Oregon put together one of the best passing attacks in college football this past year, and a big part of that was tight end Terrance Ferguson.
A two-time all-conference tight end during his four years with the Ducks, Ferguson was a steady target for their passing attack over the course of his collegiate career. Now, he projects as one of the more intriguing tight end prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Terrance Ferguson’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 255 pounds
- Position: Tight End
- School: Oregon
- Current Year: Senior
Scouting Report
Coming out of high school, Ferguson was a four-star recruit and one of the top-ranked TE prospects in the 2021 graduating class. He starred at Heritage High School in Littleton, Colo., and committed as an early enrollment recruit to Oregon. Though he skipped his spring-delayed senior season to join the Ducks early, he tallied 54 receptions for 929 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.
Ferguson contributed to Oregon’s offense right away, playing in 14 games and starting eight as a true freshman in 2021. His numbers were modest, but he still led the Ducks’ tight end room with 15 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
The 2022 season saw Ferguson step into a bigger role for the Ducks, as he saw his targets increase to 37 compared to 21 the year before. He finished second on the team and third among Pac-12 tight ends with five touchdown receptions. He also caught 27 passes for 307 yards, generating a targeted passer rating of 125.8.
His touchdown ended up being his career-high at the collegiate level. On his 37 targets, he dropped only one pass all year.
In Ferguson’s third year with Oregon and his second year with Bo Nix as his quarterback, the tight end continued to increase his production in his junior year. He caught 36 passes for 379 receiving yards and three touchdowns, catching an impressive 85.7% of the targets that came his way. This performance saw him named a first-team All-Pac-12 tight end for the 2023 season.
Though Ferguson generated some NFL buzz after his 2023 campaign, he opted to come back to school for his senior year in 2024. He caught 35 passes for a career-high 490 yards, averaging 15.0 yards per catch and adding two receiving touchdowns in the process. With Oregon’s move to the Big Ten that year, Ferguson was recognized as a third-team All-Big Ten member in his final season in college.
Strengths
- Well-built tight end with a large catch radius and a frame that carries his estimated 255 pounds of weight very well.
- Willing and capable screen blocker along the perimeter whose length and size allow him to manhandle defensive backs at the point of attack.
- Versatile from an alignment perspective, as he’s taken 43.8% of his college snaps in the slot and 40.7% as an in-line tight end.
- A career drop rate of 5.8% is above average for the tight end position.
- Has shown the ability to manipulate soft spots against opposing defenses’ zone coverage, adjusting the tempo and depth of his route to work himself open.
- Offers enough quickness off the line of scrimmage and deep speed relative to his size needed to serve as a capable vertical threat.
- Natural hands catcher who can regularly make the grab away from his frame.
- Plays with good pad level and effort as an in-line blocker.
Weaknesses
- Drop percentage increased from 5.3% in 2023 to 10.3% in 2024.
- Doesn’t stand out as elite in a particular aspect of his game.
- Tends to lunge as a run blocker, and that missed timing can see his balance affected when he’s battling in the trenches.
- Called for eight penalties combined throughout his final two seasons at Oregon.
- Movements as a route runner feel too rounded at times.
- Being a taller route runner, it can be tough for him to sink his hips into his cuts and explode out of them at a high level.
- Doesn’t create tremendous separation against man coverage.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Ferguson is a steady “U” tight end, giving him hybrid capabilities as your traditional in-line tight end and as a weapon out of the slot, as well.
With an NFL-ready build and intriguing flashes as a blocker, Ferguson certainly looks the part physically. He’s a good enough athlete to make plays across the middle of the field, and when he gets his focus right, he’s a sure-handed, big-bodied target who can make grabs in tight coverage.
On tape, Ferguson looks the part of a good but not great athlete. His long-strided style of running can see him get open sometimes against zone, but he’s not a tremendous route runner due to average lateral quickness and a lack of consistent nuance in his release packages. That hurts his upside at the next level a bit, even though his catch radius and physicality give him red-zone potential.
Overall, Ferguson feels like good value in Round 5 as a developmental backup tight end. In due time, he may grow into a starting role, but a TE2 role seems more likely for him. Nevertheless, he’s someone worth drafting and keeping around to see how he grows his game.
