Notre Dame's Mitchell Evans, UNC's Bryson Nesbit top 2025 tight end watch list

The only tight end to be drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft was Brock Bowers. That number will likely increase next season as we see several tight ends who will enter the season with high grades including Michigan’s Colston Loveland, North Carolina’s Bryson Nesbit, and Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans. The class also looks to have good depth as 50 tight ends make my preseason watch list.

Please note these players are not listed in any particular order, and this is only a watch list.

2025 NFL Draft: One tight end to watch in each conference

ACC: Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina: The most productive tight end returning to school is Bryson Nesbit who over the past two seasons has led all tight ends with 1,092 receiving yards. A trait that sticks out when watching his film is how athletic he is which allows him to consistently make the tough catch.

Big 10: Colston Loveland, Michigan: The Michigan Wolverines lost a lot of firepower this offseason, but one player who is returning is tight end Colston Loveland. Loveland who is viewed as one of the top tight ends in the 2025 NFL Draft was named Michigan’s offensive player of the week five times last year.

Big 12: Tyler Foster, Oklahoma State: A transfer to watch is Tyler Foster who made the move to Oklahoma State after starting his career at Ohio. The 6-foot-7 tight end hauled in 20 passes last season.

SEC: Benjamin Yurosek, Georgia: I had high hopes for former Stanford tight end Benjamin Yurosek going into the season naming him to my preseason All-Underrated team. However, he had a disappointing year catching only 16 passes while missing the final six games of the year due to a shoulder injury. He will look to rebound this season with his new team the Georgia Bulldogs.

Non-Power Four: Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame : A player who enters the season with some questions is Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans who suffered a torn ACL in the 8th game of the season last year. When healthy though he was extremely productive catching 29 passes and forcing ten missed tackles which was second among tight ends just behind Brock Bowers.

2025 NFL Draft tight end watch list

CJ Dippre, Alabama

Colston Loveland, Michigan

Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame

Brant Kuithe, Utah

Benjamin Yurosek, Georgia

Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina

Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss

Jack Velling, Michigan State

Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech

Luke Lachey, Iowa

Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

RJ Maryland, SMU

Alex Bauman, Tulane

Oscar Cardenas, UTSA

Tyler Warren, Penn State

Addison Ostrenga, Iowa

Heinrich Haarberg, Nebraska

Nate Boerkircher, Nebraska

Thomas Fidone II, Nebraska

Will Kacmarek, Ohio State

Sean Brown, Jacksonville State

Bentley Hanshaw, Liberty

Tanner Koziol, Louisville

Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

Tyler Foster, Oklahoma State

Anthony Torres, Toledo

Bryce Pierre, Arizona State

Terrance Ferguson, Oregon

Sam Roush, Stanford

Moliki Matavao, UCLA

Hudson Habermehl, UCLA

Lake McRee, USC

Kendall Karr, Coastal Carolina

Zach Horton, James Madison

Jake Briningstool, Clemson

Kyle Morlock, Florida State

Gavin Bartholomew, Pittsburgh

Drake Dabney, TCU

Mason Tharp, Texas Tech

Kole Taylor, West Virginia

Keleki Latu, Nevada

Mark Redman, Louisville

Dominick Mazotti, San Jose State in transfer portal

Treyton Welch, Wyoming

Amari Niblack, Texas

Rivaldo Fairweather, Auburn

Oscar Delp, Georgia

Mason Taylor, LSU

Joshua Simon, South Carolina

Carter Runyon, Towson