Dynasty Draft Rookie Rankings | 2025 Tight Ends

by John Laub · Featured
Dynasty Draft TE

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Targeting the Tight Ends: 2025 Prospects

Throughout my lifetime, the NFL has been known as a copycat league. While building an NFL roster, there are some edges. One of the cheat codes is an elite playmaker at tight end. A dynamic difference maker, who can catch and block, is one of the most sought-after commodities in the NFL. In Dynasty leagues, Travis Kelce and George Kittle have been fantasy gold over the past five seasons. Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers produced memorable fantasy campaigns as rookies over the past two years.

When evaluating the NFL potential of a tight end prospect, size and speed obviously must be factored into the equation when grading a player. Nevertheless, with a large data set of prospects over the last decade, a player’s Relative Athletic Score (RAS) based on Combine/Pro Day drills foreshadow a productive professional career and fantasy impact.

In the 2025 Class, there is not a sure fire LaPorta-Bowers level prospect. A late-breakout performer, Tyler Warren is the highest-graded member of the group but there are flaws in the profile—he is not a slam dunk like Bowers last year. It appears that two tight ends will be selected in the first round, and possibly three, which will skyrocket each player’s value in Dynasty drafts.  

Scholar’s Top Tight End 2025 Prospects

2025 PlayerProfiler TE Draft Rankings

Tyler Warren, Penn State

Prospect Resume 

Is Penn State Tight End U with Mike Gesicki, Pat Freiermuth and Theo Johnson all coming out of the program in the past decade? Once again, the Nittany Lions have an All-American prospect at the top of the rankings after an outstanding campaign. In 2024, Tyler Warren recorded 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns and was named the John Mackey Award winner, First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-American. He also rushed the ball 26 times for 218 yards and four scores. 

In high school, Warren was a three-star recruit who played quarterback and was a three-time team captain. He earned Virginia all-state honors and team MVP the last two seasons. A three-sport star, he amassed all-region in basketball four times and all-state in baseball three times. Enrolling at Penn State, he did not make much of an impact during his first three seasons on campus with only 15 catches for 184 yards and four touchdowns. 

In 2023, Warren finally blossomed and earned Third Team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Sharing tight end duties with Theo Johnson, he recorded 34 receptions for 422 yards and seven touchdowns. During his Penn State career, the five-year competitor corralled 153 passes for 1,839 yards and 19 scores and logged 20 career receptions of 20-plus yards and five 100-yard games. He sits first among Penn State tight ends with 25 total touchdowns (19 receiving and six rushing) and established a program and Big Ten mark by tight ends with 224 receiving yards versus USC in 2024.


 

Film Breakdown and Skills

At 6-6 and 256 pounds, Warren is a big, tall, strong and lanky competitor who was employed all over the formation—in-line, flex tight end, split out wide, in the slot and even at quarterback. He is a natural leader with a great football IQ. With soft and natural hands, the former Nittany Lion is willing to work in the middle of the defense and obliterates zone coverage with exceptional spatial awareness. Warren has impressive early quickness and is smooth getting in-and-out of his breaks. He uses speed variance in his routes, attacks the seam and stacks defenders. He tracks passes well and rapidly accelerates with the ball in his hands. A battler, he wins one-on-one contested matchups with strong mitts, an expansive catch radius and good body positioning.

As a professional, Warren needs to improve as an in-line blocker and does not always sustain contact throughout the run. As a pass catcher, he Is not a nuanced runner or technician and gets limited separation as a vertical target. Occasionally, he is thumped and redirected within the pattern and can appear to give less than 100% when not the primary target. A versatile weapon for a creative coordinator, Warren is a multi-faceted player who can help offenses immediately in many different ways. The All-American tight end surely comes off the board within the top 15 picks with so many teams in need of a difference maker at the position. 

Scholar’s Grade: B+

Colston Loveland, Michigan

Prospect Resume

It is embarrassing that the defending National Champions finished the season 129th in Total Offense, averaging only 286 yards and 22 points per game last year. Despite an abysmal offensive environment, Colston Loveland shined in a passing game that rarely got off the ground. The junior playmaker secured 56 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns. He earned Second Team honors as an All-American and in the Big Ten as well as being named a John Mackey Award semifinalist.

As a high school recruit, Loveland was a four-star prospect from Idaho, the No. 1 player in the state and No. 10 tight end in the nation. As a senior, he earned the Gatorade Player of the Year in Idaho after snatching 62 passes for 968 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added 33 carries for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Loveland also played linebacker, recording 66 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two interceptions.

Enrolling at Michigan in 2022, Loveland played in all 14 games with five starts as a true freshman. He corralled 16 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns. He earned the Offensive and Co-Special Teams Rookie of the Year for the Wolverines. As a sophomore, he recorded 45 receptions for 649 yards and four touchdowns. He finished second on the team in catches and yards and was named All-Big Ten selection. Considering the passing game that Loveland was deployed in for three years, his production profile is strong and worthy of first-round consideration.

