Snead’s Snacks: Rams will have plenty of options in deep tight end class

The Los Angeles Rams could be in the market for a tight end during the 2025 NFL Draft. Tyler Higbee will be in the final year of his contract while there is an out in Colby Parkinson’s. There is also a lot of uncertainty in Davis Allen given the lack of opportunity. The Rams also opted not to bring back Hunter Long. Whether it’s early to take someone that can take over for Higbee or later on for depth, the Rams need a tight end.

Since the 2020

The focus for today’s edition of “Snead’s Snacks” will be tight end. In past years, I’ve correctly predicted Davis Allen as a potential draft pick.

2025 Snead’s Snacks

Brycen Hopkins, TE, Purdue – 4th Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’4″	39th percentile
Weight	245 lbs	17th percentile
Arm Length	32.125 inches	16th percentile
Shuttle	4.28 seconds	73rd percentile
Broad Jump	116 inches	59th percentile
Vertical Jump	33.5 inches	57th percentile
3-Cone	7.25 seconds	32nd percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.66 seconds	76th percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Poor
Speed Grade	Great
Agility Grade	Good
Explosion Grade	Good
RAS	8.19 – Great
Player Traits
Good athletic traits
Versatile player who is natural in his routes and has good body control
Adequate toughness

Overview of Pick

Brycen Hopkins has had a quiet career thus far through three seasons. His big moment came in the Super Bowl when he filled in for an injured Tyler Higbee. Hopkins was seen as an athletic tight end coming out of UCF who could be molded into a productive receiver.

Gerald Everett, TE, South Alabama – 2nd Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’3″	16th percentile
Weight	239 lbs	5th percentile
Arm Length	33 inches	46th percentile
Shuttle	4.33 seconds	59th percentile
Broad Jump	126 inches	95th percentile
Vertical Jump	37.5 inches	91st percentile
3-Cone	6.99 seconds	82nd percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.62 seconds	83rd percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Very Poor
Speed Grade	Elite
Agility Grade	Good
Explosion Grade	Elite
RAS	8.98 – Great
Player Traits
Tight end with wide receiver traits
Good athlete
Natural pass catcher and good YAC ability
Brings a physicality in the run game and is a willing blocker

Gerald Everett may not have ever lived up to his second-round draft status, but he was a successful player for the Rams. Everett was seen as a versatile pass-catching tight end coming out of South Alabama with a lot of potential.

Tyler Higbee, TE, Western Kentucky – 4th Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’6″	86th percentile
Weight	249 lbs	32nd percentile
Arm Length	33.25 inches	58th percentile
Shuttle	N/A	N/A
Broad Jump	108 inches	N/A
Vertical Jump	31 inches	N/A
3-Cone	N/A	N/A
40-Yard Dash	5 seconds	N/A
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Good
Speed Grade	Elite
Agility Grade	N/A
Explosion Grade	Great
RAS	9.88 – Great
Player Traits
Tight end with wide receiver experience
A smart route-runner with YAC ability and a large catch radius
Versatile tight end

Overview of Pick

Tyler Higbee may go down as the greatest tight end in Rams history. He dropped in the draft due to some pre-draft off the field issues and a knee injury. However, he was seen as a very good pass-catching tight end coming out of Western Kentucky. The Rams took a chance and it has more than paid off.

Davis Allen, TE, Clemson – 5th Round

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’5″	78th percentile
Weight	245 lbs	17th percentile
Arm Length	32.25 inches	20th percentile
Shuttle	4.45 seconds	N/A
Broad Jump	125 inches	93rd percentile
Vertical Jump	38.5 inches	95th percentile
3-Cone	7.31 seconds	N/A
40-Yard Dash	4.84 seconds	34th percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Good
Speed Grade	Good
Agility Grade	Okay
Explosion Grade	Elite
RAS	8.58 – Great
Player Traits
Versatile Alignment In-Line, Off-Ball, and H-Back
Good Blocking TE
Good Body Control/Contested Catches/Ball Skills

Overview of Pick

Davis Allen was a previous Snead’s Snacks hit back in 2023. While he hasn’t been productive through two years, it was easy to see the fit. Allen was a hybrid wide receiver/tight end with good body control. The former Clemson tight end showed versatility and good athleticism.

Notable Past Rams Undrafted/Signed Players

Hunter Long, TE, Boston College – Acquired in Trade

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’5″	66th percentile
Weight	254 lbs	66th percentile
Arm Length	33.75 inches	79th percentile
Shuttle	4.42 seconds	41st percentile
Broad Jump	122 inches	86th percentile
Vertical Jump	32.5 inches	42nd percentile
3-Cone	7.41 seconds	14th percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.71 seconds	66th percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Good
Speed Grade	Great
Agility Grade	Poor
Explosion Grade	Good
RAS	8.58 – Great
Player Traits
A solid athlete with good size and length
Natural pass catcher and sound route-runner
Versatile tight end

