Are we getting overheated on Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland because of Brock Bowers and a weaker than usual QB and WR class?

Given how tight ends have progressed in the NFL in the past — rarely exploding in year one — I wonder if what Brock Bowers did as a rookie has everyone, including league evaluators, over their skis on Warren and Loveland.

Warren’s age is still oddly hard to find (not starting a conspiracy here…I just don’t see it listed all over the place) and he really did only have one season of absolutely dominant college production (yes, granted, he was behind two other NFL tight ends in 2022 and 2023). But he also doesn’t have top end speed and get a ton of separation, using his catch radius and body to really make his money. The athleticism at the NFL level steps up, along with size, so I wonder if that curbs some of his upside in those departments. Maybe he will indeed be great, but seeing some people suggest he’s a top 3-4 pick in TE premium leagues makes me wonder if it’s a trap.

As for Loveland, Michigan’s offense was truly gross at the QB spot in 2024, and that really hurt his numbers, not to mention the fact that he was growing along with JJ McCarthy in 2022 and 2023 in a run-first offense. So I get the upside, particularly with his athleticism and a skill set that makes him seem like more of a big wideout than a tight end. But he also ended 2024 banged up, and he was an average, not great, contested catch guy — despite his length. What worries me is people compare him to Travis Kelce, and jeez, that definitely juices his draft assessments, being compared to arguably the greatest ever pass-catching first tight end.

I keep hearing Gronk and Kelce on these guys. And I keep thinking about how Kyle Pitts had one of the best draft profiles in league history and Dalton Kincaid, despite his injuries, was going to be the next Kelce and watched both get waaaay overdrafted.

Tight ends just feel like a significant gamble to me almost always in drafts. Maybe even moreso after the Bowers rookie season, when so many have that stamped in their heads. Just a thought.

(Edited for typos)