Gunnar Helm | Texas 6’5” 241 lbs Sept. 6th, 2002 (22)
Gunnar Helm was drafted by the Tennessee Titans, becoming the 7th tight end and 120th overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
| Season | Team | Conf | Class | G | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Y/G |
| 2021 | Texas | Big 12 | FR | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| 2022 | Texas | Big 12 | SO | 13 | 5 | 44 | 8.8 | 0 | 3.4 |
| 2023 | Texas | Big 12 | JR | 14 | 14 | 192 | 13.7 | 2 | 13.7 |
| 2024 | Texas | SEC | SR | 16 | 60 | 786 | 13.1 | 7 | 49.1 |
| Career | 55 | 79 | 1022 | 12.9 | 9 | ||||
Gunnar Helm is a rare case of a 4-year player who neither redshirted nor transferred. Although he appeared in nearly every game in his first 3 years, Helm did not produce much on the field during those seasons.
Helm came alive during his breakout senior season, leading his Texas team in receptions, and finished second in yards and touchdowns behind 2025 1st Round Pick Matthew Golden. Ultimately, Helm was named to the 2024 All-SEC 2nd Team.
FILM
On film, Gunnar Helm doesn’t display elite speed or separation, but his reliable hands (only two drops across four seasons) and wide catch radius made him a trusted target in Steve Sarkisian’s offense last season. There should be concerns over his larger body of work, as he does not have much film or highlights from his first three seasons.
Although there is room for improvement as a run blocker, Helm shows well as a pass blocker and certainly does enough to stay on the field. He was trusted in a wide variety of sets for the Texas offense.
ATHLETIC TESTING
News broke during the NFL Combine that Helm suffered a sprained ankle during a false start on his 40-yard attempt, but he persevered to complete his athletic testing. A 4.84-second forty leaves a lot to be desired, and he finished near the bottom or at the bottom of the class for his 10-yard split and broad jump. Helm had not healed in time for the Texas Pro Day, so his true testing results will forever remain a mystery.
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Average
Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Above-average
While landing in the 4th Round is a nice overall capital, Helm was still the 7th tight end off the board. Given he only has one season of real college production and had questionable athletic testing, this is adequate capital as an early Day 3 selection.
I am more interested in where Helm landed, however. He lands with the Titans, whose tight end room currently consists of 2022 4th-round pick Chig Okonkwo and 2023 5th-round pick Josh Whyle. Neither has taken over, which could leave an opening for Helm to develop as a go-to target for Cam Ward.
FANTASY INSIGHTS
Helm represents an intriguing late-round dart throw, particularly in TEP formats. He barely cracks the top 50 TE overall. In rookie drafts, Helm is likely to be available near the end of the 4th round or early 5th round, and could easily outplay that capital even as a rookie. Keep tabs on the Titans this summer to see if Helm can emerge as a reliable target, as, outside of Calvin Ridley, there are many questions about the Titans’ pass catchers going into 2025.
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