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The 2025 NFL Draft is not wanting for tight end talent. This year's crop of in-line blockers and split-out pass catchers will offer needy teams across the league multiple chances to find a dynamic starter well beyond Day 1.
Despite that depth, there's enough star power to make the position a first round priority. Penn State's Tyler Warren, Michigan's Colston Loveland and, thanks in part to a late pre-draft surge, LSU's Mason Taylor have all put themselves in the mix to be top 32 selections.
What comes next? Let's single out one stud, one sleeper and one deep, deep sleeper who could play major roles on Sunday.
Studs are players with first-round grades. Their inclusion here doesn't necessarily mean they're the best at their position — just that they're worth singling out for a deeper look. Sleepers are prospects slated for selection in the middle or toward the end of the 2025 NFL Draft. REM cycle stars — the deep sleepers — will likely be undrafted free agents after pick No. 257 is read. That's going to create an uphill battle to find a roster spot, but these could be bargain pickups who play key roles for playoff teams.
Let's talk about three guys who could have big NFL impacts from three very different draft positions this spring.
The most disappointing thing about Warren's draft stock is that Bill Belichick is no longer in the NFL to trade back and turn him into the defense-shredding mutant he's meant to be. Someone will, certainly, but it won't be the current North Carolina head coach who once turned the Rob Gronkowski-Aaron Hernandez combination into a waking nightmare for AFC East defensive coordinators.
Warren will happily line up wherever you need him and create problems for the other team. In line? The man relishes his blocking duties. Split wide? He's a mismatch machine at 6-foot-6 with game-breaking play speed. In the backfield? He ran for 218 yards and four touchdowns last season. Throwing passes? SURE, WHY NOT?
I've been trying to avoid obvious studs in these columns because there's already been so much written about them through the pre-draft process. But Warren is just so dang fun to watch because you genuinely don't know what his upper bound is. James Franklin and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki just sorted shrugged, put him wherever, then rolled to the program's best season in two decades (there was more to it than that, but still. Tyler Warren!).
Warren looks like the video game boss version of Deebo Samuel; bigger, stronger but somehow roughly as versatile. His blocking isn't foolproof and he can tend to round off his routes or be misdirected, but both these things are understandable (since, you know, he played everywhere) and correctable. His flaws pale in comparison to the massive potential he brings to an offense. Warren is the kind of player who unlocks new chapters in the playbook.
You're an NFL team that's set at tight end? Cool, draft Tyler Warren anyway. He's significantly more than a tight end. The man is a barely contained hurricane in pads. He's going to make everything so much more exciting.
Can the son of a remember-some-guys NFL all-star really be a sleeper? Gadsden will test that theory after earning minimal buzz despite cracking 900 receiving yards in two separate seasons at Syracuse. The converted wideout leaves New York as the program's most productive tight end but still looks like an early Day 3 pick.
He's a solid fit as a joker tight end who can be moved across the lineup. He played a moderate amount in-line, but spent most of his time in the ACC out of the slot or occasionally split wide. He's not a burner, but with 4.6-second 40 speed and tricky in-route acceleration he's capable of putting a defense on its heels in a split second.
Gadsden may never be more than an average blocker, but he's shown a willingness to engage and improve when tasked in the running game. He uses his frame well, creating a big catch radius by creating leverage with that body and shielding defenders from the ball. That makes him an excellent bail-out candidate for a quarterback in trouble. He's capable of precise routes to snap off man coverage but also identifies the soft spots in zone to sit down for easy gains.
His NFL bloodlines shine brightest in his hands. Gadsden catches balls away from his body and hauls them to his chest with reliability and confidence that bolsters that already stellar haul-it-in ability. He's still got a ways to go as a traditional tight end and his run after catch skills aren't where you'd want them to be for a player who'll be in the slot a fair amount. But Gadsden's floor paints him as an immediate boon for his QB.
Now here's a project. Willis is a converted wideout who looks and plays like one. He's only 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, but has the capacity to add more bulk after spending only one season at the position. This will likely limit him to a Mike Gesicki-type role in the NFL, but that's fine! As a receiving tight end he averaged more than two yards per route run for the Blue Raiders last fall en route to a career high of 53 catches, 871 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games.
Willis is unlikely to see more than a few snaps as an in-line tight end, but he can be a mismatch creator from the slot or in an H-back role. The former Tennessee Mr. Football has 4.5-second 40 speed that shines after the catch and can put linebackers on skates. Let him loose up the seam or on drag routes and he can create unexpected yardage from wherever he makes the catch.
The downside, aside from the decidedly non-tight end body (he played at a listed weight of 212 pounds last season), is that he did this against mostly Conference USA competition. Still, there are moments of light speckled throughout that resume; 60 yards and a touchdown against Duke in 2024. Six catches and 93 yards against Ole Miss. A long reception of at least 23 yards every game last fall. Willis is a lottery ticket, but with a lot of work he can turn his natural abilities into an NFL role.
Previously:
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 2025 NFL Draft: Stud, sleepers at TE, including Tyler Warren and Oronde Gadsden II
Continue reading...
