The New England Patriots need weapons up and down the roster, and you can bet they will be doing their best to address the issue this offseason. While wide receiver is the primary area of need of the Patriots, they could also use some help at tight end, where Hunter Henry has been good, not great.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski has identified a very intriguing weapon for New England in the NFL Draft, linking the Pats to Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm.
“At 6’5″, 250 pounds, Helm has the size and enough athleticism to make plays down the field and aft
er the catch,” Sobleski wrote. “He’s not an elite athlete nor a strong in-line blocking option. But he’s capable in all areas, which makes him an ideal candidate as a TE2 for some NFL squad that employs heavy 12-personnel looks.”
Helm is coming off of a fantastic 2024 campaign in which he hauled in 60 receptions for 786 yards and seven touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the better tight ends in college football.
There definitely appears to be a chance that Helm could develop into a lead tight end on the NFL level, so the Patriots may want to consider making a run at him.
Helm is being projected to go in the third round of the draft, so whether or not New England would want to spend that high of a pick on a tight end is questionable given how many much more prominent holes the Pats have on their roster.
However, the Patriots’ interest in Helm may ultimately depend on what they do in free agency. If they are able to fill out the wide receiver group, they may focus more on finding a tight end in April, and Helm could be there for the taking.
