2025: 7 for 7 Series

[Seattle Person]

This tight end group is very very deep. You can get any type of ice cream flavor here. You can get your FB/TE hybrids, your move TE, your H-back, your Inline guy. There are a lot of names to consider. Here are some I think I want to highlight for the Seahawks and the offense they might run under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Despite so many thinking we need a blocking type of TE, I think this scheme is versatile enough to include a moving TE as well. Think Juwan Johnson last season with the Saints. Think George Kittle for the 49ers. I’ve decided not do a full 7 round coverage because it’s just so hard to predict day 3 guys. I’ve just categorized them as day 3.

1st Round

• Tyler Warren: 6'5, 256 lbs: He’ll be 23 in his rookie season. Tyler Warren is the best H-back in this draft class. He is capable of doing everything. He can block, he can catch, he can YAC, and he can throw. He isn’t as fast as George Kittle, but he might be more physical. He isn’t the same type of blocker as Kittle as well. Warren should be used as a ‘wildcard’ type of TE. I don’t think I want to bottle him up as a traditional inline TE. He fits all sorts of schemes.
• Colston Loveland: 6'5, 248 lbs: He’ll be 21 in his rookie season. Unlike Warren – Loveland is your move TE specialist. Offensive weapon and mismatch nightmare. He can block, but he isn’t a bruiser. He sort of gets in the way of others. He can be a YAC machine. He runs the best routes among the TEs in this class. He has a very lanky build but pulls away from defenders with the ball in his hands. I think of him as a faster Travis Kelce or a Jimmy Graham type of TE. I think he is closer to Kelce than Graham because Loveland is much more willing to block than Graham.

2nd Round

• Mason Taylor: 6'5, 251 lbs: He'll be 21 in his rookie season. To me, Taylor shouldn’t be bottled up as a traditional TE as well. I think he is closer to Loveland as he needs to be in the slot or moving around to be fully utilized. He is a smooth athlete that runs good routes and knows how to settle in the soft spots of different zone looks. He isn’t overly physical. He seems more finesse, but you can do a lot with him. He reminds me a lot of Noah Fant or a lesser version of Travis Kelce.

3rd Round

• Oronde Gadsden II.: 6'4, 243 lbs: 34 (Vertical), 9’6 (Broad): He'll be 22 in his rookie season. Now we are getting into the fun part of the draft for me when it comes to TEs. I think Gadsden is being very underrated by Seahawks fans. Gadsden was very productive in college and brings a lot of versatility and athleticism. He started as a WR and then moved over to TE. He reminds me a lot of Darren Waller – the receiving weapon. Here is the kicker. I think he is a very underrated blocker. That being said, he’s not going to hold up full time inside as a traditional inline blocker. He can’t really hold the line against DEs or Edges. He is a functional blocker though. He is willing to do it. You do need to have a plan if you’re planning to have him on the team.

4th Round

• Thomas Fidone: 6'5, 243 lbs, 4.70 (40-yard), 1.57 (10-yard), 4.29 (Shuttle), 7.01 (3 Cone), 35.5'' (Vertical), 10’6 (Broad): He'll be 23 in his rookie season. Fidone is your traditional inline TE. He has some versatility as he can block and catch. He isn’t going to route guys up or win off of his speed. He is a really solid TE that is capable of doing a little bit of everything. I think he’s closer to being a TE2 but you’ll need those on your team. Guys that contribute by playing specific roles.
• Jackson Hawes: 6’4, 253 lbs, 4.82 (40-yard), 1.56 (10-yard), 4.40 (Shuttle), 34.5'' (Vertical), 10’1 (Broad), 16 reps (Bench): He’ll be 23 but turns 24 by the end of his rookie season. Hawes is going to be very limited as a pass catcher. He’ll have to win by surprising defense on bootlegs or play action. He’ll be a really good option on leak concepts. He isn’t the best mover or the most fluid athlete. Where he’ll do damage is in the run game. He is probably the most technical and devastating TE blocker in this draft class. He is an extra OT on the field. Capable of pass blocking full time Edges. He can block from any alignment and any role. He can even play full back.
• Benjamin Yurosek: 6’4, 245, 4.64 (40-yard), 4.39 (Shuttle), 7.16 (3-cone), 31.5'' (Vertical), 9’7 (Broad): He'll be 23 in his rookie season. This is my dude. This is my favorite TE in the whole class. Plant the flag here. One of the biggest upside and the darkest dark horses in the whole draft. If you look back at 2021 and 2022, Yurosek lit up the Pac 12 up as one of the best TEs in the country. He was used everywhere as an inline, H-back, FB, and slot guy. He was even running end-arounds for 50 yards as a TE! Natural hands catcher that needed to improve his blocking. He was injured in 2023 and then transferred to Georgia to replace Brock Bowers. Georgia’s offense was in turmoil in 2024 and pretty much every dude on offense didn’t take off. He worked on blocking a lot and now will block his ass off. The talent and the athleticism are still there. This is a first round talent folks and he’ll go much later in the draft. He wasn’t even invited to the Combine. Many are loving Lachey out of Iowa but I don't. I don't see the same juice from him as I see from Yurosek.

