Patriots draft profile: Gunnar Helm is a Hunter Henry doppelganger

The Patriots could be targeting the big-bodied Texas tight end on Day 3 of the draft.

At first glance, the New England Patriots’ tight end position appears to be in good-enough shape. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are a solid starting duo that is being backed up by two sophomores and a tight end/fullback hybrid. The need to add depth through the draft seems relatively minor, especially compared to other spots on the team.

However, given Henry’s and Hooper’s age as well as the uncertainty surrounding Jaheim Bell, Jack Westover and Giovanni Ricci, there is potential for another infusion of young talent. One player to watch in that regard is Texas’ Gunnar Helm.

Hard facts

Name: Gunnar Helm

Position: Tight end

School: Texas

Opening day age: 23 (9/6/2002)

Measurements: 6’5”, 241 lbs, 79 1/2” wingspan, 32 3/4” arm length, 9 7/8” hand size, 4.84s 40-yard dash, 7.15s 3-cone drill, 4.4s short shuttle, 30” vertical jump, 4.32 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Texas (2021-24)

Career statistics: 54 games (25 starts) | 1,923 offensive snaps, 619 special teams snaps | 95 targets, 79 catches (83.2%), 1,022 yards, 9 TDs | 1 kickoff return, 12 yards | 2 drops (2.1%), 1 fumble, 11 penalties

Accolades: Second-team All-SEC (2024), Honorable mention All-Big 12 (2023), Academic All-Big 12 (2022)

A two-sport athlete at Cherry Creek High School in the Denver metro area — he also was a power forward on the Bruins’ basketball team — Helm was named an all-state tight end as a senior and eventually ranked as a three-star recruit. Despite receiving offers from some of the most prestigious football programs in the country, including Alabama, LSU and Georgia, he decided to take his talents to the University of Texas.

Helm spent four seasons with the Longhorns, earning All-Big 12 recognition on two occasions. Mostly used as a blocker, he also showed improvement as a receiving outlet each season and by 2024 was one of quarterback Quinn Ewers’ most trusted outlets. He finished his college career with 79 catches for 1,022 yards and 9 touchdowns, although a bulk of his production — 60-786-7 — came in his senior season.

Helm participated in the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine in the lead-up to the draft.

Draft profile

Expected round: 3-4 | Consensus big board: No. 97 | Patriots meeting: Combine

Strengths: Standing at 6-foot-5 with a 79 1/2-inch wingspan, Helm offers good size and length at the position. He knows how to make the most out of it and despite limited receiving production overall in college has proven himself a reliable target. Catching the ball with his hands rather than his body, he has a strong set of mitts as evidenced by his 2.1 percent career drop rate. His catch radius in combination with good hand-eye coordination and an ability to track the ball allows him to haul in passes outside his natural window.

Helm gets into his routes effectively and moves well both with and without the ball in his hands. A surprisingly agile player for his size, he turns from receiver to runner quickly and will fight through tackle attempts even if only occasionally successful. In general, he is a “never give up”-type of tight end who is going to try to gain every last inch. He also has shown he can be a multi-level receiving option who can be used on motion plays.

Helm’s best asset as a prospect might be his blocking ability. Despite checking in at only 241 pounds at the Combine — ranking in the 9 percentile for tight ends — he is a proficient blocker who uses his leverage, length and hands well. Primarily aligning in-line, he is familiar with single and combo blocks and also chips well when releasing into his routes.

Weaknesses: OK, now is the time to talk about Helm’s pre-draft testing. His Combine workout was bad, but there is a caveat to the 4.32 Relative Athletic Score he posted: he busted his ankle on a false start 40-yard dash attempt, and was limited for most of his drills. While there is no denying his toughness, the decision to move forward with the workout is questionable in hindsight and produced results not fully reflective of who he is as a player.

That being said, Helm is not the flashiest of athletes either. He lacks any high-end traits and despite weighing only the aforementioned 241 pounds is neither a speedster nor somebody who can reliably generate separation underneath. Part of that is his route running, which lacks detail or deceptive elements. He also can be late to his landmarks, especially if motioning or being used on combo blocks; in general, he had a tendency to be sloppy as a blocker contributing to his 11 career penalties.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Helm is a classic Y-tight end who aligns mostly on the end of the line in a three-point stance and can be of use on all three downs. He projects as a No. 2 or 3 option on the New England depth chart depending on the situation or offensive package. A doppelganger of current Patriots starter Hunter Henry in many respects, he would play a similar role as the veteran as an understudy and potential heir.

What is his growth potential? Helm’s lack of dynamic athleticism might hinder just how far he can go, but there are areas he can work on to turn into a potential starter in the league. If he can improve his route running first and foremost, and add some bulk to his slender frame without sacrificing his quickness, he has the tools to become an every-down player.

Does he have positional versatility? Even though he is a scheme-versatile option at tight end, Helm is not the most versatile player on offense. He is mostly an in-line tight end who only occasionally moved to the slot or out wide in college. Where he saw his most diverse action was on special teams, which accounted for almost a quarter of his total snaps at Texas. He saw most of his work on field goal/extra point protection, kickoff return and punt coverage.

Why the Patriots? With both Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper in their 30s, the Patriots need to start thinking long-term at the tight end position. Adding Helm to the mix would make for a smooth transition at the Y spot: he and Henry share plenty of attributes, and he could succeed him as TE1 — or at least the top option in his role — further down the line.

Why not the Patriots? Helm might come off the board as early as the late third round, which might be too rich for the team. Besides that, his athletic profile might not be what the team is looking for given the role he is projected to play at the next level.

One-sentence verdict: With an offensive coordinator willing to use his tight ends and a veteran in place to learn behind, New England would be a good landing spot to help Helm transition from college to the pros.

What do you think about Gunnar Helm as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.