For years at Texas, Texas tight end Gunnar Helm grew in the shadows like a mushroom behind the explosive Ja’Tavion Sanders. He made the most of his opportunity as a senior in Texas’s TE1 role. What does his scouting report say about his NFL potential?
Gunnar Helm Profile and Measurements
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 250 pounds
Position: Tight End
School: Texas
Current Year: Senior
Gunnar Helm Scouting Report
Strengths
- Smooth start/stop
- Very little wasted movement on hard transitions
- Seam-threatening acceleration
- Comfortable operating on the boundary and after the catch
- Has hurdled multiple defenders in 2024
- Frame density to lower shoulder and absorb contact
- A bit of “make you miss” wiggle with the ball to pick up some extra yards
- Battles his tail off as a pass protector
- Athleticism keeps him in front
- Impressive two-handed strike that accurately lands more often than not
- Can counter length and re-engage after initial losses
- Survived assaults from multiple NFL-level rushers in SEC and CFP games
- Loose and manipulative enough to skirt defenders along the stem to remain on time
- Aggressive demeanor as a blocker
- Post-whistle chippiness
- Good accuracy and patience blocking at the second level
- Impressive blocking presence vs EMOL
- High-IQ player
- Should be a third-down option route wizard at NFL level
- Vice-grip hands
- Only 2 drops on 95 college targets
Weaknesses
- Lovingly embraces second-level defenders at times in the run game
- (hands get wide)
- Inconsistent accuracy as an open-field blocker
- Smooth, but lacking overwhelming explosiveness of difference-making NFL TE
- Natural separation quickness underwhelms despite route-running prowess
- Must improve feel for finding space against zone coverage
- Not bad but could improve
Summary and Draft Projection
There is no such thing as a “sure thing” in the NFL Draft. However, some players radiate a “10-year starter” vibe. It’s often attributed to interior offensive linemen who might not wow viewers with outrageous length, violence, and explosiveness. They simply get the job done.
That doesn’t often exist at tight end. The position seems riddled with confusion from the college to the NFL level. However, that often comes down to blind projection because the player is rarely asked to be more than an in-line blocker or a glorified receiver.
Helm is already a professional tight end. He’ll likely exist in the realm of players who are talented enough to start at the NFL level but not athletically gifted enough to be a 1,000-yard receiver. Helm should provide a positive impact as a run blocker, pass protector, and chain mover with consistent hands. In other words, he can be a quarterback’s best friend.
However, that kind of impact feels like the floor for the Texas tight end. We’ve seen him display a little wiggle on the outside. He hurdled multiple defenders on the boundary in 2024. His ability to elevate and finish over the middle is evident, and he’s a strong 50/50 finisher.
If Helm tests a bit more explosive than anticipated and can hone in on the minor technical improvements as a route runner to use his frame and hands to create a bit more separation than he can naturally with his fluidity, there’s a world where he has a 1,000-yard season or two.
Providing that kind of target for a quarterback while being a positive influence in pass protection and the ground should not be undervalued. He might not even be a top-100 pick depending on how he tests, but there are few better players to bet money on earning a second contract in the 2025 NFL Draft class than Helm.
