Earlier this month, I wrote about the 6 tight ends with high risk for injury. Today, we are more optimistic as I give you the 5 safest tight ends with high upside. Like my other posts this off-season, the determination of a player’s relative injury risk level is made through the intersection of multiple scientifically determined risk factors for injury. Age and prior injury are the two biggest players, but they are not the only considerations.
Each of these five players’ full injury profiles is available in the Fantasy Injury Team Draft Injury Guide, available now. The guide houses injury profiles for over 200 players. If you enjoy this article, consider purchasing the guide now!
Brock Bowers: ADP TE1/OV16
Age: 22 Position: TE Height: 6’4 Weight: 230 Exp: 1
Injury Risk Rating
Bowers dominated the NFL in his rookie season and is primed to do the same in year two. Bowers is just 22 years old; his youth will help protect him against injury and will be a major asset with efficient healing. Bowers’ injury history is short, but he did experience a significant high ankle sprain in 2023, which required the tight-rope procedure. The tight-rope procedure is quickly being recognized as one of the most effective surgical procedures for restoring athletes’ elite level of function. Recent research showed that 100% (164/164) elite-level athletes, at collegiate or professional levels, return to their prior level of function after the tight-rope surgery.
One of the main known risk factors for injury is prior injury, and a high ankle sprain significant enough to warrant surgery qualifies as an injury that can influence future injury. Fortunately for Bowers, his ankle is performing at 100% again, and with how effective the tight-rope procedure is, we will view Bowers as only “low risk” for injury in 2025.
View Brock Bowers’ full injury profile here.
Trey McBride: ADP TE2/OV26
Age: 25 Position: TE Height: 6’4 Weight: 246 Exp: 3
Injury Risk Rating
At 25 years old, McBride is one of the elite tight ends in the NFL. His youth is still protective against injury and will not be considered a risk factor. McBride only has one significant injury on his resume: in 2017, a fractured clavicle that required surgery. Surgically repaired clavicle fractures are not a high risk for re-injury, especially eight years later, and as an upper body injury, will not influence running mechanics that could put other body regions at risk. McBride’s clavicle injury is a non-factor. A history of a concussion will make a future concussion more likely, making his 2024 concussion a risk factor. Otherwise, the recorded injuries for McBride are minor and largely insignificant. Overall, combining his youth and relatively slim injury history, McBride is considered “low risk” for injury in 2025.
View Trey McBride’s full injury profile here.
Sam LaPorta: ADP TE4/OV57
Age: 24 Position: WR Height: 6’3 Weight: 245 Exp: 2
Injury Risk Rating
LaPorta was dominant in his rookie season. In his second year, he still demonstrated elite traits but experienced a drop-off in fantasy production. At just 24 years old, age is still protective against injury and will help with efficient healing, and while LaPorta’s injury list is fairly short, it needs to be evaluated. In college, LaPorta tore his meniscus, requiring surgical intervention. He missed only one game, which means the surgical procedure he underwent was a meniscus trim. When the meniscus is trimmed versus repaired, there is no immediate drop-off in athletic performance, but the risk for future injury will be elevated due to increased contact of the femur on the tibia bones. This leads to early development of arthritis. At 24 years old, this will not impact LaPorta this year, but it is something to be mindful of.
For a brief moment in November, we thought LaPorta would miss substantial time with an AC joint injury. He was able to will himself back onto the field after missing just one game, and after one non-productive game, he returned to a high level of play. AC joint injuries are not usually a cause for long-term concern. In LaPorta’s case, the only injury working against him is the meniscus, and that is not likely to be a problem this season.
View Sam LaPorta’s full injury profile here.
Tucker Kraft: ADP TE10/OV109
Age: 24 Position: TE Height: 6’5 Weight: 259 Exp: 2
Injury Risk Rating
Kraft is one of the lower-risk tight ends heading into 2025. He’s just 24 years old, which is not a risk factor for injury. Kraft has never missed an NFL game due to injury, but did miss substantial time in college with an ankle injury. Prior ankle injuries will increase the risk for a future ankle injury, and depending on the severity and the amount of stability regained, they can influence other lower-body injuries. But Kraft has now played two NFL seasons without substantial injury after his 2022 ankle injury, hinting that he was able to rehab close to 100%. Kraft is a low-risk tight end who finished as the TE9 last season.
View Tucker Kraft’s full injury profile here.
Tyler Warren: ADP TE11/OV116
Age: 23 Position: TE Height: 6’5 Weight: 256 Exp: 0
Injury Risk Rating
There’s actually nothing to talk about here. Warren is 23, which is nowhere near being a risk factor for injury, and he has literally no reported injuries from his time at Penn State.