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NFL Draft 2025 player profile: Thomas Fidone II, tight end, Nebraska

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NCAA Football: Pinstripe Bowl-Boston College at Nebraska
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

One of the better blocking tight ends in this draft, Fidone II does have some injury concerns.

One of my favorite times of the year is when I get to write NFL Draft player profiles. Some of the eventual Seattle Seahawks draft picks I’ve nailed down in recent years include Byron Murphy II, Christian Haynes, Tyrice Knight, Devon Witherspoon, Olu Oluwatimi, Boye Mafe, Kenny McIntosh, Abe Lucas, Zach Charbonnet, and Riq Woolen.

With the 2025 NFL Draft happening this week, we’re wrapping up our closer looks at several intriguing prospects, including expected Round 1 picks all the way to Day 3/UDFA options. This scouting report is on Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone II. He’s a blocking tight end who’s got good receiving skills but a bit of an injury history.

Let’s get to the report!

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Prospect Info

Name: Thomas Fidone II

Jersey #: 24

College: Nebraska Cornhusker

Position: TE

Awards:

– Academic All-Big Ten (2022, 2023, 2024);

– Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2021) – players who demonstrate zeal and dedication for volunteering in the community;

Class: Redshirt Junior

Style: Blocking

Comparison: Tucker Kraft

Projection: 4th Round

Stats

2024: 13 G, 36 Rec, 373 yds

2023: 12 G, 25 Rec, 260 yds, 4 TDs

2022: Injured

2021: Redshirted. 1 G

Combine/Pro Day Results

HT 6’5

WT 243 lbs

Arms: 34”

Wingspan 82½”

Hands 10⅝”

40 yds 4.7s

10 yd split 1.61s

Short Shuttle: 4.29s

3 Cone Drill: 7.01s

VJ 35.5”

BJ 10’6”

Bench Press N/A

Relative Athletic Score: 9.49

Background

Fidone came to college with a lot of flair. He was named to SI’s 2020 All-American team, was selected to the 2021 All-American Bowl, and has had impressive production as one of the top 50 recruits in the country. Fidone II committed to Nebraska as a 4-star recruit (247 Sports) over programs like Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan, Penn State, and others.

He had two knee injuries in his first two years, which is a concern. However, he had two full seasons after that. He even led Nebraska in receiving TDs in 2023. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl and especially at the Combine.

Evaluating the prospect…

Blocking

Good leverage, use of hands, and footwork to maintain good blocking.

He has great leg strength and knows how to use leverage well to anchor himself. However, he can still be better if he doesn’t allow defenders to access his chest quickly.

Blocking in-line, he takes the EDGE out of the play and plays until the whistle, finishing the block with the defender on the ground.

Good movement and intelligence. I think his first target would be the last player on the line of scrimmage. However, he realizes that he doesn’t need this block and moves on to the next target. He makes the adjustment but takes his eyes off the target and allows the tackle.

On the very next snap, he controls the DB and takes the player out of the way so that the TD happens. Good mentality to recover.

He makes a key block against one of the best DTs in this class, Tyleik Williams, essential to open up space for a good run.

Receiver Skills

More physical defenders can disrupt his routes, however, here he finds a way out. He forces the defender inside and makes the cut, gaining some yards after the reception.

He threatens that his route will be vertical in order to create space for his cut. The pass takes a while to arrive, but he manages to adjust.

He comes out of the line of scrimmage well, avoiding contact. He again attacks vertically and makes the cut to gain more yards. The referee in the middle of the field ended up helping the TE.

Aligned in the slot, makes a good cut and with his arms extended, makes the reception to get the team out of a difficult situation.

Good release from the line of scrimmage, understands the leverage he has against the defender in 1v1 and makes the reception.

He seems to lose a lot of speed with every step he takes. His exit from the line is good, but those “heavy feet” make him not a threat on vertical routes.

Another good exit from the line. However, he goes towards the defender, he should have noticed that. He finishes the snap well because he needs to adjust to the pass.

STRENGTHS:

– Size / weight / length for the position.

– Versatile, lining up as inline, wing, slot and wide out;

– Reliable receiver;

– Catch Radius;

– Good blocker, especially on the pass block;

WEAKNESSES:

– Knee injuries in 2021 (left ACL), 2022 (knee) caused lost seasons;

– Not a threat with speed;

– Allows access to his chest on blocks, relying heavily on his anchoring ability;

Final Thoughts

I wrote about Jackson Hawes awhile back. In my opinion, he is the best blocking TE in a long time to come out of college. Fidone is perhaps second in the class in this regard. However, he has a much higher floor as a receiver than the Georgia Tech player and has untapped potential.

Fidone has been used in different spots and in different ways in the Nebraska offense. In line, slot, wing and wide out, both receiving and blocking. He can help the Seahawks as a rookie as a TE3 and can become more than that. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Seahawks drafting two TEs in this class, in fact.

It would have been very interesting if the Seahawks had brought Fidone on a visit to confirm his health. As I said at the beginning of the article, he had two years with different knee problems. However, if that’s a concern, he had two full seasons in a row. Was it a chronic problem or a one-off? In the fourth round, it would be more than worth the bet with all his athletic potential.

2025 NFL Draft Reports: