Are the top two rookie tight end prospects in the 2025 draft fighting some rare history to be a great Fantasy Football asset, or are they next in a brand-spankin-new trend?
Last year, Brock Bowers set the record for most PPR points per game scored by a rookie tight end with 15.5. It’s a record that stood for one season when Sam LaPorta notched 14.1 PPR points per game in 2023. LaPorta broke a 10-year-old record set by Jordan Reed when he had 12.7 PPR points per game in 2013, tying what Keith Jackson notched in 1988 with the Eagles.
So you could look at it as only four tight ends playing well enough to have at least 12.7 PPR points per game as rookies since 1988 (minimum of nine games).
Or you could look at it as one special tight end rewriting the record books each of the past two seasons.
Given the talent possessed by Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland, you might want to buy into the latter.
Those two are great and figure to get taken in the top half of Round 1. But a number of other tight ends should get the chance to post good numbers as rookies as well. It’s actually a fun class that Fantasy managers will love because it should add depth to the position for years to come.
- Age as of Week 1: 23
- Height: 6-foot-5 1/2
- Weight: 256 pounds
- Hand size: 9 1/2 inches
- Comparable body-type to: Pat Freiermuth
Tyler Warren College stats
| Year | Games | Catches | Yards | Yards per catch | Touchdowns | Yards/game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (Penn State) | 12 | 84 | 1319 | 15.7 | 8 | 109.9 |
| 2023 (Penn State) | 13 | 90 | 1402 | 15.6 | 10 | 107.8 |
| 2022 (Penn State) | 12 | 39 | 702 | 18.0 | 8 | 58.5 |
Best advanced stats: Warren led all FBS-level tight ends in red-zone targets with 21 and was exceptional, catching 81% of them (17 receptions) for seven touchdowns, one behind Ball State tight end Tanner Koziol. But Warren also had three red-zone rushing touchdowns, giving him 10 total to lead the FBS in total touchdowns from scrimmage. Warren scored a touchdown once every 2.2 red-zone touches in 2024 — and 1.3 touches in 2023.
Worst advanced stats: Among the 36 FBS tight ends with at least 50 targets, Warren was middle-of-the-pack in avoided tackle rate (18.3%) and yards per catch (11.9), and in the bottom third in average depth of target (6.94). Just a dozen of his 104 catches were caught 10 or more yards downfield, and over 30 receptions were at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Bottom line: Warren is a tall, well-built tight end who has shown off his versatility fulfilling a variety of roles this season. He has shown improvement as a run blocker driving his feet on contact, but must continue working on block retention and engaging as a puller across the formation. The Virginia native does a good job flattening his routes relative to his height and has a wide catch radius to make plays outside of his frame.
- Age as of Week 1: 21 years old
- Height: 6-foot-6
- Weight: 248 pounds
- Hand size: 10 inches
- Comparable body-type to: Coby Fleener
Colston Loveland college stats
| Year | G | Rec | Yds | Yds/rec | TD | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (Michigan) | 10 | 56 | 582 | 10.4 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 (Michigan) | 15 | 45 | 649 | 14.4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022 (Michigan) | 14 | 16 | 235 | 14.7 | 2 | 0 |
Best advanced stats: Loveland recorded the third-best yards per route run rate among qualifying tight ends in 2024 at 2.81 (Warren had 2.94). He also had a nice 2.4% drop rate.
Worst advanced stats: Of his 82 targets last year, he had 23 targets on throws of 10-plus air yards; just 12 of those went 15-plus air yards and six went 20-plus air yards. Also, Loveland settled in at a pedestrian 5.2 yards after catch per reception in 2023 and 2024. That number was even lower on longer throws (3.3 on passes of 10-plus air yards). Way too many of his receptions were often followed by a tackle; Loveland had a career 6.8% avoided tackle rate.
