Tennessee Titans Rookie Gunnar Helm Impresses In NFL Preseason

Former Texas Longhorn and Tennessee Titans rookie tight end Gunnar Helm is giving football fans a preseason look at how he may perform in the upcoming NFL season. Playing against the Atlanta Falcons in week two of the NFL preseason, Helm had a standout performance highlighted by a 25-yard touchdown catch.

Helm Stood Out Amongst Titan's Receiver's Against the Falcons

Former #Texas TE Gunnar Helm goes up over two defenders on the slot seam for the 25-yard score. pic.twitter.com/GBRMhBgBmI
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) August 16, 2025

With less than a minute remaining in the second quarter, Helm broke free up the seam for a 25-yard receiving touchdown, the only one of the night for the Titans. In a video posted to X via OnTexasFootball's CJ Vogel, Helm, guarded by two defenders, makes an incredible catch to end the first half.

Helm had the only touchdown amongst Titans receivers and finished the game leading Tennessee in receptions with four, and receiving yards, tallying 48. In the 23-20 win over Atlanta, Helm was averaging 12.0 yards per catch.

Friday's performance marked a notable improvement from Helm's first preseason game with Tennessee when the team played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Against Tampa Bay, Helm recorded a single catch for 16 yards. Despite the lone catch, Helm still had the second-most yards on the night, behind NFL veteran Calvin Ridley, who recorded three catches for 50 yards.

Helm joined the Titans after being selected with the 120th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft. He is currently listed as the No. 2 tight end on the Titans' depth chart according to the team's website. Perhaps with a performance such as Friday's, Helm can begin to climb the chart as the start of the regular season approaches.

Helm turned heads in his last season at Texas, leading to his fourth-round selection in 2025. With the Longhorns in 2024, Helm recorded 786 receiving yards, the second most on the team, and seven touchdowns. He was an essential piece in Texas' offense that brought them to another college football semifinal appearance and is now looking to make a similar impact at the pro level.

In front of Helm on the Titan's depth chart is tight end Chig Okonkwo. Okonkwo is entering his fourth season in the NFL and has a career 1,457 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Similar to Helm, Okonkwo was also selected in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2022.

Whether or not Helm can rise to the top tight end spot on the Titans remains to be seen. If he can keep performing with the team's top receivers, he may find himself in a first-string role sooner rather than later.