Fantasy Football Tight End Winners From the 2025 NFL Offseason

Brant's top five fantasy football tight ends risers during the 2025 NFL offseason. His TE winners and potential draft targets to watch for 2025 fantasy football.

With the initial wave of free agency and the NFL Draft now complete, rosters are beginning to take shape for the 2025 NFL season, and fantasy drafters are proceeding full steam ahead. Don’t get me wrong, you are a true sicko if you are doing fantasy drafts in early May, but I suppose it is never too early to gain an edge on your opponents.

The tight end position has been in flux over the past few years, as beyond the top few players, it has been somewhat of a wasteland. That could continue to change this year as we saw two tight ends selected in the top fourteen picks of the 2025 NFL Draft, blending young talent such as Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren into the league with savvy veterans and mainstays near the top of the rankings in Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews.

What tight ends won the offseason now that free agency and the draft are behind us? Allow me to dig in.

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Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride is entering year four in the league, and he gets even better each season, finishing 2024 as the TE2 in fantasy scoring despite scoring just three touchdowns all season. Not only is positive touchdown regression in line for the 25-year-old, but he is a sneaky winner of the offseason.

Arizona was largely expected to acquire another weapon, whether through free agency or the draft, to play behind McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr., but Kyler Murray’s arsenal looks largely the same as it did a season ago. That’s right, this offense seems to be more of the same that fed McBride 11.7 targets per game after the bye week last season. McBride is largely considered the TE2 going into draft season, but there is a very fair case to slot him ahead of last year’s rookie sensation, Brock Bowers.

Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars

After opting to move on from Evan Engram following a three-year stint in Jacksonville, Penn State product Brenton Strange is the heir apparent to take over the starting tight end role in new head coach Liam Coen’s offense.

Strange played well in place of Engram a season ago, making headlines on an 11-reception performance in Week 15 against the New York Jets. While the Jags did add an offensive weapon in second overall pick Travis Hunter, Strange looks to be the third receiving option in this offense, headed into the season with minimal tight end talent on the roster behind him. 

Brenton Strange should be a tight end that gives you a ton of ROI and could give you a top 10 season shortly.

Fire away some 4th round rookie picks and see what happens.pic.twitter.com/DuSQxkDdEU

— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) March 13, 2025

The former second-round pick out of Penn State is set for a breakout season and should be rated much higher than his current TE23 grade. A top 12 finish is certainly in the cards for the third-year pro.

Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

The bully-ball tight end out of Penn State landed in the perfect situation to be a significant part of the offense. Look, I know the quarterback situation is in flux. Anthony Richardson has proven nothing, and Daniel Jones is not the guy that fantasy managers want slinging the rock to their key players. But was the Raiders’ room any better last year? The lack of a competent quarterback didn’t stop Bowers from finishing as the TE1 overall, and it is not going to stop Tyler Warren from being a considerable fantasy contributor.

While Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. are formidable receivers, Shane Steichen is going to want to get the ball into the hands of his new weapon. Warren isn’t Bowers, but he isn’t that far off and is a legit contender to pace the Colts in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Priced at TE14 right now, the community is too low on the fourteenth overall pick.

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

Entering his fourth NFL season, Chig Okonkwo has cleared 450 receiving yards in each of his previous three seasons but has never topped 528. This is the year that the athletic tight end will finally break out. Surrounded by abysmal quarterback play in each of his first three seasons, Okonkwo flashed his playmaking ability with some boom weeks.

Will Levis missed a wide open Chig Okonkwo in the flat on this 4th and goal. Bonus Jeffery Simmons lining up at fullback. pic.twitter.com/uC3SRCLAvC

— Streameast News Network (@StreameastNews) December 8, 2024

Now, the 25-year-old finally has a capable quarterback to get him the ball. Behind Calvin Ridley, Tennessee’s receiver room is littered with washed veterans and unproven rookies. Okonkwo could very easily become the second fiddle to Ridley in the passing attack, paired with a young, athletic quarterback who likes to shoot for big plays and go off script. 

While Josh Whyle is still around and Gunnar Helm was drafted in the fourth round, Okonkwo is easily the most explosive tight end on the depth chart. His playmaking ability should earn him the starting job. Currently priced at TE20, he is a boom-or-bust option, but is lined up for a potential breakout.

Mason Taylor, New York Jets

The LSU product never cleared 546 yards or three touchdowns in a season throughout his three-year career, but keep in mind the fact that he played alongside Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Kayshon Boutte, Jack Bech, and Kyren Lacy while in college. Taylor started as a true freshman and was third on the team in receiving yards behind only Nabers and Boutte.

He has all of the athletic tools, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 250 pounds, with very reliable hands. Taylor converted 68 percent of his collegiate receptions for first downs and profiles as a safety blanket option at the next level. Joining the New York Jets, his target competition outside of Garrett Wilson is Allen Lazard, Josh Reynolds, Malachi Corley, Tyler Johnson, Arian Smith, and Jeremy Ruckert.

Taylor is likely to start from Week 1 and will provide a safe checkdown option for the constantly improvising quarterback, Justin Fields. He is currently outside of the top 25 tight ends ADP-wise, yet offers top-12 upside after landing in the perfect situation to garner a heavy target share.

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