesn’t use his hands well, he’d often cede his chest. At that point, the rep was already over.

Warren may have emerged as a superstar in 2024, but he comes from humble beginnings, having had to literally make himself into a tight end in Happy Valley. Through that developmental process, Warren earned the coaching staff’s trust as a core special-teamer, logging 423 career snaps. 

Warren’s rapid development the past few years portends additional growth to come—that’s a scary thought, considering how special he already is with the ball in his hands. Warren is the best tight end in this class, and a rare prospect at the position who can make a legitimate top-10 overall case.

Warren made the tough switch from QB to TE, but in 2024 it all came together. 

2. Colston Loveland | Michigan | 6056/248 | Comp: Mark Andrews

This guy was made to catch footballs. Standing a hair under 6-foot-6 with long arms and baseball-mitt-sized hands, Loveland’s catch radius is enormous. He maximizes every inch by extending to the ball, and meeting it at its highest point downtown.

His hands are strong and soft. Loveland had a strong 7.1% career drop rate, but he posted an elite 3.4% drop rate in 2024. He turns incompletions into completions spearing errant throws outside his frame. Loveland flashes late hands, delaying the defender’s reactions at the moment of truth.

Loveland is pliable at the catch point, with sudden adjustments and contortions to get himself into the best position to corral the ball. His production speaks for itself—Loveland was 96th percentile over the past two seasons in yards per route run.

Loveland is a sleek athlete for his size, quick-footed and fluid. Loveland is difficult to impede off the snap, and he pushes the envelope immediately. He’s got the speed to get downtown, where he’s a problem for one defender—Loveland converted 7-of-7 targets 20-plus yards downfield in 2023.

At the NFL Combine, Loveland declared that he was “one of the best route runners in this draft.” He’s right. The time and work that Loveland has put into mechanics and technique show. You can send him anywhere on the field running a receiver’s route tree.

Michigan moved Loveland all over the formation to juice the matchup problems he naturally gives defenses. Over his three-year career, Loveland took 43.7% of snaps in the slot, 39.1% inline, and 16.4% as a boundary receiver.

Loveland has a natural understanding of angles and feel for leverage. He’s sudden at the route break and swift in transitions. Loveland’s hip swivel and lateral quickness are difficult to deal with underneath. He was 93rd percentile in separation rate the past two seasons.

Loveland mentioned in Indianapolis that he thought he could improve as a runner after the catch by “slowing my tempo down, kind of seeing what's around me, knowing I'm athletic enough to make a move and make someone miss."

I agree. And though Loveland didn’t mention this, I believe the same tempo-related corollary applies to his route-running. In that area, he wins with propulsion off the line, rapid pace up the stem, movement, and seizing leverage—introducing off-speed pitches up the stem will make things easier for him when he reaches its end.

That could prove particularly helpful at the NFL level, because, at present, Loveland is unproven in contested situations. He prefers to avoid them via separation and catch radius whenever possible. Loveland was charted by PFF as 10-for-25 (40.0%) in an admittedly small sample size of career contested-catch opportunities. Loveland, a wiry skyscraper, can get jarred with the ball on the doorstep. 

Loveland should continue to be the big-slot in a 12-personnel offense at the next level. As a blocker, Loveland is perfectly acceptable in the slot/boundary, where his length and feet are enough to wall. 

But Loveland is given fits by power when deployed inline—he’s not built to win the leverage or power game. Per PFF, Loveland finished with a meager 18th-percentile career positively graded run-block percentage. 

Loveland missed only one game with the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 3 last year. After that, through Week 11, he simply played through the pain. Loveland underwent shoulder surgery to repair a Type V AC joint dislocation on Jan. 29. The typical recovery timeline is 4-to-6 months. Though Loveland will miss the pre-draft process, he’s expected to be cleared ahead of training camp. It is the first real injury that Loveland has ever had.

Loveland will turn 21 a few weeks before the NFL Draft. His skillset makes him a potential matchup nightmare in the NFL, with too much size and catch radius for defensive backs, and too much athleticism for linebackers.

Is Loveland the next Mark Andrews? 

3. Terrance Ferguson | Oregon | 6053/247 | RAS: 9.31 | Comp: Cade Otton

A smooth mover with prototypical size, Ferguson is experienced and proven. Ferguson has been contributing since his true freshman season, logging 2,050 career snaps. He split his time between inline and slot with the Ducks.

Ferguson is a strong route runner, quick off the line and sudden in his route breaks. He uses his body well at the catch point. Ferguson has good ball skills. He has reliable hands, and endears himself to quarterbacks by spearing balls outside his frame. Ferguson posted a strong 5.0% drop rate over 183 career targets.

