MIAMI — If not for the inclusion of Brock Bowers, the Las Vegas Raiders’ first-round pick who set multiple NFL records for tight end productivity, the 2024 crop of tight ends might be viewed as the worst position group in that entire draft.

Only 12 tight ends got drafted last season, and few of them made an immediate impact for their teams.

That likely won’t be the case for the 2025 class of tight ends because they are arguably one of the deepest positions in this NFL draft.

Only three tight ends — Bowers, who was picked 13th last season, Dalton Kincaid, who was picked 25th by the Buffalo Bills in 2023, and Kyle Pitts, whom the Falcons selected fourth overall in 2021 — were drafted in the first round since 2020.

This year there might be three selected in the first round, and as many as 10 tight ends are projected to be taken in the first two days (first three rounds) of this year’s NFL draft.

And much like ice cream, there’s a different flavor for whatever your team’s personal taste might be.

Top prospects

— Penn State’s Tyler Warren — Warren, who caught 153 passes for 1,839 yards and scored 25 touchdowns during his four collegiate seasons, is a fluid athlete who presents a downfield threat for any offense. He has a knack for making acrobatic catches and has a huge catch radius. But he’s not as physical as advertised, and might struggle blocking defensive ends in the NFL. He will need to be in the right system to deliver superstar-level production.

— Michigan’s Colston Loveland — While Warren gets all the hype, some talent evaluators privately express their thoughts that Loveland might be the best tight end in the 2025 class. He has strong, reliable hands, makes difficult catches and is a willing blocker. Loveland, who caught 117 passes for 1,466 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in his three collegiate seasons, is projected to be an every-down starter at the next level. Expect him to come off the board in the second round.

— LSU’s Mason Taylor — Taylor, the son of Hall of Fame pass rusher Jason Taylor and nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas, is the type of do-it-all tight end every team is looking for. He silenced concerns about his straight-line speed by running a 40-time in the 4.5s, and has the core strength needed to become a functional in-line blocker. His route running needs a bit of refinement, but put in the right hands and we could be talking about a Pro Bowl talent.

— Miami’s Elijah Arroyo — This former University of Miami standout had a breakout season with Cam Ward as his passer last season, catching 35 passes for 590 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. But most of his collegiate career was spent battling injuries, and that’s exactly what could push him into the draft’s third day. Whatever team selects him in the second, third or fourth round will need to be comfortable with his medical history. Injuries this spring prevented NFL teams from getting things like a 40-yard dash or three-cone drill, which is what teams use

— Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. — Fannin put up massive numbers in college — 180 receptions for 2,396 yards and scored 22 touchdowns in three seasons — because of his athleticism and explosiveness. He typically finds a soft spot in zones and feasts. But he’s undersized (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) for the position, and might not have the functional strength needed to serve as an in-line blocker in the NFL, despite the 22 reps of 225 pounds he put up at the NFL combine.

— Sleeper: Syracuse’s Oronde Gadsden II —Just like his father, a former Miami Dolphins starting receiver who shares the same name, Gadsden acts like he’s the rightful owner of every pass that comes into his area. He has impressive body control for a 6-foot-5, 236 pounder, and is a dangerous weapon in the red zone (14 touchdowns in 36 college games). But Gadsden seemingly lacks the technique to be an effective in-line blocker, and might need some developmental time to become a full-service tight end. Still, the 21-year-old will likely end up being a steal as a third day selection.

— Best of the rest: Texas’ Gunnar Helm, Iowa’s Luke Lachey, Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson are three of the more complete tight ends in this class. Georgia Tech’s Jackson Hawes is an inline force, who might eventually transition to offensive guard or tight end because of his blocking prowess. And if a team needs an in-line mauler they can add Alabama’s C.J. Dippre. South Carolina’s Joshua Simons will be a third-day steal because he’s a freakish athlete who can be coached up.

— Teams in need: Cleveland is approaching a contract impasse with David Njoku, and might begin searching for his replacement. Kyle Pitts is entering the final year of his rookie deal with Atlanta. Kansas City must begin preparing for the eventual retirement of Travis Kelce, who might have a season or two left. Tennessee would benefit from adding a seam threat weapon that compliments the receiver unit. Jacksonville, Carolina, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams and Houston all need to fortify their team’s depth at the tight end position to facilitate offensive balance.

— Dolphins focus: Jonnu Smith set franchise records for the position in the 2024 season and became a Pro Bowler for the first tiime. But the 30-year-old’s contract, which pays him $4.1 million this season, expires at the end of this upcoming year and the Dolphins don’t have a polished understudy. Julian Hill served as Miami’s in-line tight end last season but struggled significantly in his 514 offensive snaps. To Hill’s credit, pound-for-pound he’s one of the strongest Dolphins players, but he needs to clean up his game in his third NFL season. The rest of Miami’s tight ends — Tanner Conner, Pharaoh Brown, Hayden Rucci — haven’t proven they can outshine a tight end that Miami could possibly select in the second or third day of the draft.

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