Kendall Blanton, TE, Mizzou – 2019 UDFA

Athletic Measurements
Category	Measurement	Percentile
Height	6’6″	92nd percentile
Weight	262 lbs	81st percentile
Arm Length	33.75 inches	79th percentile
Shuttle	4.42 seconds	41st percentile
Broad Jump	113 inches	38th percentile
Vertical Jump	31 inches	17th percentile
3-Cone	7.37 seconds	19th percentile
40-Yard Dash	4.95 seconds	11th percentile
Athletic Trait Grades
Grades	Rating
Size Grade	Elite
Speed Grade	Poor
Agility Grade	Poor
Explosion Grade	Okay
RAS	5.24 – Okay
Player Traits
Good size and speed
Shows good body control as a pass catcher
Versatile H-back tight end

Common Traits Rams Look For in Tight Ends

Versatility is King

Having a player that is versatile appears to be an important trait for past Rams tight ends. Nearly every player that they’ve drafted has been described as a versatile tight end with the ability to line up in-line, in the slot, as an H-back, or flexed out wide. Having the ability to play multiple roles is important many tight ends that the Rams have drafted check this box.

Natural Receiving Ability

The Rams seem to like natural receivers or tight ends with wide receiver experience. Hunter Long, Brycen Hopkins, and Gerald Everett were all said to be natural pass catchers or natural in their routes. Higbee was a wide receiver who switched to tight end. Many players that they’ve drafted were noted for their strong pass-catching abilities. Players like Long, Higbee, and Hopkins were described as effective route runners who ran sound routes, were smart route-runners, or natural in their routes.

Athletes

While the Rams may not necessarily prioritize athletes at other positions, that is not the case at tight end. Every tight end that they’ve drafted under Les Snead outside of Temarrick Hemingway had great to elite RAS scores. Out of those, Brycen Hopkins had the lowest RAS score at 8.19. Additionally, a lot of these players were said to be solid athletes, raw athletes, or players with good athletic traits coming out of college.

To add to that, we’re specifically looking at speed and explosiveness. Since McVay took over in 2017, only Kendall Blanton had poor speed. Gerald Everett, Brycen Hopkins, Jacob Harris, and Hunter Long all posted great to elite speed scores. That’s especially the case in the 10-yard split. They also tend to post at least 120-inches in the broad jump.

2025 Players Who Fit The Rams

1. Colston Loveland, Michigan

Due to his shoulder injury, Colston Loveland hasn’t been able to do any testing pre-draft. However, purely from a traits perspective, it’s hard to see a better fit at tight end for the Rams. Loveland may be the most natural receiver at tight end in this draft class. He’s an incredibly detailed route-runner, displays good body control, has good ball skills, and is simply a natural receiver. Loveland lacks a little bit after the catch, but is athletically gifted and deserves more credit than he gets as a blocker.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS.Football

Draft Projection: 1st Round

2. Mason Taylor, LSU

If the Rams miss out on Colston Loveland, Mason Taylor is the discounted version. He’s also versatile and athletic. As a receiver, he makes natural adjustments and runs smooth routes. Taylor is a reliable pass catcher with good ball skills and has shown good body control. While he’s not necessarily a blocking tight end, he has no issues getting in the way and is willing and physical when asked to do it.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 2nd Round

3. Elijah Arroyo, Miami

Arroyo was the second-fastest tight end at the Senior Bowl and showed explosive open-field ability. He was arguably one of the best overall athletes in Mobile. Arroyo led the FBS in yards after the catch and as a receiver, he shows a natural receiving ability with excellent body control. While he has dealt with injuries, Arroyo competes as a blocker in the run game.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 2nd-3rd Round

4. Thomas Fidone II, Nebraska

The previous players on this list are all day one and two guys. However, if the Rams wait until later, do not be surprised if that player that they draft at tight end is Thomas Fidone II from Nebraska. He is the perfect fit for the Rams offense. He is a great athlete, posting a 9.49 RAS with a 128-inch broad jump and 1.61 second 10-yard split. Fidone has a wide receiver background, playing the position in high school and that shows on tape. He runs routes with the acceleration of a wide receiver and his open-field body control is next level. In the run game, Fidone brings that dog mentality and really gets after it. While he lacks ability after the catch, the fit is very strong.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 4th Round

5. Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech

There are plenty of strong fits at tight end in this draft class and Jalin Conyers is another. He’s an impressive athlete and his 120-inches in the broad jump. While he may not be polished as a route runner, he does have a wide receiver background and brings versatility as a hybrid tight end. He also lacks a little bit as a blocker. With that said, Conyers is a great fit in a Shanahan-McVay offense and he was top-10 in FBS in yards after the catch.

Courtesy Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS Football

Draft Projection: 6th Round

Honorable Mentions

Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

• Extremely versatile
• Only 7.77 RAS
• Natural receiving skills
• Fastest TE at the Senior Bowl

Terrance Ferguson, Oregon

• 122-inch broad jump & 1.55 second 10-yard split
• Versatile
• Athletic pass catcher

Joshua Simon, South Carolina

• 124-inch broad jump, 1.62 seconc 10-yard split
• Good speed
• Creates movement in the run game