The tight end class of 2025 is looking like one of the strongest we've seen in years, presenting several players who could really change the game for fantasy football. Leading the pack are Tyler Warren from Penn State and Colston Loveland from Michigan, both of whom have the size, athletic skills, and catching ability to become top fantasy performers. 

 

 

 

However, what really makes this class special is the depth behind them, with talents like Harold Fannin Jr., Elijah Arroyo, and Oronde Gadsden II showing great potential. Historically, tight ends can take a bit longer to adjust in the NFL, though this group has some names that could make an impact right away like Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers. 

Our goal first and foremost is to find the guys who will actually catch passes (ideally on a full-time basis) while dodging the clunkers that might get stuck blocking. Let’s take a closer look at the top tight ends in the 2025 NFL Draft and their potential value in fantasy football.

2025 NFL Draft TE Prospects & Rankings

TierSchoolNamePosType40 TimeHeightWeightNotes
1Penn StateTyler WarrenTETwo-WayNA6'6"256Converted QB with high end athleticism. Makes plays in multiple ways. Nearly double next highest TE in receptions vs. man to man with 41. Late breakout (though he was learning a new position in a crowded TE room). Still needs some work at route running and blocking technique but should make an instant impact wherever he goes.
1MichiganColston LovelandTEBig SlotNA6'6"248Big possession receiver. Great at short area routes like slants and arrows. Makes "good contact" to get off the jam. Strong hands. Would have liked to see more elusiveness in the open field, tackle breaking ability, or contested catches. But the Michigan offense really did not really put him in many situations to compete vs. man to man.
2Bowling GreenHarold Fannin JrTEBig Slot4.716'3"241The spreadsheets love his production but it was at Bowling Green. Excels on screens. Doesn't have elite size or speed which makes landing spot incredibly important. Needs to land on a team where he can be a full or at least near full-time slot receiver. Otherwise could end up a platoon guy like a Kylen Granson.
2Miami FLElijah ArroyoTETwo-Way?NA6'5"250Missed a huge chunk of college career with an ACL tear. Returned to play at a decent level with Cam Ward. Prototypical size but did not create much for himself in terms of man-to-man success and broken tackles. Potentially getting a bump from many analysts due to Senior Bowl success but there were also not many high end tight ends at the Senior Bowl.
2SyracuseOronde Gadsden IITEBig Slot4.646'5"243Possibly best hands in this class, great in contested catch and back shoulder throw situations. NFL pedigree. Needs to bulk up to play inline tight end as his 243 pounds does not reflect is his frame. Ideally, he's a "big slot" player - he had the most yards out of slot of any TE in 2024. His 17 contested catches also led all tight ends in this class (Warren was second with 13).
2OregonTerrance FergusonTETwo-Way4.636'5"247Good size/speed combo - he gets meaningless brownie points from me for his willingness to run the 40 at the cobmine. Very little work vs. man to man makes him tough to evaluate. He only had three contested catches on 12 opportunities which is obviously not ideal.
3LSUMason TaylorTETwo-WayNA6'5"251Unlike many in this class, Taylor played nearly 50% of his snaps inline and was asked to block on 16.7% of pass plays making him a true Y tight end. We don't want to see that level of pass-blocking at the next level but the scheme and TE room he lands in will dictate that. Serious NFL pedigree as the son of Jason Taylor and nephew of Zach Thomas.
3TexasGunnar HelmTETwo-Way4.846'6"241Helm played nearly 70% of his snaps inline and blocked on 16% of pass plays. Not the usage we typically want to see but he did manage to have decent production despite that with a 60/786/7 statline. If we were talking 2024 fantasy points, he was top 5 in the class.
3IowaLuke LacheyTETwo-WayNA6'6"251Iowa is THE tight end factory. Lachey lined up inline for nearly 64% of his snaps which is not ideal. Heealt with a serious ankle injury in 2023 that lingered which hurt his production. The draft will be crucial for guys like this.
3Notre DameMitchell EvansTETwo-Way4.746'5"250Not super athletic yet he lined up at WR for 70% of his snaps which is unusual for a player with his profile. He was actually able to break 9 tackles and make 8 contested catches, so athleticism isn't always the end all be all.