The 2025 Tight End Rankings 2.0 | A New Hope Arises

Time for the Tight Ends! Our @TheTristanCook went back to the lab to dissect the 2025 college tape. Here are the 12 Top TE dynasty prospects as he sees them for the 2025 NFL Draft.
This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Tristan Cook's 2025 NFL Draft Positional Rankings 2.0

We routinely see tight ends drafted later in the NFL Draft that ascend to the top of the NFL’s landscape. College teams rarely feature TEs which leads to low production numbers in college. Without the ability to see what these prospects can do as major contributors, we (dynasty managers) are left to assess their potential with a limited amount of information. The 2025 tight end class is no different. Not only is there so much unknown about these players as prospects but NFL teams use TEs in a myriad of ways and look for vastly different traits. My 2025 Tight End Rankings attempt to incorporate all of the unknown into a digestible format. 

2025 Tight End Rankings NFL Prospects Rookie Class CFB Fantasy Football Players to Know Top 20 Dynasty FF Advice 2025 NFL Draft TEs
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
NOTE: These rankings are a living thing. They have changed since the start of the season and will eb and flow all the way up to the 2025 season. 

QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings


Top 12 Tight End Rankings | The 2025 NFL Draft Class

TIER 1 | 2025 Tight End Rankings

2025 Tight End Rankings NFL Prospects Rookie Class CFB Fantasy Football Players to Know Top 20 Dynasty FF Advice 2025 NFL Draft TEs
Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire

TE1 | Colston Loveland | Michigan | 6’5” | 245 lbs. | Previously TE1

This class may not have the elite-level tight end prospect that we have seen in years past, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t players that can make an impact for your dynasty roster. Michigan’s Colston Loveland is as well-rounded of a tight end prospect as you’ll find in most drafts and will likely see the field right away. He is an above-average athlete that knows how to utilize his size to create mismatches against smaller defenders. He excels at contested catches and can create well after the catch.

TE2 | Tyler Warren | Penn State | 6’6” | 257 lbs. | Previously TE3

Another year, another Penn State tight end high in draft rankings. At 6’6” and 257 pounds, Tyler Warren is a massive target who is leading the Nittany Lions in all receiving categories in 2024. It’s easy to get caught up in scouting a player’s helmet rather than the individual’s skills. However, Tyler Warren would be a top prospect wherever he was. Warren is inching his way up my 2025 Tight End Rankings and could easily end up claiming the top spot by the end of the process.

TIER 2 | 2025 Tight End Rankings

2025 Tight End Rankings NFL Prospects Rookie Class CFB Fantasy Football Players to Know Top 20 Dynasty FF Advice 2025 NFL Draft TEs
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire

TE3 | Oronde Gadsden II | Syracuse | 6’5” | 236 lbs. | Previously TE3

There is a chance that Oronde Gadsden II won’t be in my tight end rankings at all by the end of the year. But, that’s only because he may be closer to a wide receiver than a tight end. He is listed as a TE on Syracuse’s roster and I believe that his skill set fits better there than out wide. However, he’s going to need to go to a team that utilizes him as a receiving weapon rather than trying to make him into a well-rounded player. If a team ends up viewing Gadsden as a dynamic receiving threat, the sky’s the limit.

TE4 | Harold Fannin Jr. | Bowling Green | 6’4” | 230 lbs. | Previously Not Ranked

Another player whose outlook will greatly depend on how NFL teams view him is Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. After a solid, but unremarkable 2023, Fannin has exploded in 2024. Nearing the end of the season, Fannin is leading the entire country in receiving yards. If a team buys-in on Fannin as a receiving weapon, this ranking will be too low. My biggest apprehension is that he’s a little too small to play TE at the NFL level. 

TE5 | Luke Lachey | Iowa | 6’6” | 247 lbs. | Previously TE4

The University of Iowa looks to continue its pipeline of tight end talent with Luke Lachey. He is very versatile, having lined up all over the field for Iowa and has a knack for finding open areas against defenses. He has natural, smooth hands when catching passes and is a playmaker with the ball in his hands. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lachey gain momentum through the pre-draft process and rise up draft boards.

TIER 3 | 2025 Tight End Rankings

2025 Tight End Rankings NFL Prospects Rookie Class CFB Fantasy Football Players to Know Top 20 Dynasty FF Advice 2025 NFL Draft TEs
Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire

TE6 | Gunnar Helm | Texas | 6’5” | 250 lbs. | Previously Not Ranked

Another player that really burst onto the tight end scene in 2024 is Gunnar Helm for the University of Texas. Heading into the final week before conference championship games, Helm is leading Texas in receptions, yards receiving, and is second in the team in touchdowns. He has flashed impressive athleticism both at the catch-point as well as in the open field after the catch. I would be very excited if Helm sneaks into Day 2 of the NFL Draft. However, mostly my focus will be on the scheme he goes to and if they feature the TE position.

TE7 | Mason Taylor | LSU | 6’5” | 255 lbs. | Previously TE5

Like the names above him in my 2025 Tight End Rankings, LSU’s Mason Taylor is a versatile weapon that can line up all over the field and create mismatches. He has soft hands when the ball is thrown his way. He excels at turning the ball upfield after making a catch. If he tests well athletically, he could join Tier 2.

TIER 4 | 2025 Tight End Rankings

2025 Tight End Rankings NFL Prospects Rookie Class CFB Fantasy Football Players to Know Top 20 Dynasty FF Advice 2025 NFL Draft TEs
Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire

TE8 | Terrance Ferguson | Oregon | 6’5” | 255 lbs. | Previously TE6

TE9 | Elijah Arroyo | Miami | 6’4” | 245 lbs. | Previously TE7

TE10 | Oscar Delp | Georgia | 6’5” | 245 lbs. | Previously TE8

TE11 | Mitchell Evans | Notre Dame | 6’5” | 260 lbs. | Previously TE9

TE12 | Brandt Kuithe | Utah | 6’2” | 236 lbs. | Previously TE10

Honorable Mentions | 2025 Tight End Rankings

As I’ve mentioned, the tight end position is incredibly difficult to project to the NFL level. There are many players that could wind up on the final iteration of these 2025 Tight End Rankings. Cincinnati’s Joe Royer, Georgia’s Ben Yurosek, North Carolina’s Bryson Nesbit, Clemson’s Jake Briningstool, and many others were under consideration.

As always, the important thing to remember is that these 2025 Tight End Rankings are fluid. They have changed since the start of the season and will change again before the NFL Draft gets here. I will post another update to these rankings during the pre-draft process. 

2025 NFL Draft Prospects 1.0 | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings by Tristan Cook

For more college dynasty content, check out our Rookie Big Board series where our NFL Prospects Writing Staff give their Top 24 players + their individual Draft Sleeper:

Thank you for reading the 2025 Tight End Rankings. Are you interested in joining the #NerdHerd? Use the code “tcook” for 15% off any membership. Sign up here and get an edge on all of your league mates today! You can get access to the DynastyGM tool (including our Trade Calculator and Trade Finder), the Prospect Film Room, an extra weekly podcast, full rankings, and much, much more!
Series Navigation<< The 2025 Wide Receiver Rankings 2.0 | The Top 24 Prospects You Need to Know

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