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Texas tight end Gunnar Helm had a 2025 NFL Scouting Combine to forget, as he registered a 30-inch vertical jump, 4.84-second 40-yard dash and 1.69-second 10-yard split. All three of those numbers ranked bottom three among the tight ends who participated in the NFL combine. 

On Sunday, NFL Media shed some light on why Helm struggled in Indianapolis, as he apparently twisted his ankle on a false start during the 40-yard dash, but still completed the rest of the drills anyway. An MRI revealed that Helm suffered a sprain, and he will have another opportunity to run at the Longhorns Pro Day. 

Check out some of the jarring pictures of Helm's ankle, acquired and shared by Ian Rapoport:

After catching just 19 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in his first three seasons, Helm caught 60 passes for 786 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. He led all SEC tight ends in receptions and receiving yards, and was a John Mackey Award Semifinalist, which is given to the best tight end in the FBS. That award was ultimately won by Tyler Warren out of Penn State. 

Helm is CBS Sports' No. 4-ranked tight end and No. 59 overall prospect. Check out CBS Sports' scouting report on him below: 

"Gunnar Helm has good size for the NFL, and all the traits are there for him to be a successful blocker, but he must improve his technique to sustain blocks. Helm does a good job working over the middle of the field and is competitive at the catch point. He lacks explosion into his breaks, but had just a 4.1% drop rate in 2024, according to TruMedia."

NFL combine 2025 takeaways: Grades for top TE prospects, plus other winners and losers from on-field workouts
Josh Edwards
NFL combine 2025 takeaways: Grades for top TE prospects, plus other winners and losers from on-field workouts