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John Johnson's fantasy football outlooks for early-round rookie tight ends from the 2025 NFL Draft. Read RotoBaller's outlooks for Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and more.
The rookie tight-end class from the 2025 NFL Draft was one of the more stacked classes at its position in recent memory. There was one prospect widely considered to be a blue-chip player, and he wasn't even the first TE taken in the draft. That was surprising to some, but not to all.
Although tight ends are a somewhat devalued position in the NFL, especially when it comes to drafting, for the jobs they're tasked to do with their teams, there were five tight ends selected in the first two rounds. In addition, one was chosen early in the third round. Those will be the six players we focus on today.
The earlier a player is taken, the bigger chance they have of immediately getting significant roles in the offense, and thus producing nicely for fantasy football. For later-round picks, it's tougher. But situation and coaching staff dictate how these things happen, so let's dive into fantasy football outlooks for the top-6 drafted tight ends from 2025!
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Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears surprised most of the fantasy football community and a lot of those following this year's rookie class when they selected Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He became the first tight end on the board, even above the Penn State TE that was widely touted as the No. 1 prospect at this position.
Some of my flag plants for rookies:
-Travis Hunter (WR1) will play mostly WR by season's end
-Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are WR2-3
-Bhayshul Tuten, RJ Harvey, Brashard Smith are top 5 (fantasy upside) RBs
-Colston Loveland is an elite TE prospect and TE1
-Jaxson Dart is QB1— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) April 12, 2025
The NFL agreed with me that Loveland was a better prospect. This is because he's a much better route runner and separator, and despite the lack of statistical production, he has huge upside at his position. He didn't have a great statistical season last year, but that's more than explained by the horrible quarterback play he endured and the shoulder injury he played through.
Loveland, to me, is already the best pass-catching player on his team, if fully healthy. He has an unfair catch radius and moves much more fluidly than anyone at 6-foot-6 should. Ironically, many of the routes he ran would have drawn massive praise if they were run by Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan.
Colston Loveland's catch radius is obscene pic.twitter.com/G7ce44pvjX
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) March 26, 2025
The outlook here is tough, though. He has a lot of competition for targets between WRs DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden III. Yet, his draft capital suggests that he will get immediate work. And he's the biggest mismatch of the pass-catchers, easily.
In redraft leagues, you should probably just ignore the competition, bet on the talent, and take him at his ADP. He could be a monster red-zone target and rack up eight or more receiving touchdowns. In an elite offensive system like those Bears head coach Ben Johnson implements, it's better to ignore the noise.
I expect Loveland to finish as a top-10 TE this season. So, he's worth his price.
Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts
A player I'm less sure about is Warren, who was drafted four picks after Loveland was taken. There was a lot of praise in the predraft process for Warren's ability to run the ball, but that might honestly be too emphasized in fantasy football spaces right now.
Warren is much less polished as a tight end than Loveland is, specifically as a separator. He's excellent at the catch point and with the ball in his hands as a runner, but do we think he'll be a big priority in the run game? The Colts already have running back Jonathan Taylor and quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones.
Up there for one of my favorite Tyler Warren highlights.
A Tight End…running the wildcat…runs a QB draw/counter play…48 yard touchdown…not TOUCHED by a single defender…
Maybe the only play of its kind on tape…ever
Truly a 1 of 1 player. pic.twitter.com/s6eMHVKQGO
— Colts Enjoyer (@AR5Renaissance) April 29, 2025
His rushing production was impressive in college, but we don't see tight ends get carries in the NFL, unless we're looking at stupid plays from Arthur Smith. Richardson and Taylor are both easily more talented ball-carriers than Warren. So the idea that he'll just get a million rushing touchdowns makes little sense.
The QB situation isn't very good from a passing perspective, either. And head coach Shane Steichen has been mostly lukewarm so far, though that could be a QB issue. Still, it might take multiple years for that situation to work itself out.
Different aspects of players' games translate differently to the next level. Elite separation skills translate the best (unless you consider non-elite skills elite, which happens sometimes in football analysis) and translate better than tight-end rushing ability. Warren's first year should be pretty rocky, with flashes of big-play ability interspersed with disappointing games here and there.
Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets
The name "Jets" should tell you most of what you need to know. Taylor is a solid all-around prospect and the biggest riser in the predraft process of all of the tight ends. But he'll be on the Jets offense with quarterback Justin Fields throwing him the ball. Fields has never supported more than one fantasy-relevant pass-catcher in one season.
Justin Fields constantly getting sacked after holding the ball for 15 seconds every play because he can't read a fucking defense is his offensive line's fault.
— Barry (@BarryOnHere) September 17, 2023
I'm also not sure what people expect to happen. I guess the incorrect discourse that his Bears offensive lines were some of the worst in league history is swaying a lot of opinions, but literally every evaluation metric for their pass-blocking during his tenure shows that it was fine to good.
It's very telling that rookie Tyson Bagent was virtually untouched with the same line Fields constantly ran into sacks behind. Maybe wide receiver Garrett Wilson will have a fine season, but Fields cannot read defenses, and locks onto his first read before throwing the ball, taking the checkdown, or just running into another sack.
Taylor doesn't have much upside in this situation, and he's not some uber-talented player that warrants drafting anyway.
Terrance Ferguson, TE, Los Angeles Rams
It's been too many times that a new TE comes into the Rams organization and is hyped as a player to unseat tight end Tyler Higbee from his role as the team's clear TE1. The next one in line appears to be Ferguson, who was a pretty good athlete at his position in 2024.
Terrance Ferguson was one of the most productive tight ends in college football last season, especially after the catch: pic.twitter.com/lzRFnROTt1
— Wyatt Miller (@wymill07) April 26, 2025
What's most impressive is his abilities after the catch and his long speed. But even though Higbee was recovering from an ACL tear, he looked good in his first game back. I don't think Fergie will unseat Higbee just yet, and I imagine Higbee will remain as the TE1. Ferguson is a dynasty stash for now.
Elijah Arroyo, TE, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks don't have a good quarterback situation. It's terrible. And their offensive line is putrid, as usual, because Seattle general manager John Schneider is a clown who doesn't deserve the job he has. He refuses to fix it. Because of this, all Seattle pass-catchers have significantly restricted upside.
Elijah Arroyo’s top speed last season was 21.8 MPH — only 6 NFL ballcarriers had a higher max speed in 2024 🏎️
For reference, Xavier Worthy’s top speed was 21.46 MPH, per @NextGenStats
Arroyo is 6’4 1/2” and 251 pounds 😲
🎥: @RAanalytics
pic.twitter.com/JThDEcfu0B https://t.co/G9uLDwrOFc
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 28, 2025
Arroyo is an elite athlete in terms of straight-line speed, and not a bad route runner or separator. But I can't get over the quarterback situation.
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
Fannin is likely destined to spend his first year backing up TE David Njoku. Njoku is likely on his way out within the next two years, so we could see Fannin take over the TE1 job then. But probably not this year. And the Browns have a circus of a quarterback situation right now.
Harold Fannin is the perfect example of a small, slow, bad athlete who draft media people can’t admit is bad, simply because of the stat sheet. He produced, so he has to be good. Also proves most people cannot see movement skill on tape.
— Justen Gammel (@gamscout) April 1, 2025
And he's not a good athlete. I've been bashing him for quite some time. Who wants Browns pass-catchers anyway? I don't expect him to be fantasy-relevant in Year 1 unless Njoku gets hurt and the Browns get extremely lucky regarding their QB situation.
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