TIGHTENDS

SCOUTING REPORTS

"Tight end is one of the hardest positions to play in football....You have to have the skills of a wide receiver and the strength of an offensive lineman, and it’s not easy to balance those two."

-Tony Gonzalez

TE ARCHETYPES

Here at NFL Scout 247 we break down the TE Position into 3 Categories:
1. BLOCKING: Hand in the dirt, 12 or 13 personel guy, mostly used for blocking.

2. RECEIVING: Ability to catch the ball and stretch the field.

3. H BACK: Hybrid of blocker and pass catcher

2025 NFL TE PROSPECTS

TE1/ TYLER WARREN/ PENN STATE/ 6"6/ 257 lbs/ EARLY-MID 1ST

Pros: Versatile, Thick Frame, aggressive runner, reliable hands.

Cons: Blocking, speed?

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison: Zach Ertz

Scouting Report:Tyler Warren is a jack of all trades player. He lined up at QB,RB,WR,TE and even OL! At the NFL level he projects well as a Hybrid H back/TE that can flex outside to WR in goal line situations. He is 6”6, 260 lbs which gives him a great catch radius and friendly target for QBS. He is extremely hard to bring down and rarely drops passes. The biggest concern is his ability to block, or inability. He shows flashes of aggressive striking, but fails to latch onto defenders and often whiffs on blocks. If he wants to be an all around TE he must learn to have proper blocking technique. I think Tyler Warren is a home run prospect, not just at TE but as a player and could find himself cracking the top 10 if there isn’t a run on QBs this draft.

TE2/ GUNNAR HELM/ TEXAS/ 6"5/ 250 LBS/ MID-LATE 1ST

Pros: Catching, Leadership, release

Cons: Speed, Blocking, Strength

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison: Dallas Goedert

Scouting Report: Gunnar Helm had a great year catching passes and blocking for the Texas longhorns. He’s 250, but he carries his weight well with his muscular frame. He is a very efficient pass catcher, has above average athletic tools, and has shown great intangibles skills that make him a great locker room guy. Like most Receiving TEs in this class, his blocking has left more to be desired and he could use some more strength training and technique to help with that. I liked his tape and the fact that he was in a successful system in college will help him translate faster in the NFL.

TE3/ HAROLD FANNIN JR/ BOWLING GREEN/ 6"4/ 230 LBS/ LATE 1ST

Pros: Speed, athlete, break tackle, catching

Cons: Height, weight, awkward runner

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison: Juwan Johnson

Scouting Report: Harold Fannin Jr plays TE in a WR body. At 6”4 (maybe) and 230 lbs he is definitely on the smaller scale when compared to NFL Tightends. His production, however, is hard to argue against. 117 receptions for over 1500 yards is extremely rare, especially for a TE. Even most WRs don’t put up those numbers. I get it, he played at Bowling Green…He put up almost 300 yards receiving against two top 25 opponents in Penn State and Texas A&M. He isn’t a great blocker, due to his size limitations, but he does block hard. He will need to put on more weight and hone his blocking technique if he wants to be a 3 down TE, but I think Harold Fannin Jr has what it takes to be a NFL TE, specifically as a receiving specialist. He is a late first round option in my grading system.

TE4/ COLSTON LOVELAND/ MICHIGAN/ 6"5/ 245 LBS/ MID 2ND

Pros: Athleticism, Hands, Blocking point of Attack

Cons: Speed, blocking footwork

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison: Hunter Henry

Scouting Report: Colston Loveland is a vertical threat that can settle into zones and catch the ball at a high rate. He is a long, agile TE that uses his athleticism to make plays as a pass catcher and shows adequacy as blocker. He has solid speed, but won’t take the top off defenses and his blocking footwork needs to be polished up. Ultimately I think Loveland is a good TE prospect that will see early action in an offense scheme similar to one that he ran in Michigan, with lots of run and play action rollouts. I do, however, have him graded a little lower than what the general consensus scouts do.

TE5/ MASON TAYLOR/ LSU/ 6"5/ 255 LBS/ LATE 2ND

Pros: Low drop rate, solid blocker, good size

Cons: Blocking strength, lazy route running

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison: Foster Moreau

Scouting Report: Mason Taylor is a young TE prospect that broke the LSU receiving record by a TE. Coming out of college, Taylor showed promise in several categories such as his catching ability, his blocking, and his durability. When watching his film I was underwhelmed by his receiving ability, but considering LSU had so many receiving options to throw to it makes sense. I think he is a good person on and off the field and while his play was consistent, he didn’t show anything that made me think he was the best TE in this class. I have him with a late 2nd round grade.

