We are now just over a week away from the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Over the past few weeks, we've taken a look at some of the top prospects entering this year's draft, breaking it down position by position:
Let's finish with the tight ends. The rankings and analysis are taken from Pro Football Focus’s Big Board, ESPN’s Best Available and Daniel Jeremiah’s Top 50 Prospect Rankings and Bucky Brooks’s positional rankings from NFL.com.
Names of Note
Kenyon Sadiq - Oregon
Measurables
Height - 6'3"
Weight - 241 lbs
Arm - 31 1/2"
Hand - 10"
Prospect Overview
Sadiq was named Big Ten Conference Tight End of the Year and was a finalist for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top TE, in 2025. He was also second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Big Ten after leading all tight ends with eight receiving touchdowns.
Rankings and Analysis
"Sadiq is an ideal modern tight end in terms of athleticism and versatility. He can impact both the receiving and blocking phases, allowing teams to align him all over the formation. While his college production was limited, his upside is significant, making him a strong first-round projection."
"Sadiq is a short, muscled-up tight end with outstanding speed and athleticism. At Oregon, he primarily aligned attached or in the slot, but he also saw some reps out wide and in the backfield. He is very explosive in his release and he's able to separate vertically on seam/wheel routes…Overall, Sadiq lacks height and consistent hands, but he is a versatile, explosive weapon with toughness. "
"Sadiq has the frame of a tight end and the athleticism of a receiver. At the combine, he ran a 4.40 in the 40 and had a 43-inch vertical. He's versatile as a pass catcher, understanding how to sit down in windows against zone looks and create separation at the top of his routes versus man coverage. Sadiq can make plays down the seam or get open on option routes in the short/intermediate pass game."
Eli Stowers - Vanderbilt
Measurables
Height - 6'4"
Weight - 239 lbs
Arm - 32 5/8"
Hand - 9 3/4"
Prospect Overview
Stowers began his career as a quarterback recruit at Texas A&M and spent one season at New Mexico State before heading to Nashville, where he spent two years. He was first-team All-SEC in both 2024 and 2025 and won the John Mackey Award this past season. As a first-team Associated Press All-American, Stowers led the Commodores with 62 receptions last season..
Rankings and Analysis
"Stowers is a natural, versatile athlete with a high usage rate over the past two seasons, projecting to a contributing NFL role. He is best utilized as a backfield or big-slot option rather than as an in-line blocker, where his impact is limited."
"Stowers is an explosive quarterback convert with just three years at the tight end position. He's an excellent athlete with long arms but needs to keep filling out his frame. He's a natural pass catcher with an outstanding catch radius and massive run-after-catch talent. While his route-running and contested-catch ability need work, he excels at moving the chains on screens/short catches."
"Stowers, a converted quarterback, set NFL combine records for a tight end in the broad jump (11 feet, 3 inches) and vertical jump (45.5 inches). In his two years at Vanderbilt, the Commodores found a multitude of ways to get him the ball. Stowers is very fluid for his size, bringing exceptional burst and explosive power for a tight end."
Max Klare - Ohio State
Measurables
Height - 6'4"
Weight - 246 lbs
Arm - 32 1/8"
Hand - 9 1/8"
Prospect Overview
Klare played three seasons at Purdue and third-team All-Big Ten Conference before transferring to Ohio State, where he was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2025.
Rankings and Analysis
"Klare is a lighter tight end whose blocking flashes but lacks consistency. He compensates with savvy receiving skills and reliable hands, projecting as a potential starter for teams that prioritize tight end involvement in the passing game."
"Highly athletic, pass-catching tight end capable of earning volume targets on the pro level. Klare can live beyond the typical targeted depth for most tight ends thanks to his route inventory and ability to generate separation across the field… In a league craving impact tight ends, Klare has a chance to inject life into an offense hunting mismatches."
"Klare shows natural ability as a route runner, and he flattens and accelerates out of his breaks. He's a zone buster but also has the capability to create separation versus man coverage. His speed is sufficient enough to stretch the defense vertically. He had some trouble with drops in his time at Purdue but cleaned them up some while at Ohio State."