The 6-foot-5, 247-pound Ferguson stole the show at the NFL Combine, besting the TE group with a 4.63 40, 1.55 split, and 39-inch vertical. His 10-foot-2 broad finished No. 3. 

Ferguson is one of the more well-rounded tight ends in this class, offering an inline option who will add value to your passing offense. 

4. Mason Taylor | LSU | 6051/251 | RAS: 9.26 | Comp: Tucker Kraft

Taylor’s got NFL DNA coursing through his veins. He is the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and the nephew of Hall of Famer Zach Thomas. Taylor developed really good chemistry with LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier in 2024, serving as a perfect complement to LSU’s downfield receivers. 

Taylor is a smooth athlete with a refined game. He gives you a hard chip off the line before getting into his route on play-action concepts. It was clockwork seeing Nussmeier put it on Taylor’s hands out of breaks. Taylor was as reliable as it gets, dropping only one ball on 79 targets. That’s the good news. 

The bad news is that this usage should have led to strong after-catch yardage numbers … but it didn’t. Taylor broke a mere four tackles and averaged a meager 4.6 YAC in 2024. We also haven’t gotten to see Taylor downfield much. 

Over his career, around 70% of Taylor’s catches came within five air yards of the line of scrimmage—lots of split-flow timing concepts into the flats and hitches. Taylor did make some nice downfield contested grabs in one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl.

Taylor has plenty of experience, a three-year starter. He’s an above-average inline blocker for this class, and he has plenty of experience in the slot. The receiving skill, versatility, overall athletic package, and, of course, bloodlines will appeal to the NFL. 

5. Harold Fannin Jr. | Bowling Green | 6032/241 | RAS: 7.66 | Comp: Isaiah Likely

Last season, Fannin shattered single-season FBS records for the TE position in both receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,550). He also set three different PFF-era records: yards after contact (868), missed tackles forced (32), and receiving grade (96.5). 

Bowling Green pounded Fannin with targets short and intermediate to leverage his after-the-catch skills. He outruns linebackers, and safeties need help getting him to the ground. Fannin’s career 2.99 YPRR number is more than a half-yard higher than any other tight end in this class. 

He’s undersized—but, for reference, nearly the exact-same dimensions as Evan Engram. In college, Fannin lined up everywhere. He’s a good blocker in space. He doesn’t, however, have the play strength when isolated against power DEs. Keep him away from inline at the next level.

Fannin flashed skills in traffic in 2024, catching 54.5% of contested balls. Fannin is a zone-coverage killer who posted an outrageous 4.4 YPRR against zone last year. He’s also a threat up the seam who has shown a natural ability for tracking balls over his shoulder. For his career, Fannin only dropped 2.2% of his catchable targets, an incredible number for the volume of targets he received.

Fannin is a herky-jerky, unorthodox mover—one possible explanation for the ease with which he gains separation—who is more athletic on the field than he tests. Travis May’s combined athleticism score—a metric that combines GPS tracking data from the Senior Bowl—scored Fannin as the most-athletic TE at the event since 2018.

Fannin gets dinged for playing in the MAC. But he ripped up Penn State and Texas A&M last season—with a 19-282-2 receiving line in those two games—and also routinely beat double-teams against lesser competition.

When I spoke to Fannin at the Senior Bowl, he told me that he comped his game to Isaiah Likely. Fannin is exactly right—he profiles as a Likely-like player in the NFL. He is going to provide a 12-personnel offense with a skilled receiving weapon. 

6. Elijah Arroyo | Miami | 6051/250 | RAS: N/A | Comp: Mike Gesicki

Arroyo is a big, athletic receiving target. The former four-star recruit was a high school track star. Arroyo had a breakout season in 2024—posting a career-best 35-590-7 receiving line. He followed that up with a fabulous showing at the Senior Bowl. Arroyo consistently gained separation, and caught everything in sight. 

There are problematic aspects with his evaluation. Arroyo entered the 2024 season with a mere 11 career receptions. After functioning as a reserve as a freshman in 2021, a torn ACL limited Arroyo to 11 games total over the next two seasons combined.

Arroyo’s breakout came in 2024 in OC Shannon Dawson’s modified Air Raid system working with odds-on 1.01 favorite QB Cam Ward. Arroyo finished only No. 5 on the team in receptions while functioning as a secondary/tertiary option. But his sizzling 16.9 YPC led the nation at the TE position.

Arroyo opted out of athletic testing this process. He said he’s recovering from a knee bruise at the Senior Bowl in late-January. I’m less concerned about missing the quantifiable athletic metrics than I am the idea that a prospect with his knee history has been shelved again—even if in a minor capacity during the off-season—by another.

