Second-year players like Colston Loveland, Harold Fannin and Tyler Warren should dominate early selections at tight end this year, but there's also a later one I'm interested in. Tennessee's fourth-rounder out of Texas, Gunnar Helm.
The Titans have a new coaching staff (including OC Brian Daboll), and they also signed a pair of Giants pass catchers, with Wan'Dale Robinson the big-ticket item and also tight end Daniel Bellinger. And they drafted Carnell Tate with a top-5 pick. There's competition for targets, and would be imagining a lot to think Cam Ward suddenly is leading even an above-average passing game.
But I don't think Bellinger is a notable enough player to say he'll be taking much away from Helm. The rookie was pretty good with his chances last year, and Tennessee let Chig Okonkwo leave in free agency. Helm should get the chance to be a featured guy at the position.
As a rookie, he didn't post significant numbers. He averaged just under 3 catches and 22 yards, with 2 TDs. Okonkwo was a lot busier, out-targeting him 79-55. But Helm turned 80 percent of the passes thrown his way into receptions. That was the 4th-highest rate in the league (minimum 50 targets), up there with three of the league's best options at the position.
| TIGHT END CATCH RATES, 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | No | Rec | Avg | TD | Pct |
| Trey McBride, Ari. | 169 | 126 | 1,239 | 9.8 | 11 | 74.6 |
| George Kittle, S.F. | 69 | 57 | 628 | 11.0 | 7 | 82.6 |
| Jake Ferguson, Dall. | 102 | 82 | 600 | 7.3 | 8 | 80.4 |
| Gunnar Helm, Ten. | 55 | 44 | 357 | 8.1 | 2 | 80.0 |
| Dalton Schultz, Hou. | 106 | 82 | 777 | 9.5 | 3 | 77.4 |
| T.J. Hockenson, Min. | 66 | 51 | 438 | 8.6 | 3 | 77.3 |
| Colby Parkinson, LAR | 56 | 43 | 408 | 9.5 | 8 | 76.8 |
| Brenton Strange, Jac. | 60 | 46 | 540 | 11.7 | 3 | 76.7 |
| AJ Barner, Sea. | 68 | 52 | 519 | 10.0 | 6 | 76.5 |
| Pat Freiermuth, Pitt. | 54 | 41 | 486 | 11.9 | 4 | 75.9 |
| Juwan Johnson, N.O. | 102 | 77 | 889 | 11.5 | 3 | 75.5 |
| Kyle Pitts, Atl. | 118 | 88 | 928 | 10.5 | 5 | 74.6 |
| Brock Bowers, L.V. | 86 | 64 | 680 | 10.6 | 7 | 74.4 |
| Dallas Goedert, Phi. | 82 | 60 | 591 | 9.9 | 11 | 73.2 |
| Cade Otton, T.B. | 81 | 59 | 572 | 9.7 | 1 | 72.8 |
| Oronde Gadsden, LAC | 69 | 49 | 664 | 13.6 | 3 | 71.0 |
| Chig Okonkwo, Ten. | 79 | 56 | 560 | 10.0 | 2 | 70.9 |
| Colston Loveland, Chi. | 82 | 58 | 713 | 12.3 | 6 | 70.7 |
| Travis Kelce, K.C. | 108 | 76 | 851 | 11.2 | 5 | 70.4 |
| Jonnu Smith, Pitt. | 54 | 38 | 222 | 5.8 | 2 | 70.4 |
| Michael Mayer, L.V. | 50 | 35 | 328 | 9.4 | 1 | 70.0 |
| Zach Ertz, Was. | 72 | 50 | 504 | 10.1 | 4 | 69.4 |
| Hunter Henry, N.E. | 87 | 60 | 768 | 12.8 | 7 | 69.0 |
| Mark Andrews, Balt. | 70 | 48 | 422 | 8.8 | 5 | 68.6 |
| Tyler Warren, Ind. | 112 | 76 | 817 | 10.8 | 4 | 67.9 |
| Mason Taylor, NYJ | 65 | 44 | 369 | 8.4 | 1 | 67.7 |
| Harold Fannin, Cle. | 107 | 72 | 731 | 10.2 | 6 | 67.3 |
| Evan Engram, Den. | 76 | 50 | 461 | 9.2 | 1 | 65.8 |
| Theo Johnson, NYG | 74 | 45 | 528 | 11.7 | 5 | 60.8 |
Clearly Helm will need to be busier to pay off in fantasy leagues, but there's nothing wrong with his hands or rapport with his young quarterback. And in his final year at Texas, he caught 60 passes for 786 yards and 7 TDs. He was the team's 2nd-leading receiver, behind Packers first-rounder Matthew Golden.
I'm interested in drafting him as a second tight end in a later round this season, and seeing what happens.
--Andy Richardson