Despite that depth, there's enough star power to make the position a first round priority. Penn State's Tyler Warren, Michigan's Colston Loveland and, thanks in part to a late pre-draft surge, LSU's Mason Taylor have all put themselves in the mix to be top 32 selections.
What comes next? Let's single out one stud, one sleeper and one deep, deep sleeper who could play major roles on Sunday.
Studs are players with first-round grades. Their inclusion here doesn't necessarily mean they're the best at their position — just that they're worth singling out for a deeper look. Sleepers are prospects slated for selection in the middle or toward the end of the 2025 NFL Draft. REM cycle stars — the deep sleepers — will likely be undrafted free agents after pick No. 257 is read. That's going to create an uphill battle to find a roster spot, but these could be bargain pickups who play key roles for playoff teams.
Let's talk about three guys who could have big NFL impacts from three very different draft positions this spring.
Stud: Tyler Warren
The most disappointing thing about Warren's draft stock is that Bill Belichick is no longer in the NFL to trade back and turn him into the defense-shredding mutant he's meant to be. Someone will, certainly, but it won't be the current North Carolina head coach who once turned the Rob Gronkowski-Aaron Hernandez combination into a waking nightmare for AFC East defensive coordinators.
Warren will happily line up wherever you need him and create problems for the other team. In line? The man relishes his blocking duties. Split wide? He's a mismatch machine at 6-foot-6 with game-breaking play speed. In the backfield? He ran for 218 yards and four touchdowns last season. Throwing passes? SURE, WHY NOT?
I've been trying to avoid obvious studs in these columns because there's already been so much written about them through the pre-draft process. But Warren is just so dang fun to watch because you genuinely don't know what his upper bound is. James Franklin and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki just sorted shrugged, put him wherever, then rolled to the program's best season in two decades (there was more to it than that, but still. Tyler Warren!).
Warren looks like the video game boss version of Deebo Samuel; bigger, stronger but somehow roughly as versatile. His blocking isn't foolproof and he can tend to round off his routes or be misdirected, but both these things are understandable (since, you know, he played everywhere) and correctable. His flaws pale in comparison to the massive potential he brings to an offense. Warren is the kind of player who unlocks new chapters in the playbook.
You're an NFL team that's set at tight end? Cool, draft Tyler Warren anyway. He's significantly more than a tight end. The man is a barely contained hurricane in pads. He's going to make everything so much more exciting.
Sleeper: Oronde Gadsden II
Can the son of a remember-some-guys NFL all-star really be a sleeper? Gadsden will test that theory after earning minimal buzz despite cracking 900 receiving yards in two separate seasons at Syracuse. The converted wideout leaves New York as the program's most productive tight end but still looks like an early Day 3 pick.
He's a solid fit as a joker tight end who can be moved across the lineup. He played a moderate amount in-line, but spent most of his time in the ACC out of the slot or occasionally split wide. He's not a burner, but with 4.6-second 40 speed and tricky in-route acceleration he's capable of putting a defense on its heels in a split second.
Gadsden may never be more than an average blocker, but he's shown a willingness to engage and improve when tasked in the running game. He uses his frame well, creating a big catch radius by creating leverage with that body and shielding defenders from the ball. That makes him an excellent bail-out candidate for a quarterback in trouble. He's capable of precise routes to snap off man coverage but also identifies the soft spots in zone to sit down for easy gains.
His NFL bloodlines shine brightest in his hands. Gadsden catches balls away from his body and hauls them to his chest with reliability and confidence that bolsters that already stellar haul-it-in ability. He's still got a ways to go as a traditional tight end and his run after catch skills aren't where you'd want them to be for a player who'll be in the slot a fair amount. But Gadsden's floor paints him as an immediate boon for his QB.
REM cycle star: Holden Willis, Middle Tennessee State
Now here's a project. Willis is a converted wideout who looks and plays like one. He's only 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, but has the capacity to add more bulk after spending only one season at the position. This will likely limit him to a Mike Gesicki-type role in the NFL, but that's fine! As a receiving tight end he averaged more than two yards per route run for the Blue Raiders last fall en route to a career high of 53 catches, 871 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games.
Willis is unlikely to see more than a few snaps as an in-line tight end, but he can be a mismatch creator from the slot or in an H-back role. The former Tennessee Mr. Football has 4.5-second 40 speed that shines after the catch and can put linebackers on skates. Let him loose up the seam or on drag routes and he can create unexpected yardage from wherever he makes the catch.
The downside, aside from the decidedly non-tight end body (he played at a listed weight of 212 pounds last season), is that he did this against mostly Conference USA competition. Still, there are moments of light speckled throughout that resume; 60 yards and a touchdown against Duke in 2024. Six catches and 93 yards against Ole Miss. A long reception of at least 23 yards every game last fall. Willis is a lottery ticket, but with a lot of work he can turn his natural abilities into an NFL role.
Previously:
- NFL Draft wide receiver stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Travis Hunter! Will Sheppard!)
- NFL Draft running back stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Omarion Hampton! DJ Giddens!)
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 2025 NFL Draft: Stud, sleepers at TE, including Tyler Warren and Oronde Gadsden II
Continue reading...