I like what I’ve seen from Arroyo down the field and in the red zone—and acknowledge the value of that. But Arroyo’s struggles blocking defensive ends means he’s a big slot, and I’m concerned that at present he’s a bit of a one-trick pony in that capacity. 

7. Thomas Fidone II | Nebraska | 6050/243 | RAS: 9.45 | Comp: Dawson Knox

Fidone is a former top-40 overall recruit who was the No. 1-ranked tight end in the 2021 recruiting class. He had a snake-bitten start to his career, missing his first two seasons with separate ACL tears. Fidone started the past two seasons before declaring for the draft.

Fidone has an ideal blend of size and athleticism. During the pre-draft process, he completed every athletic test but the bench and checked in as a 94th-percentile athlete. Fidone has plenty of inline experience. He’s a scrappy blocker who wins his share of reps through length and footwork. He’s still working out the kinks with his technique, and needs to play lower.

Fidone is an impressive athlete in space, and he’s shown intriguing flashes as a down-the-field receiver. But due to his two lost seasons to injury, and his two seasons playing in a Matt Rhule offense while active, that’s all we’ve seen from him … flashes. 

Fidone has the frame to add muscle, and that’s exactly what he should be doing as he works on his blocking and route-running technique during a redshirt rookie season in the NFL. He’s a worthy mid-round swing on potential after the sure-thing tight ends are off the board.

8. Jackson Hawes | Georgia Tech | 6044/253 | RAS: 7.18 | Comp: AJ Barner

Hawes is not a name that fantasy or dynasty owners need to remember. Most of his value to his NFL team will not show up in a boxscore. 

Hawes is the best “third offensive tackle” inline blocker we have in this class. Last year, he finished No. 5 among all FBS tight ends in the PFF run-blocking grade.

He’s only a dump-off option in the passing game as a receiver. But Hawes will greatly appeal to 12-personnel offenses that need an inline enforcer to pair with a big slot.

9. Mitchell Evans | Notre Dame | 6053/258 | RAS: 7.62 | Comp: Jeremy Ruckert

Evans has proven to be a trusted blocking option inline, and he has good hands. If nothing else, he profiles as a long-term NFL TE2. Evans’ ceiling is capped by solid-but-not-elite athleticism. If he continues to develop as a receiver, however, Evans has a path to becoming an NFL starter.

10. Gunnar Helm | Texas | 6050/241 | RAS: 4.23 | Comp: Jermichael Finley

Helm has a big catch radius and is reliable in the short and intermediate areas. What he lacks in route-running pizzazz he compensates for with efficiency to his spot and a feel for pinning defenders behind his enormous frame. He’s a poor athlete who doesn’t win downfield. 

Helm has plenty of experience inline, but needs more work on his technique. He fritters away the leverage battle by popping up at the snap, and doesn’t have a great idea of what he’s doing with his hands.

Helm is more of a floor prospect than a ceiling prospect, but his skillset is varied enough that he should be able to hang around as an NFL reserve. You draft Helm for his receiving efficiency and ability to stay on-time with his quarterback. He will appeal to timing-based NFL offenses.

11. Luke Lachey | Iowa | 6056/251 | RAS: 8.72 | Comp: Tommy Sweeney

Lachey is a well-rounded prospect with tools—none of them elite. He lacks foot quickness, but has adequate build-up speed and solid agility for a 250-pounder. He lives up to his Iowa pedigree with his blocking technique, but needs to fill out his rangy frame with more muscle and improve play strength before being trusted to regularly tango with war-daddy power ends.

Best of the rest …

12. Jalin Conyers | Texas Tech | 6034/260 | RAS: 9.23 | Comp: Ian Thomas

13. CJ Dippre Alabama | 6047/256 | RAS: 9.49 | Comp: Luke Farrell

14. Moliki Matavao | UCLA | 6055/260 | RAS: 6.58 | Comp: Jermaine Gresham

15. Joshua Simon | South Carolina | 6041/239 | RAS: 8.67 | Comp: Lance Kendricks

16. Oronde Gadsden II | Syracuse | 6045/243 | RAS: 8.22 | Comp: Johnny Wilson

17. Jake Briningstool | Clemson | 6055/241 | RAS: 6.22 | Comp: Cole Turner

18. Ben Yurosek | Georgia | 6042/245 | RAS: 7.85 | Comp: Grant Calcaterra

19. Gavin Bartholomew | Pitt | 6045/246 | RAS: 8.93 | Comp: Peyton Hendershot

20. Robbie Ouzts | Alabama | 6030/274 | RAS: 5.23 | Comp: Trevon Wesco