There is a new contender to challenge Michigan's Colston Loveland for 2025 NFL Draft TE1

Gunnar Helm has game.

Cory Kinnan | 3 Hours Ago

Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm (85) carries the ball as the Texas Longhorns take on Colorado State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Texas Longhorns

Michigan's Colston Loveland boasted the title of the 2025 NFL Draft top rated tight end all summer long and into the season. However, Texas Football tight end Gunnar Helm is ready to give Loveland a run for his money.

Entering the season with just 192 yards and two touchdowns from the year before, Helm has already exceeded that total in just four games. Becoming the favorite target of quarterback Quinn Ewers, Helm burst onto the scenes against the Wolverines, racking up 98 yards and a touchdown on seven catches in Ann Arbor. He had one massive catch and run the following week against UTSA where he hurdled a defender in the open field before Ewers left the game with an injury.

Watching over his tape, it is hard to poke a hole into the game of Helm as well. He has soft, soft hands as he reels in the football. He plays with fluidity and balance when getting in and out of his breaks as a receiver, he is one of the better blocking tight ends in the class, and has proven capable to run routes to any level of the field and from a multitude of alignments.

We talk about Helm and his potential ascension toward becoming the best tight end in the class in the latest episode of the Daft on Draft Podcast:

During their Build-a-Tight End episode, both @fakecorykinnan and @DaltonBMiller soft launch (more like a full send) a hot take about Texas TE Gunnar Helm... pic.twitter.com/fwvAvUHxUv
— Daft on Draft Podcast (@DaftonDraft) September 26, 2024

You can listen to the full episode where we build a tight end prospect using only 2025 NFL Draft prospects on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. And yes, Loveland is utilized in this practice and is a stellar prospect. Even if Helm may have a bit of favor in my eyes.

There is still plenty of ballgame left for both Helm and Loveland to continue to stake their claim as the top tight end in the class, but it is no longer a runaway race in favor of the Michigan man.