Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson (TE08) looks on during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL Analyst's Bold Prediction For Los Angeles Rams Rookie Terrance Ferguson

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Charlie Viehl | Last updated May 18, 2025 6:34 PM ET

When the Los Angeles Rams selected former Oregon Ducks tight end Terrance Ferguson with the No. 46 pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, many assumed that Ferguson was drafted as a future replacement for Rams tight end Tyler Higbee.

Still, Higbee is expected be the starting tight end with the Rams offense to begin the 2025 season, but will Ferguson be able to compete for an increased role in Los Angeles? Bleacher Report's Matt Holder projected the starting lineups for all 32 NFL teams, and Holder believes that Ferguson will be the starting tight end over Higbee.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Tyler Higbee will enter training camp as the Rams’ starting tight end, but he’s getting older, is entering a contract year and didn’t look the same last year after recovering from a knee injury during the 2023 playoffs," wrote Holder. "Meanwhile, the Rams spent a second-round pick on Ferguson, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the rookie get the nod over Higbee this fall."

As Holder mentioned, Higbee returned to the Rams for last part of the 2024 season after suffering a torn ACL and MCL. At 32 years old, Higbee will have some extra motivation to return to full form after his injury, and it comes from Ferguson.

The former Oregon star was considered one of the top tight ends in the 2025 draft class, and he set multiple program receiving records at his position for the Ducks. Ferguson is a traditional tight end, but he poses a unique downfield threat with his speed and ability to create separation. Now, he joins a Rams organization led by offensive guru Sean McVay as well as quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Before the draft ESPN's Jeremy Fowler compared Ferguson to the top two tight ends in the draft, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, who were selected in the first round.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“Penn State's Tyler Warren and Michigan's Colston Loveland are battling for the top tight end spot, and which player goes first in the draft will depend on team preference. Loveland is considered the more explosive player, while Warren probably gets the edge on playing style and feel for the game. The third-best tight end prospect out of the Big Ten is Ferguson, a productive pass catcher with adequate speed and the ability to stretch the field. The question with Ferguson is physicality,”the ESPN draft analyst said.

Ferguson was the fourth tight end picked in this year's NFL Draft behind Warren, Loveland, and LSU's Mason Taylor, selected by the New York Jets in the second round. After the draft, Fowler revealed that the Rams traded out of the first round with plans to draft either Ferguson on Taylor. The Jets drafted Taylor before Los Angeles could make a selection, but Fowler reported that the Rams preferred Ferguson over the LSU product:

"(The Rams) would have been happy with either player, but one team source insists Ferguson was top in that order, so he would have been the pick if Taylor had been there," Fowler reported.