The 2025 NFL Draft class hierarchy is starting to take shape. After Friday’s drills and testing, we’ve seen several tight ends either boost their draft stock or raise concerns. With teams looking for the next difference-making weapon at the position (some might say a joker), athletic testing, hands drills and overall performance in pre-draft events play a significant role in separating prospects. Especially among tight ends where above-average to elite athletic thresholds are critical for them to be usable fantasy commodities at the professional level.

Some tight ends confirmed their status as elite prospects with strong showings, while others left evaluators questioning their upside at the next level. Below, Andrew Erickson and Derek Brown break down the biggest risers and fallers among tight ends after Friday’s workouts.

NFL Draft Risers & Fallers: Tight End

Performance metrics via NFL.com Next Gen Stats.

NFL Draft Risers

Terrance Ferguson (TE – Oregon)

• Key Performance Metrics:
  • 40-yard dash: 4.63 (82nd percentile)
  • Vertical Jump: 39″ (95th percentile)
  • Broad Jump: 122″ (86th percentile)
  • 10-yard split: 1.55 (91st percentile)
• What Stood Out: Terrance Ferguson displayed above-average athletic testing finishing with the second-highest athleticism score among the tight ends who tested. He was first in the vertical jump, 40-yard dash and 10-yard split drills. With a solid 6-foot-5 and 247-pound build, it’s very encouraging for his potential at the next level. Especially when one considers his strong efficiency last year — 14th in yards per route run, 14th in Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade and third in yards after catch (YAC) per reception.
• Draft Stock Impact: It’s possible the strong combine outing will move Ferguson into round three, but he is likely still a Day 3 selection.

-Andrew Erickson

Joshua Simon (TE – South Carolina)

• Key Performance Metrics:
  • 40-yard dash: 4.65 (78th percentile)
  • Vertical Jump: 38″ (93rd percentile)
  • Broad Jump: 124″ (91st percentile)
  • 10-yard split: 1.58 (86th percentile)
• What Stood Out: Joshua Simon stood out at the NFL Scouting Combine. I haven’t gotten to his film and analytics yet, but after his combine performance on Friday, he’s at the top of my list to evaluate once I’m home. Simon tested like a beast. He had 78th percentile marks or higher in every testing metric I care about for a tight end. Add in that last year, among FBS tight ends with at least 20 targets, he ranked 25th in yards per route run and seventh-best in yards after the catch per reception. We might have found a diamond in the rough for fantasy.
• Draft Stock Impact: Per NFL Mock Draft Database, Simon is the TE22 in expected draft position. Needless to say, that will be moving up after the NFL Scouting Combine. With almost every other tight end flopping in Indy, Simon might have put himself on the Day 3 radar.

– Derek Brown

NFL Draft Fallers

Gunnar Helm (TE – Texas)

• Key Performance Metrics:
  • 40-yard dash: 4.84 (33rd percentile)
  • Vertical Jump: 30″ (17th percentile)
  • Three Cone: 7.15 (50th percentile)
  • 10-yard split: 1.69 (24th percentile)
• What Stood Out: Gunnar Helm faceplanted at the combine. There’s no other way to state it. I’m upset for Helm because he could have easily opted out of testing but chose to participate on Friday. I loved his film, but these testing numbers could crush Helm’s draft stock. For fantasy, with these testing figures, Helm is undraftable in all formats.
• Draft Stock Impact: Helm’s expected draft position before the combine was 87th overall. That number will drop like a stone after these testing numbers. Helm could plummet to the end of Day 3 after the combine. I hope I’m wrong.

– Derek Brown

Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – Bowling Green)

• Key Performance Metrics:
  • 40-yard dash: 4.71 (65th percentile)
  • Vertical Jump: 34″ (65th percentile)
  • Broad Jump: 118″ (65th percentile)
  • 10-yard split: 1.56 (89th percentile)
• What Stood Out: Harold Fannin Jr. left something to be desired in the 40-yard dash given he had expectations of running closer to the 4.6s leading up to testing. He was clocked with one of the fastest times at the Senior Bowl, but it didn’t translate to his test on Friday. Had Fannin recorded the fastest time, he likely would have cemented himself inside the Tier 1 of tight ends this class alongside Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland and Elijah Arroyo.
• Draft Stock Impact: Could very much see Fannin’s “tweener status” and lack of elite speed have him fall outside of the first three rounds.

– Andrew Erickson

Final Thoughts

After Friday’s disappointing combine showing for many of the Tier 2 tight ends in this draft class, the divide between the top three tight ends of this class and the rest of the prospects just widened. This could lead to tight-end needy teams to trade up or aggressively draft “their guy” to not miss out on a premium player at this position.

The ray of sunshine from Friday is that Terrance Ferguson put himself firmly on the map as a solid Day 3 selection with the faint hope of hearing his name called on Day 2. Joshua Simon also breathed new life into his NFL draft stock. The tangled web that the NFL Draft process weaves will keep us all glued to the news as the rest of it unfolds. I’m primed and ready for the chaos that the next few weeks will bring.

Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Podcast Addict | TuneIn