Film Breakdown and Skills

A fluid mover, Loveland is a smooth athlete who employs a nice combination of speed, quickness, acceleration and body control to win. At 6-6 and 248 pounds, he has the route-running skills to win at all three levels of the field. With loose hips, he gets in and out of his routes easily and changes directions on a dime. He is a master route runner who makes sharp cuts, seeking and finding green grass in zone coverage. Stupendous ball skills, Loveland uses his hands to snag throws and extends arms away from his body to corral the ball. He adjusts well to poorly thrown passes and plays like a power forward on jump balls. He beats smaller-and-quicker defensive backs and easily accelerates after the catch to gain additional yards.

Loveland is not a classic hand-in-dirt tight end. An average run blocker, he blocks better in space than at the line of scrimmage. Additionally, he needs to improve his technique. The junior lacks mass and muscle on his lanky frame, and at times, he gets pushed around. In the ground game, he exhibits a poor-leverage approach and plays with a high-pad level. At the snap, he needs to upgrade hand technique on press coverage. A versatile pass catcher, he ran a detailed route tree and created mismatches against linebackers as a motion playmaker or flex tight end. In a few seasons, Loveland could comfortably reach his ceiling as a fantasy player. 

Scholar’s Grade: B

Mason Taylor, LSU

Prospect Resume 

Unlike his NFL Hall of Fame father DE Jason, Mason Taylor plays on the offensive side of the football and profiles as a classic two-way tight end in the NFL. After three years on campus, Taylor leaves the program as the most productive tight end with 129 receptions for 1,308 yards and six touchdowns.

Taylor is the Tigers’ only tight end with over 100 receptions and 1,000 yards in school history and is LSU’s career record holder in both categories at the position. Last year, Taylor matured into one of the leading tight ends in the country and concluded his tenure by catching at least one pass in 28 straight games.

College Honors

In 2024, the Senior Bowl participant started every regular-season game for the Tigers and snatched 55 passes for 546 yards and two touchdowns. In program history among tight ends, the receptions set the school single-season record and the yards ranked second. Amidst his 55 receptions, 37 resulted in a first down for LSU. He was named Third Team All-SEC and SEC Academic Honor Roll. In 2023, the sophomore registered 36 catches for 348 yards and a score. He finished third on the team in receptions and ended the campaign with a seven-catch, 88-yard performance against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

As a true freshman, Taylor immediately stepped onto the gridiron and displayed his pass-catching skills. He caught 38 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns. He played in all 14 games, starting 13. The receptions and yards were a school high for a freshman tight end at LSU. He was named Freshman All-SEC and All-SEC Freshman of the Week against Alabama. A three-star prospect in high school from Florida, Taylor was the No. 7 ranked tight end recruit in the country and played for the 7A Florida state champion team in 2020.

Film Breakdown and Skills

At 6-5 and 255 pounds, Taylor is a versatile and fluid all-around playmaker with the ability to hold his own as a blocker in the ground game. With good tools, he has a high football IQ and a clutch gene. A clean and precise route runner, he finds openings in zone coverage. He makes plays at all three levels of the defense with his big frame, natural hands and long arms. With good contact balance, he additionally uses club and swipe maneuvers to get open. A vice-like grip, he maintains focus in traffic and makes difficult catches by contorting his body. Taylor can run the seam and attack defenses vertically while tracking the pass well. Making catches with ease, he rapidly transitions from receiver to runner to gain YAC.

Like many pass-catching college playmakers, Taylor is not a dominant run blocker with limited in-line alignment. When engaging at the point of attack, he gets too high and does not lower his pads. The junior appears to have only one gear while running routes and needs to improve his technique. He was never the No. 1 option in the Tigers’ passing game. Additionally, the majority of catches came within five yards of the line of scrimmage. As a professional, Taylor has the pass-catching skills and athleticism to prosper as a Y tight end. 

Scholar’s Grade: B-

Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

Prospect Resume 

College football fans across the nation were blessed to watch Harold Fannin Jr.‘s record-breaking campaign in 2024. He became the first tight end in history to lead the nation in total receiving yards (1,555), total receptions (117), receiving yards per game (119.6) and receptions per game (9.0), breaking the FBS records in all four aforementioned categories for tight ends. The Mackey Award semifinalist established over 21 Bowling Green marks and was the first Falcons’ player to ever be named Consensus All-American. In the 68 Ventures Bowl, he totaled 213 receiving yards on 17 receptions to close the curtain on his college career. The junior garnered the MAC’s Vern Smith Leadership Award, Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MAC accolades.

College Production

In 2023, the sophomore logged 44 catches for 623 yards and six touchdowns, pacing all MAC tight ends in each category. Among tight ends with at least 35 catches, he averaged 14.2 yards per catch (ypc), which ranked third in the country.

