Do Rams need to resist urge on drafting a tight end in first round?

Should the Rams avoid taking Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland in the first round?

Over the last two drafts, the Los Angeles Rams and head coach Sean McVay have shown interest in selecting a tight end early in the draft. During the 2023 NFL Draft, the Rams attempted to trade into the first round to select tight end Dalton Kincaid. When teams didn’t bite, the Rams ended up with Steve Avila. Last year, the Rams attempted to trade into the top-10 to select Brock Bowers. Bowers was taken by the Las Vegas Raiders and the Rams landed edge rusher Jared Verse.

While the Rams may have wanted a tight end in both years, it’s hard to say that it didn’t work out for the best in both cases. Avila has become an important piece on the offensive line while Verse finished his first season as the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

However, with two tight ends seen as top-10 players in this draft class, it would not be surprising if McVay and the Rams have the urge to once again chase the tight end position. After being denied in each of the last two years, it would be hard to see McVay getting told no for a third time.

Coming in at sixth overall in NFL Media Daniel Jeremiah’s top-50 big board was Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. Said Jeremiah on Warren,

“He doesn’t generate a lot of separation as a route runner, but he walls off defenders when on the move. Defenders simply can’t get through his body to make plays on the ball. He can track the ball over his shoulder and he can high-point the ball when needed…He’s effective in the run game and looks to finish when possible. Overall, he isn’t as dynamic as Rob Gronkowski was during his career, but Warren is a similar player in a lot of ways.”

Right behind Warren at number seven was Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. Said Jeremiah,

“Loveland is a long, lean tight end with outstanding awareness, quickness and big-play ability. He has aligned in-line, as a wing and in the slot. He has a tremendous feel for option routes and working in space. He can cleanly get in/out of breaks and he presents a big target to the quarterback. He attacks the ball in the air and is adept at finishing in crowds. His lack of bulk impacts his ability to stay connected as a run blocker, though. Overall, Loveland is equipped to make a lot of catches as a starting tight end in his rookie campaign.”

These are two very different styles of tight ends with one being in the mold of Gronkowski and the other in the mold of the more modern Travis Kelce. When it comes to these two players, the talent is clearly there and at that point it becomes a preference in style. Given that the Rams have reportedly targeted the ‘big slot” type player the last two years, Loveland makes the most sense.

Still, when it comes to the tight end position, there are some serious questions when it comes to that player’s value in the first round. Tight end is one of the more difficult positions for rookies to get accustomed to at the NFL level. With the differences in what players are asked to do at the college level vs. in the NFL, it’s like learning a completely new position. As noted by Matt Johnson of The 33rd Team in 2020,

“The position that has by far had the least amount of success in the first round has been tight end. Tight ends are not drafted in the first round very frequently and there might be a reason for this. Tight end is a very versatile position that is asked to do many different things. If a tight end isn’t able to fit into the role that the offense demands of them, they aren’t likely to be successful.”

From 2015-2019, a tight end being selected in the first round wasn’t that uncommon. There were three tight ends taken in the first round in 2017 with OJ Howard, Evan Engram, and David Njoku. Hayden Hurts went in the first round in 2018 and then TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant each went in round one in 2019.

Since then, over the last five years, only three tight ends have been selected in the first round. Kyle Pitts was taken in the first round in 2021, Kincaid in 2023, and then Bowers most recently last year.

It’s easy to look at players like OJ Howard and Kyle Pitts as reasons not to take a tight end. At the same time, every player is different and players bust at several positions every year. Still, that developmental period with the others is noticeable.

Engram immediately jumped on to the scene as a rookie, but his two best years came during his age 28 and 29 seasons. The sample size is small for Kincaid, he had a bit of a sophomore slump in year two with fewer yards and receptions and a lower success rate and catch rate than his rookie season. TJ Hockenson only had 367 yards as a rookie before breaking out in year two with 723 yards. Hockenson’s best production came in 2023 during his age 26 season.

Players like Hayden Hurst and Noah Fant have been more role players than featured players in an offense. David Njoku finally eclipsed 700 yards in 2023 which was his age 27 season. Njoku had just 386 yards as a rookie.

ESPN did a study last year on the hit rates on first-round picks from 2000-19 based on whether or not the player signed second contracts with the team that drafted them. While that’s not necessarily an exact science, tight end was one of the worst positions. Tight ends are also increasingly becoming featured pieces in modern NFL offenses.

Still, the retention rate simply isn’t that high. If a player at a position takes more time to develop and then they aren’t retained, it’s hard to say that developing that player was worth it if another team benefits.

Sitting on the cusp of potentially competing for another Super Bowl, the Rams need players that can contribute immediately. A season like Brock Bowers just had is much more of the exception rather than the rule. If the Rams were to draft a tight end, that feels more like a pick for 2026 than 2025.

With that said, Loveland is built in the same mold as Bowers and can do similar things over the middle of the field because of his ability as a receiver. He may not be the same caliber of prospect, but the vision that McVay had for Bowers may also work for Loveland.

This is not to say that the Rams absolutely should avoid the tight end position in the first round. It’s easy to say that this is a deep tight end class. The same was said about 2023 and the Rams ended up with Davis Allen. A deeper class does not always mean a better class.

The Rams clearly have a need at that spot this year and moving forward. Colby Parkinson disappointed in his first season and may get relegated to more of a blocking tight end role. Tyler Higbee is also on the final year of his contract. An argument can be made that the Rams should use Davis Allen more, but he has just 16 receptions over two years.

Consider this more of a buyer beware warning label than a message to completely rule out a tight end in the first round. When it comes to offensive coaches, it’s easy to see a tight end and fall in love with the versatility and the ability to keep base defenses on the field. However, more times than not, the idea has been much better than the reality.