TE6/ Oronde Gadsden II/ SYRACUSE/ 6"5/ 236 LBS/ LATE 2ND

Pros: Athleticism, awareness, hands

Cons: Durability, weight, blocking

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison:Jordan Atkins

Scouting Report: Oronde Gadsden II is trying to follow in his father NFL footsteps. He is a great athlete, with good speed. He is long, but very underweight. He can catch the ball extremely well, but his blocking skills are average. Will he be big enough to play TE in the NFL or does moving to WR is the biggest question? Plus he’s had some major injuries that have cost him significant time so that worries us as well, but his upside as a receiving option is tempting when looking at him from a projection standpoint. I like him as a late 2nd and or early 3rd round option.

TE7/ TERRANCE FERGUSON/ OREGON/ 6"5/ 255 LBS/ EARLY 3RD

Pros: Versatility, size, awareness

Cons: Blocking, athleticism

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison: Jake Ferguson

Scouting Report: Terrance Ferguson had a very consistent and successful career at Oregon and looks to continue that with an NFL team. He has good intangible traits as a leader and has been very durable through his playing time, missing very few games in 4 seasons. He is a decent athlete that shows flashes of breaking tackles in space. When it comes to blocking, he leans forward which causes him to miss blocks and lose his balance. He also doesn’t have great speed to break away from the defense which results in minimal gains. Ultimately Terrance Ferguson is a solid TE prospect that you can scheme up to catch some passes, but he won’t make too many big plays on his own. He is a high floor low cleaning guy with a third round grade.

TE8/ JAKE BRININGSTOOL/ CLEMSON/ 6"6/ 240 LBS/ MID 3RD

Pros: Height, Catching, blocking

Cons: Speed, route running, weight, strength

Archetype: Hybrid

Comparison: Dalton Schultz

Scouting Report: Jake Briningstool was a great player for the Clemson Tigers this year. He has positional flexibility to play in the slot or line up inline as TE. He is a good hands catcher, has great height, and shows vertical prowess that can make him a red zone threat. He’s probably one of the better blockers as a TE as well. He could use some refinement in his game such as expanding his route tree and increasing blocking strength, and is on the leaner side for a NFL TE. Overall I like Briningstool as a flex TE that can bulk up and play inside as well, giving you blocking skills and ball catching ability at the same time.

TE9/ ELIJAH ARROYO/ MIAMI/ 6"4/ 245 LBS/ LATE 3RD

Pros: Catching, athleticism, speed

Cons: Durability, blocking?

Archetype: Receiving

Comparison: Eric Ebron

Scouting Report: Elijah Arroyo has some flashes of good play on his tape. He has good speed for a TE and releases to his routes well. He is a good athlete that demonstrates consistency in catching the ball and getting yards (avg 16.9 per catch). Arroyo hits the physical measurements, however his height and weight are average. He missed a lot of time due to injury so durability is a big concern. His blocking skills are not great which raises the question of his lower body strength. Ultimately I see Elijah Arroyo being an effective vertical threat TE in the passing game. Since his blocking is limited and ‘can he stay healthy’? Put him as a third round grade in my recruiting database.

TE10/ LUKE LACHLEY/ IOWA/ 6"6/ 247 LBS/ EARLY 4TH

Pros: Route running, release

Cons: Speed, jumping, injury history

Archetype: Blocking

Comparison: AJ Barner

Scouting Report: Iowa is the standard when it comes to the Tightend position and Luke Lachey is trying to continue that trend. He is tall, lengthy, has sticky hands, and is probably the best route runner in the TE group this year. He is an average blocker and I think I’m being generous. He doesn’t wow you with speed or agility, but he shows some vertical ability when the ball is in the air. Ultimately I think Lachley is ok, not the cream of the crop that we are used to from Iowa. He can be a servcable TE in the NFL, but I don’t see teams taking a shot on him until early day three in the 4th round.

TIGHTENDS

TE ARCHETYPES

2025 NFL TE PROSPECTS

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