The 2025 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Gunnar Helm NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Tight End
School: Texas
Size: 6-foot-5, 250 pounds
Class: Senior
2024 stats: 60 receptions, 786 receiving yards, 7 touchdown catches, 13.1 yards per catch
Helm was a three-star prospect from Colorado who committed to Texas in the class of 2021. As a freshman, Helm didn’t register a stat. For the 2022 season, Helm increased production by catching five passes for 44 yards. He became a bigger part of the offense in 2023, hauling in 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He helped Texas win 12 games that season. In 2024, Helm became a star for the Longhorns, registering 60 receptions for 786 yards and seven touchdown catches. He led the team to 13 wins and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Following the season, Helm started preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft. He is projected to be a second-round pick to fourth-round pick.
Helm has solid size and strength for the tight end position. He stands at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, which is decent size. This allows him to be versatile, as he can be an in-line tight end or split out wide. His size also gives him a wide catch radius as well, which he uses to become a matchup problem for defenses.
His hands are very reliable and he can be trusted by his quarterback. Helm rarely had any focus drops, as he does a good job catching the easy ones. As mentioned, he has a bigger catch radius, hauling in passes that are way off his frame. He can also go over the middle and come down with contested catches.
He is a solid route runner for the position as well. Helm can attack all levels of the defense with the ability to get in and out of his breaks relatively quickly. He ran a decent number of routes at the college level and can continue developing his route tree at the next level. Helm can find the soft spot against zone coverage.
He has the size for it, but Helm could improve as a run blocker. His pad level gets too elevated, so he can lose leverage and fail to sustain blocks. He also needs to work on his hand placement and timing to improve his blocking. If he can add strength and improve technique he can turn blocking into a strength.
While he is a decent athlete, Helm won’t rank in the elite category. He has average speed and acceleration. This may make it hard for him to separate from man-to-man coverage if guarded tightly by a defensive back. It also limits his ability to create after the catch. He will fit in as an NFL athlete, but he won’t exactly stand out.
Helm deserves credit for showing perseverance during his time at Texas, as he didn’t produce a lot early in his career. That also means he only had one year of great production at the college level. His lack of early production, especially with other talented players around him, could be a cause for concern that NFL teams have.
Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Fourth Round Pick
Draft Grade: Third Round Pick
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