By Cooper Girolamo
Where will the top tight ends go in the upcoming NFL Draft? Here is where the perfect fit for the NCAA’s top tight ends are at the next level.
Tyler Warren, Penn State
At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, Penn State’s Tyler Warren is a perfect fit for the Denver Broncos with the 20th pick in the draft. While teams usually like to refrain from drafting a tight end in the first round because of their positional value, Warren is a special talent, and Broncos head coach, Sean Payton has a history of using tight ends in unique ways.
As the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Payton turned Jimmy Graham into the team’s top target. He also revolutionized the tight end position with how he used Taysom Hill. While listed on the depth chart as a tight end he lined up at quarterback, running back, fullback, wide receiver, and of course, tight end. What makes Warren the perfect fit is that he is the same height and similar weight as Graham, but in his time at Penn State he ran the Wildcat at quarterback, lined up as a slot receiver and played fullback, so he could have the build of Graham and play the role of Hill in the Broncos offense.
Warren would take the Bo Nix-led offense to new heights. To top it off the Broncos had statistically the worst tight end room in 2025 in the league with Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins as their tight ends. With their tight end coach Declan Doyle taking the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator job, the soon to be announced new tight end coach can turn Warren into the league’s next great tight end.
Colston Loveland, Michigan
The second tight end on the expert’s big boards is Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. The 6-foot-5, 240 pound 20-year-old is a phenomenal tight end prospect.
He has great hands and is a good route runner as he caught 56 passes for 550 yards and five touchdowns this past season for the Wolverines. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he was playing with a carousel at the quarterback position. His real value comes from him being a safety valve for quarterbacks and being a great blocker.
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He is built like a sixth offensive lineman and brings extra protection for his quarterback. All of this makes Loveland the perfect fit for the Los Angeles Chargers who are in need of a tight end and in need of more weapons for quarterback, Justin Herbert, in general. Loveland being a great safety valve along with being a talented route runner makes him an excellent number two option in that offense behind Ladd McConkey.
His run blocking skills will be vital as the Chargers are a run-first team making him the perfect addition to the running game. The final reason Loveland is the dream fit for the Chargers is because his head coach would be former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. He recruited Loveland to Michigan and used him early and often in his career there. Harbaugh knows how to use Loveland in the best ways, making him the dream fit for the Chargers come April.
Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green
While among experts there isn’t a bona fide No. 3 tight end in this class I think the player with the most upside is Harold Fannin Jr., the tight end from Bowling Green.
Harold Fanin Jr. is an excellent mid round TE option. He was the 1st TE history to lead the nation in rec (117) and yards (1,555).
RB like YAC. GREAT hands (2 drops on 171 targets) and lines up EVERYWHERE (44%) in line (29%) slot (28%) out wide in 2024. #DaBears #NFLdraft… pic.twitter.com/EMhXAQt3Ij
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) February 22, 2025
Fannin is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound beast who can wreck defenses in the blocking and receiving game. This past season for the Falcons he put up ridiculous numbers, posting 115 catches, 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns. This included his season ending with a game where he caught 17 passes for more than 200 yards and a score.
Fannin is on the younger side at only 20-years-old and is considered a little bit of a raw prospect making him the perfect fit for another AFC west team, the Kansas City Chiefs. If they can use of their day two selections on this guy the Chiefs front office will be thrilled. While he is raw, he can learn behind one of the best tight ends in the league and one of the best in Travis Kelce, and be his successor when he decides to retire. With rumors circulating of his potential retirement this offseason the Chiefs will want to find his replacement sooner rather than later. Fannin could become one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite and most reliable targets for years to come.
Tight ends are some of the biggest unsung heroes in today’s game with how they are able to impact the game in multiple ways. Catching passes and pass-blocking for the quarterback and being an influential run-blocker for their running back.
So, ensuring you get a solid, reliable tight end should be at the top of every team’s to-do list and these guys can do that for an NFL team and then some, making it hard to pass-up come April.
