NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Gunnar Helm said he’s done it before and he wants to do it again.
The Titans are putting a real emphasis on culture changers as they draft, and Helm said. He was a part of a big turnaround with the Texans, Longhorns and wants to help do the same in Nashville.
“When I got to the University of Texas, I was an 18-year-old kid,” he said. “I walked into a very broken culture, a very broken team, and I was able to help shift the locker room from a very young age. One of the things I feel like I have in my arsenal is to be able to do that from a very young age no matter what level I’m at.
“Just connecting with guys on deeper levels, using the techniques and practices that coach Sark had for us to build that culture up at the University of Texas is going to be something that I keep with me not just through the rest of my football career but through my career in life after football.”
Cam Ward called Gunnar Helm so quickly, he was still on the phone with the #Titans. Followed with a text.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) April 26, 2025
Helm did his combine prep in Nashville and got a good feel for the city, but didn’t think the Titans were the team that was going to take him.
Blake Bedingfield on Helm:
Good size. Average speed and explosion. Good hands. Zone receiver who will need to learn to separate vs man. Good instincts and field awareness. Gets-what-is-there type runner won’t run away from most defenders. Will need to continue to add strength to frame for inline blocking. Solid No. 2-type TE.
James Foster on Helm:
Positives:
• 2 drops on 95 career targets
• Can track & high-point the ball to win contested targets
• Understands how to manipulate leverage & set up his breaks
• Fluid & smooth athlete with above average separation ability
• Can sink hips & decelerate immediately on stop routes
• Makes efficient cuts & separates out of breaks consistently
• Strong & elusive after the catch
• Senses crashing defenders at the catch point & frequently makes the 1st tackler miss
• Versatility to execute down/reach/slice/climb blocks & play multiple TE positions
• High-effort blocker with a finishing mentality
• Slide quickness & play strength to hold up in pass protection
Negatives:
• Below-average straight-line athlete
• Smooth, but not overly explosive
• Needs to improve strike-timing & hand placement as a run blocker
• Was not productive until his 4th year in college
• Needs to add weight to play inline, but is already a mediocre athlete at 245-250 pounds
• Disastrous combine performance