Colston Loveland — arguably the most exciting of the sophomore tight ends — is shooting up dynasty draft boards following an impressive rookie season, and deservedly so. Loveland was a force down the stretch and appears locked into a high-volume role in the Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson offense, leaving owners salivating for 2026 and beyond.
But two cheaper sophomore tight ends are flying under the radar who look just as primed for big leaps in production.
Rookie Year Context
Rookie production matters — especially when paired with elite college profiles. Since 2000, only 13 rookie tight ends have averaged 40+ receiving yards per game over at least 8 games. Last year alone, four players hit that threshold: Tyler Warren, Harold Fannin, Colston Loveland, and Oronde Gadsden II.
| Player | Y/G | G | Season | Age | Team | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/Tgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Warren | 48.1 | 17 | 2025 | 23 | IND | 112 | 76 | 817 | 4 | 7.3 |
| Harold Fannin | 45.7 | 16 | 2025 | 21 | CLE | 107 | 72 | 731 | 6 | 6.8 |
| Colston Loveland | 44.6 | 16 | 2025 | 21 | CHI | 82 | 58 | 713 | 6 | 8.7 |
| Oronde Gadsden II | 44.3 | 15 | 2025 | 22 | LAC | 69 | 49 | 664 | 3 | 9.6 |
| Brock Bowers | 70.2 | 17 | 2024 | 22 | LVR | 153 | 112 | 1194 | 5 | 7.8 |
| Sam LaPorta | 52.3 | 17 | 2023 | 22 | DET | 120 | 86 | 889 | 10 | 7.4 |
| Dalton Kincaid | 42.1 | 16 | 2023 | 24 | BUF | 91 | 73 | 673 | 2 | 7.4 |
| Greg Dulcich | 41.1 | 10 | 2022 | 22 | DEN | 55 | 33 | 411 | 2 | 7.5 |
| Kyle Pitts | 60.4 | 17 | 2021 | 21 | ATL | 110 | 68 | 1026 | 1 | 9.3 |
| Evan Engram | 48.1 | 15 | 2017 | 23 | NYG | 115 | 64 | 722 | 6 | 6.3 |
| Jordan Reed | 55.4 | 9 | 2013 | 23 | WAS | 59 | 45 | 499 | 3 | 8.5 |
| Aaron Hernandez | 40.2 | 14 | 2010 | 21 | NWE | 64 | 45 | 563 | 6 | 8.8 |
| Jeremy Shockey | 59.6 | 15 | 2002 | 22 | NYG | 127 | 74 | 894 | 2 | 7 |
Warren will benefit from the departure of Michael Pittman, but today we’re focusing on Fannin and Gadsden — two players who remain undervalued relative to the company they’re keeping in the above table.
Harold Fannin
Despite the “duck-footed” label that followed him into the draft, Fannin was a dominant college producer. After a strong sophomore year at Bowling Green, he became literally half of the team’s passing offense as a junior — averaging 119 receiving yards per game on a 4.0 YPRR while consistently forcing missed and broken tackles. He also led all of DI college football in receptions and yards, regardless of position, in 2024.
Most expected him to be buried behind David Njoku as a rookie. Instead, he finished 8th among all tight ends in both receiving yards and receptions. As a 21-year-old, he led the Browns in targets and lapped the roster in receptions with 72. No other player topped 50.
The comp list — guys like Evan Engram, Aaron Hernandez, Kyle Pitts, Sam LaPorta, Brock Bowers, Jordan Reed, Colston Loveland — speaks for itself. Fannin looks like a premier sophomore breakout candidate and a prime target on orphan dynasty rosters.
Oronde Gadsden II
Gadsden’s profile is less flashy, which keeps his price tag more affordable. The son of an NFL tight end, he put together a strong college résumé at Syracuse despite not playing a full junior season. He broke out as a sophomore with a 61/969/6 line and a 33% dominator rating. He proceeded to return as a 21-year-old senior to post 72/922/7.
His draft capital wasn’t ideal going in the 5th round, but Gadsden made an immediate impact as a rookie. In Weeks 4–7, he averaged 6.0 receptions, 94.3 yards, and 0.5 touchdowns per game. This culminated in a 164-yard performance in Week 7, the most by a rookie tight end in a single game since 2000.
The team role scaled back somewhat after that stretch, but the Chargers would be foolish to limit the sophomore tight end going forward. They don’t have an overwhelming stable of weapons, and Gadsden is already in rare company. The Athletic’s Daniel Popper said Gadsden’s receiving skill set will be “maximized” in Mike McDaniel’s offense.
