Gunnar Helm brings instant competition to Titans tight end room and a skillset that is perfect for Brian Callahan's offense
Gunnar Helm is going to be a huge part of the Titans offense in 2025.
NASHVILLE – While the Tennessee Titans prioritized developmental prospects over pro-ready types during the 2025 NFL Draft, one player that will have a large impact as a rookie is Titans tight end Gunnar Helm.
Tennessee selected Helm in the fourth round with the 120th overall selection in the draft. He is a 6-foot-5, highly-productive pass catcher that had 60 catches, 786 yards, and seven touchdowns for the Texas Longhorns in 2024.
Helm is not the toolsiest guy on paper. His combine performance would lead you to believe he is a below average athlete for an NFL tight end, but the college tape says otherwise. He needs to work on his run blocking, but Helm gets open and makes magic happen after the catch. The Titans can't ask for much more than that.
Helm's poor combine numbers can be attributed to an ankle injury he suffered and kept to himself during his workout.
Helm has soft hands, good size, and is more than capable after the catch. In my eyes, that makes him a good candidate to be TE1 in the Titans offense this year.
Titans GM Mike Borgonzi described Helm as a "big, savvy route runner, good in the red zone, also provides a quarterback a big catch radius."
"He's got good run after the catch, too," Borgonzi said during his post-draft press conference on Monday.
Chig Okonkwo certainly brings more to the table from an athleticism standpoint, but Helm's style feels like a better fit for Brian Callahan's offense. Before Josh Whyle had a series of injuries last year, he looked like he was in line to really cut into Okonkwo's snaps. Helm is an even better version of Whyle and I expect him to be on an even more aggressive trajectory.
After Cam Ward, I don't think there will be another rookie on the Titans roster with a bigger 2025 impact than Gunnar Helm. I think the NFL comparisons to Jake Ferguson are really solid. If he's a similar player, he'll easily be the most nationally relevant Titans tight end since Delanie Walker.
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