Day 3

• Moliki Matavao: 6’5, 260 lbs, 33'' arms, 4.81 (40-yard), 1.60 (10-yard), 22.5'' (Vertical) 9’6 (Broad): He'll be 22 in his rookie year. Another option as a TE2 type that fits the traditional inline role. He is a little stiff and runs upright. Solid at everything and is a good blocker. He doesn’t have the best upside but I think he’s a get the job done type of player. Not overly exciting but as a TE2, you can do a lot worst.
• Robbie Ouzts: 6’3, 274 lbs, 33'' arms, 4.91 (40-yard), 1.64 (10-yard), 4.45 (Shuttle), 7.34 (3-cone), 34'' (Vertical), 9’11 (Broad), 26 reps (Bench): He'll be 23 in his rookie year. Another option as a TE2 type that fits the traditional inline role. He is a marginal NFL athlete at best but can be useful. He is never going to headline for the team but he can be used as a blocker inline or as a fullback. He does his job and you need those on a team. Likeable player that fans will get behind.

UDFA

• Stevo Klotz: 6'4, 260 lbs: He’s my favorite FB option. I don’t think he’ll get drafted but fans are going to fall in love with this guy. He is a solid TE like Matavao and Ouzts but he is a psychopath on the football field. He throws his body at dudes when he’s blocking as a TE or FB. Just reckless abandonment on the field. I hope the team snatches him up after the draft to compete for a FB job. Really smart dude, really likable, and he’s a Macdonald type of guy. Just comes to do his job.

 

[FortWorthSeahawk]

Good list! I didn't see Harold Fannin Jr out of Bowling Green on here though, and he could go on Day 2. Are you classifying him more as a WR then a TE due to his size? Or do you think he'd just be a bad fit for the offense?

 

[Seattle Person]

Good list! I didn't see Harold Fannin Jr out of Bowling Green on here though, and he could go on Day 2. Are you classifying him more as a WR then a TE due to his size? Or do you think he'd just be a bad fit for the offense?

I like Fannin but there are certain things that make me question his fit and his transition to the NFL. I think he'll have a similar effect to Isaiah Likely. That's a fair comparison in my opinion. They are both undersized but average athletes. However, as a TE2 or a big slot, they can do damage depending on my matchup and team.

However, in the grand scheme of things -- I don't like him as much as some of the names I listed. I'll have a lot of names, but it doesn't mean I don't like them as players.

 

[Allweatherfan]

I think Terrance Ferguson would be a fantastic fit in this offense

 

[Seattle Person]

I think Terrance Ferguson would be a fantastic fit in this offense

Yup. I have him in the 3rd round range. However, I do think Gadsden is better. I also think Yurosek is better.

 

[Seattle Person]

This WR group is not super great at the top end but has a very rich middle class. I love the WRs from the 2nd-5th. I also see some real intrigue in the later rounds as well.

1st Round

• Matthew Golden: 5'11, 191 lbs, 4.29 (40-yard): He’ll be 22 in his rookie season. Matthew Golden to me is the highest upside dude in the first round. The most interesting thing about him is despite running 4.29, he doesn't always have that deep threat component in-game. He isn't the best at running go-balls or deep routes. Maybe Texas didn't showcase this or he needs to improve in this area. What he is really good at is breaking and snapping off his routes at the top of the stem. Because of his quickness and acceleration, he runs really good post, dig, and corner routes. Anything that requires him to make a break and he'll kill CBs. He has a good package of releases and he should fit into this timing based offense. The upside is there but there is something missing from him.