As a freshman in 2022, Fannin played in 12 games: In his lone start at Mississippi State, he finished the afternoon with five catches for 49 yards and his first receiving touchdown. For the campaign, he notched 19 passes for 218 yards and a score. He also led Bowling Green with four rushing touchdowns on only 10 carries.  

High School

Coming out of high school in Canton, OH, Fannin was not heavily recruited and enrolled at Bowling Green as an unrated player. In 2021 as a senior, he played receiver and safety, and he earned Stark County Player of the Year. As a receiver, he snagged 36 passes for 601 yards with six touchdowns and a 78-yard touchdown run. As a defensive back, Fannin was named first-team All-Ohio after recording 106 tackles, two interceptions, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns. He also played on the baseball team in high school.

Film Breakdown and Skills

At 6-4 and 241 pounds, Fannin is light by NFL standards for the position. At the Combine, his results fell short of elite athleticism at his size: He logged a 4.71 in the 40-yard Dash, a 6.97 in the 3-cone Drill and a 4.39 in the 20-yard Shuttle. Nonetheless, he still displayed exceptional football skills on the gridiron in three college seasons. He is a natural hands catcher and easily plucks and high points the ball. Effortlessly reaching peak football speed, he is a crafty and nuanced route runner, who rapidly manipulates defenders with head and body fakes.

A multifaceted competitor, Fannin won from different spots in the formation. The Falcons’ coaching staff diversified Fannin’s assignments—in-line (43%), in the slot (29%) and outside (28%). Using stiff arms and contact balance, he is a dynamic after-the-catch runner, gaining 873 YAC with 34 missed tackles in 2024. He adjusts well to the ball in the air and gets open at the stem, holding onto the ball while getting hit. With quickness and elusiveness, he is also difficult to tackle downfield.

Undersized, Fannin works hard to be a blocker. However, he lacks the girth and power to move defenders backward in the run game. He is not a great blocker but is effective at using his body to wall off defenders. At the point of the attack, he operates with poor pad level and inconsistent technique. He lacks elite athleticism, bend and flexibility. Against press coverage, he occasionally has a poor release package and does not uncover all the time. Fannin will have a role in the NFL. However, he is unlikely to be selected in the first two days of the Draft. 

Scholar’s Grade: B-

Elijah Arroyo, Miami

Prospect Resume 

Before Penn State in recent years, Miami was known as Tight End U and regularly produced All-Americans who became impactful NFL players. Bubba Franks, Jimmy Graham, Greg Olsen, Kellen Winslow, Jr. and Jeremy Shockey were included. It has been years since the Hurricanes developed a high-level prospect at the position. After an eye-opening performance at the Senior Bowl, all systems are a go for Elijah Arroyo to join the elite Miami tight end prospects primed to shine as a pro.

In high school, Arroyo was a four-star recruit, the No. 4 ranked tight end and No. 21 player in Texas. He played varsity for two seasons with over 1,200 receiving yards and 17 scores. Moving on, he selected Miami over Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Penn State. In 2021, the freshman saw action in 12 games and made one start. As a sophomore, he played in four contests before enduring a season-ending injury and only played in six games in 2023. At the end of three crusades, he had logged only 11 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown.

In 2024, Arroyo finally took flight in the Hurricanes’ aerial assault, recording 35 catches for 590 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named Second Team All-ACC and finished his college career with a four-catch, 64-yard and a touchdown performance against Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. At the Senior Bowl, Arroyo impressed onlookers and skyrocketed up draft rankings. Lamentably, the production profile does not pop off the page or pinpoint a cream-of-the-crop prospect like the aforementioned Hurricanes. 

Film Breakdown and Skills

Arroyo is a fascinating quandary between production, athleticism and upside. With two injuries in the past, the four-year competitor missed nearly two seasons with a torn ACL. Also, a minor injury sustained at the Senior Bowl prevented him from participating at the Combine. Every organization will assess the risk-return ratio when grading the former Hurricane.

At 6-4 and 250 pounds, Arroyo illustrated his home-run-hitting ability in his final season on campus, averaging 16.9 ypc. Manipulating opponents, he gets open with good route running and subtle and savvy moves. He also uses eye gestures and head fakes to create separation. With burst and acceleration, Arroyo assaults press coverage and gets defenders backpedaling on their heels. With a 6’9” wingspan, he secures the pass with body control and a big frame to gain positioning on defenders. His sticky hands allow him to pluck the ball in the air away from his body. The former Hurricane challenges safeties deep and conquers opponents at the stem. He does not shy away from the middle of the defense. With the ball in his hands, the 21-year-old does not waste time, plowing forward and embracing contact.

As an F tight end prospect, Arroyo’s medical history pinpoints long-term health concerns and is limited as an in-line blocker. He gives good effort in the ground game but does not show top-level play strength at the line of scrimmage. An inexperienced pass catcher, he only recorded 46 career receptions in four years. Occasionally, he appears to lack quickness and agility getting off the snap. An organization willing to embrace the unrealized promise will push Arroyo up its draft board.

Scholar’s Grade: B-

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