Sam Roush - Stanford
Measurables
Height - 6'6"
Weight - 267 lbs
Arm - 30 5/8"
Hand - 10"
Prospect Overview
Roush spent four seasons at Stanford and was named second-team All-ACC in 2025.
Rankings and Analysis
"Roush has the build of an NFL tight end capable of playing on the line of scrimmage. As a blocking "Y" tight end, he can be a valuable piece in heavy personnel packages and some single-tight-end looks, though his impact in the passing game will likely be limited."
"In a draft landscape full of pass-catching tight ends, Roush stands out as one of the few plug-and-play "Y" tight ends (in-line blocking TE) available. He can make cut-off blocks in zone and combo blocks in gap schemes. He holds his own in pass protection, too. As a receiver, he's not stiff, but he lacks elusiveness underneath. He needs to apply more of his tough playing style to win combat catches and expand his role beyond run blocker/zone beater."
"Roush possesses a large frame but lacks a great first step, allowing for defenders to shoot his inside gap. He measured with 30_-inch arms at the combine, which makes it harder for him to play with inside hands or hold his block at the point of attack. When Roush is able to shoot his hands inside, he has the power and strength to maintain blocks. Roush does a good job securing blocks against smaller edge rushers or linebackers."
Michael Trigg - Baylor
Measurables
Height - 6'4"
Weight - 240 lbs
Arm - 34 1/4"
Hand - 10 1/2"
Prospect Overview
Trigg started his college career at USC before spending two seasons at Ole Miss and two seasons at Baylor. With the Bears in 2025, Trigg was named third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Big 12 and was a finalist for the John Mackey Award.
Rankings and Analysis
"Trigg may have one of the widest ranges of outcomes in the 2026 class. At his best, his vertical athleticism and contested-catch ability suggest top-50 potential, but inconsistencies with technique and focus create volatility in his projection."
"Long, rangy tight end offering rare arm length, good speed and some alignment versatility. Trigg moves like a big wideout with surprising hip sink, foot quickness and fluid transitions to run after the catch. He wins vertically against linebackers and overwhelms defensive backs with size, high-point talent and massive hands that fuel highlight-reel catches."
No analysis provided.
Justin Joly - North Carolina State
Measurables
Height - 6'3 1/2"
Weight - 241 lbs
Arm - 32 1/4"
Hand - 10 1/2"
Prospect Overview
Joly transferred to NC State after two seasons at Connecticut. He was named first-team All-ACC in 2025 after leading the Wolfpack with 49 receptions and seven touchdowns.
Rankings and Analysis
"Joly is a natural receiving tight end with strong hands, a high football IQ and a competitive edge. While he lacks standout athletic traits, he offers enough to project as a contributor on offense and special teams."
"Undersized pass-catcher with the ability to expand the route tree and challenge man coverage around the field. Joly still needs to polish his route-running but he has the footwork and athletic traits to uncover. He doesn't catch with much hand extension and fights throws on occasion but he makes up for it with impressive body control/catch toughness. "
"Joly has the short area quickness and suddenness to separate from defenders. He has very good foot fluidity, with balance and body control to go along with it. He loses some inches on his catch radius, as he does not always fully extend to grab balls outside the framework of his body. Though he lacks some extension, he has very strong hands and will make contested catches."
Watch the 2026 NFL Draft April 23-25 on ESPN and NFL Network.
Take a look at some of the top tight end prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) runs the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Minnesota Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
FILE - Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers (9) makes a catch against Texas during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Ohio State's Max Klare catches a pass in front of Wisconsin's Cooper Catalano during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Stanford tight end Sam Roush (86) gains yards after a catch in the first half of an NCAA college football game against SMU Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Baylor tight end Michael Trigg (1) during an NCAA football game against Kansas State on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Waco, Texas. Baylor won 35-34. (AP Photo/Mike Buscher)
North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly (7) celebrates a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Florida State, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Texas tight end Jack Endries (88) runs a route during an NCAA football game against Florida, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. Florida defeated Texas 29-21. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
Utah tight end Dallen Bentley (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Nebraska during the second half of the Las Vegas Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Michigan tight end Marlin Klein (17) catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon (9) rushes after catching a pass against Texas A&M's Scooby Williams (0) during an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