Bottom line: An NFL team looking for a mismatch tight end will target Loveland. He’ll enter the league with the promising combination of height and speed with his upside tied to improved route running and after-catch ability. With the right coach and scheme, and with good health, Loveland could really become one of the most productive receiving tight ends in the league. — Dave Richard
- Age as of Week 1: 21 years old
- Height: 6-foot-3 1/8
- Weight: 238 pounds
- Hand size: 9 3/8 inches
- Comparable body-type to: Gerald Everett
Harold Fannin Jr. college stats
| Year | G | Rec | Yds | Yds/rec | TD | FL |
| 2024 (Bowling Green) | 13 | 117 | 1555 | 13.3 | 10 | 0 |
| 2023 (Bowling Green) | 11 | 44 | 623 | 14.2 | 6 | 0 |
| 2022 (Bowling Green) | 12 | 19 | 218 | 11.5 | 1 | 0 |
Best advanced stats: Set FBS single-records for most receptions and receiving yards by a tight end in 2024, helped along by a stunning catch rate (78%), explosive play rate (25.3%) and avoided tackle rate (29.1%), each of which ranked top five among qualifying tight ends.
Worst advanced stats: Had just as many red-zone targets and touchdowns as Tyler Warren last year, but his catch rate was 57.1%, a full 23.9 percentage points lower than Warren’s. Fannin also was nowhere near as elusive in the red zone, accumulating a 16.7% avoided tackle rate.
Bottom line: Fannin Jr. is a receiving-focused tight end with an H-back build and an unorthodox gait that makes him appear stiffer than he is. While not explosive, he moves fluidly, builds speed well and can get vertical. After the catch, Fannin pinballs off defenders with a low center of gravity and RB-like vision. His body control, tracking and strong hands allow him to secure tough grabs, with long arms aiding his catch radius. With good volume, he’ll be a fine stat producer once he gets acclimated to the pro game.
Next best TE prospects
Mason Taylor, LSU: Taylor’s smooth feet and reliable hands will make him an attractive target early in his NFL career, but his lean frame and lack of elusiveness figures to hold him back.
Elijah Arroyo, Miami: Good size and speed will help Arroyo get on the field as a receiving tight end sooner than later. His blocking needs work, he has an injury history, and for as promising he seems to be, his breakout 2024 saw him get just 47 targets in 13 games.
Terrance Ferguson, Oregon: A long-strider who won more often on shorter routes, Ferguson does have enough speed to challenge defenses and the strength to win as a blocker. He’s a sleeper in the class for sure.
Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse: The converted receiver was a key contributor at Syracuse and has the fundamentals down in terms of route-running. He’s just not elusive and needs work to improve his power.
Gunnar Helm, Texas: Helm won with size and power, but he isn’t an explosive threat and figures to be much more of a safe-handed, low-YAC guy.
Fantasy landing spots — ranked
Chargers: After Will Dissly became a thing last year, there’s hope that a new tight end could support the run game while making a difference in the passing game, especially if he can win vertically. A Michigan reunion with Colston Loveland would be fabulous.
Jaguars: Jacksonville’s offense could use a reliable short- and mid-range option to play off of Brian Thomas Jr. New playcaller Liam Coen figures to use the tight end in his offense just as he did last year with the Bucs. This would be a fun spot for Tyler Warren.
Saints: Juwan Johnson has had his moments but new coach and playcaller Kellen Moore has leaned on bigger tight ends in his time in Dallas and Philly. Someone on Day 2 like Terrance Ferguson would be a good fit and potential weekly contributor.
Texans: I wonder if they splurge to find a speedy mismatch tight end to help win in the middle of the field and force safeties to play back. Harold Fannin would be a suitable option, plus they could use two-tight end formations with him and Dalton Schultz for this year.
Jets: No one wants any pass-catchers to land with the Jets as long as Justin Fields quarterbacks the team. But remember: Fields got good numbers to Cole Kmet two seasons ago, and new Jets playcaller Tanner Engstrand has knowledge on how to exploit his young tight ends from his days working with Sam LaPorta.
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