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Titans Rookie TE Ready to Jump In

The Tennessee Titans are happy to see that one of their players is eager to start his career.
Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm goes through drills during Rookie Mini Camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm goes through drills during Rookie Mini Camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

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The Tennessee Titans are thrilled to have Texas tight end Gunnar Helm on the roster, especially with the team's uncertainty at the position beyond this season.

Helm was taken in the fourth round of the draft and could look to take the starting job away from Chig Okonkwo either this year or next, as he will be a free agent at season's end.

Helm is excited to get his feet wet with the Titans this season in hopes of getting better moving forward.

"I talked to a lot of NFL vets throughout this process, throughout the combine, post-combine, post-Pro Day about just what to expect," Helm said via team reporter Jim Wyatt.

"All of them kind of said the same thing: The biggest difference from college to the National Football League is not only the speed, but it's really attention to detail. It's all mental at this level, so just grasping the new playbook and figuring out the concepts. … The chemistry, the timing all of it, just kind of falls back on that mental piece."

Helm is putting a lot of pride in the process, and that's exactly what teams want to see from their rookies. The Titans also hope to get versatility from their rookies, and Helm is willing to play in whatever role is needed from him.

"It's however Coach (Brian) Callahan wants to use me," Helm said via Wyatt.

"I've always been super blessed to have great hands. It was like that in high school, and obviously when I got to college. I always had that trust in myself – I've been on the JUGS (machine) quite a bit, been on the JUGS since I've been here."

Helm will participate in the team's OTA's next week to inch closer towards training camp in late July.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.