2nd Round

• Jack Bech (TCU): 6'1, 214 lbs: 4.21 (shuttle), 6.84 (3-cone), 34.5'' (vertical), 10'5 (broad), 19 reps (bench): He'll be 23 in his rookie season. Jack Bech does everything well. He just isn't the fastest dude. What is really underrated about his game is his agility. He has very good abilities to break off of routes and beat dudes at the top of the route. His routes might look messy and contested through 80% of the route, but he wins at the end. He also excels at contested catches and he excels after the catch. It's a load getting him to the ground. Extra bonus that he punishes CBs in the run game. He's a lot of fun to watch. I think he's more explosive than people think. He's quicker than what people think. He'll surprise CBs when he runs by them.
• Jayden Higgins (Iowa State): 6'4, 214 lbs: 4.47 (40-yard), 4.21 (shuttle), 39'' (vertical), 10'8 (broad): He'll be 22 in his rookie season. Higgins is a smooth operator. He isn't as physical and isn't the blocker Bech is. He can threaten folks deep though. He is a mix of Drake London and Mike Evans. He has that long and lanky build with built up speed. Where he is going to make his money is in the intermediate game. One of the better route runners in this draft class. He can run almost every route. He isn't the biggest YAC guy and sometimes will struggle with contested catches if it's too physical. I also love Jaylin Noel in the 2nd.

3rd Round

• Kyle Williams (Washington State).: 5'10, 190 lbs: 4.40 (40-yard), 36.5'' (Vertical), 9’11 (Broad): He'll be 23 in his rookie season. If Kyle Williams was a little taller, he would go higher in my opinion. This is my plant the flag WR. Jack Bech is a close 2nd, but I'm rolling with K-Boom. He's a complete WR that can win at all 3 levels. Honestly, why isn't he a first round mention? He has one of the deepest release packages in the class, he runs good routes, and shows late eyes and late hands when running deep. He is the best deep threat in this draft class in my opinion. The way he releases from the line, the way he sells his routes, and the way he finishes makes him the best to me. He isn't the most physical player and isn't the best blocker. He reminds me of Tyler Lockett the most from this draft class. A close clone is Tai Felton from Maryland.

4th Round

• Tory Horton (Colorado State): 6'2, 196 lbs, 4.41 (40-yard), 1.53 (10-yard), 4.29 (Shuttle), 37.5'' (Vertical): He'll be 23 in his rookie season. Horton tore his ACL in the middle of the 2024 season, and was cleared to run the 40 during the Combine. He is still a little bit raw when it comes to running routes. Colorado State used him a lot at the L.O.S on WR screens. He has YAC ability and is a hands-catcher. He can high point the ball and has legit speed. He ran a 4.41 while still recovering from his injury. There is more in the tank. A lot to like. I would like to see him more willing to block and at the NFL level, he has to. Really impressive athlete that has really good upside. Elic Ayomanor is another physical WR that could go around this range.

Day 3

• Chimere Dike (Florida): 6’0, 196 lbs, 4.34 (40-yard), 4.27 (shuttle), 6.82 (3-cone), 38.5'' (Vertical) 10’8 (Broad): He'll be 22 in his rookie year. Dike has great speed. He is a legit deep threat that likes to run deep posts and go balls. He runs pretty good routes as well. Sleeper in this draft class. He needs to work on getting in and out of his breaks. He leaves a lot to be desired and if he can do this, he'll become a legit NFL WR. With his speed, he gets easy separation.
• Dont'e Thornton Jr. (Tennessee): 6’4, 205 lbs, 4.30 (40-yard), 33'' (Vertical), 10’6 (Broad): He'll be 22 in his rookie year. If you're looking for a MVS clone then Thorton Jr. is your dude. Their skill sets almost mirrors each other. Tall and lanky. They both possess track speed. They stretch the defense vertically. Thornton led the country in YPC in 2024, but needs to develop his full route tree. However, if you want to use him like the rookie D.K Metcalf, he could become useful his first year.

UDFA

• Efton Chism (E. Washington): 5'10, 185 lbs, 4.71 (40 Yard), 4.06 (Shuttle), 6.77 (3-Cone), 34.5'' (Vertical), 9'10 (Broad): His testing profile has a lot of similarities as Cooper Kupp, but Kupp ran a 4.6 instead. They are both quicker than fast. Chism doesn't quite have the production and hype around him though. I don't know how much interest the Hawks have in him, but I think he can compete for a spot or a practice squad spot. Good route runner. Knows how to settle in zones. Good breaks in and out. Tough kid.