This three-star high school recruit out of Colorado committed to the University of Texas, where he played for four seasons, finally stepping up as a senior to become part of the passing attack. He saw minimal use as a receiver throughout his first three years but was active for at least 12 games in each year, operating as a blocker and depth.
His role as a receiver came into focus as a senior and his breakout game was in Week 2 against the Michigan Wolverines when he caught seven passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. He would go on to produce seven more games with five or more carries, including the first round of the College Football Playoffs when he logged 77 yards and a score on six catches in the defeat of Clemson.
Height: 6-5
Weight: 241 pounds
40 time: 4.84 seconds
Helm turned in prototypical measurements at the NFL Combine, slightly slower than most but nearly all tight ends turned in 4.7 to 4.8 40-times. He’s another athlete who also excelled in basketball in high school. Helm may have been little used through his first three seasons with the Longhorns, but he became a reliable outlet for Quinn Ewers in 2024, including all three College Football Playoff games.
Gunnar Helm stats (2021-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
- Great hands that almost never drop a pass
- Big target that is quarterback friendly
- Solid blocker in pass protection
- Red zone threat who comes down with contested catches
- Smart receiver that can find the soft spots in a defense
Cons
- Will need to expand route tree in the NFL
- Speed adequate but no advantage
- Could use further refinement as a run blocker
- Would benefit from bulking up to face NFL defenders
Fantasy Outlook
Gunnar Helm may have a short resume with just the one season of high-level production, but he quickly became a valued part of the Longhorns’ passing game last season. He’s already shown the intelligence and athleticism to suggest he can contribute to any NFL team.
Helm is expected to be a potential late Day 2 pick and an early Day 3 selection at worst. But he will enter the NFL still needing development that may not pay dividends for another year or two down the road. His fantasy value for 2025 is unlikely to be much unless he falls to the right team and situation that provides first-year opportunities.
He’s most likely to end up as a No. 2 tight end for an NFL team but his pass-catching skills will keep him in the passing equation and his ceiling is yet unknown.
