NFL · 3 months ago

Ranking the Top 10 Tight Ends for the 2026 NFL Draft

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

Who are the Next Tight Ends?
The Best of the Rest
- Nate Boerkircher - Texas A&M Aggies
- Oscar Delp - Georgia Bulldogs
- John Michael Gyllenborg - Wyoming Cowboys
- Jaren Kanak - Oklahoma Sooners
- Miles Kitselman - Tennessee Volunteers
- Marlin Klein - Michigan Wolverines
- Lawson Luckie - Georgia Bulldogs
- Riley Nowakowski - Indiana Hoosiers
- Sam Roush - Stanford Cardinal
2026 NFL Draft: Tight End Rankings
With the football season officially concluded, it is now draft season! The 2026 NFL Draft is in April, and teams are already deep in preparation as each franchise tries to build a championship contender. While this draft class is not loaded with high-caliber quarterback prospects, the tight end group is considered to be a rock-solid assortment of players with one headliner sitting alone at the top in Kenyon Sadiq of Oregon.

The NFL is moving back towards more heavy formations, and that trend is expected to continue as the Seattle Seahawks ran 12 personnel (two tight end sets) on the field on more than 42 percent of their offensive possessions on the way to the title. In fact, there were nine NFL teams during the 2026 regular season that had two tight ends on the field more than 41 percent of the time, and more than half of the league ran those sets more than 30 percent of the time.

That means getting versatile and reliable tight ends is becoming more important than ever, and this group of players should be in demand.
1. Kenyon Sadiq
Kenyon Sadiq NFL Draft Profile
- College: Oregon Ducks
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Height: 6'3"
- Weight: 245
The clear number one on the board is Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq. A former multisport athlete from Idaho, Sadiq is an athletic freak who is physically ready to contribute from day one. He’s not a plus-level blocker and would be accurately described as “adequate” on that front, so he’s not a perfect fit for every attack. Still, he should be able to make a difference as a pass catcher and a player capable of creating mismatches against any defense.

His speed is a major strength, and he’s showcased good instincts as a route runner and has reliable hands. There’s a chance that he never improves enough as a blocker to be a star, and he’s only 6’3”, but there is also a real chance he develops into an All-Pro.
3. Eli Stowers
Eli Stowers NFL Draft Profile
- College: Vanderbilt Commodores
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Denton, TX
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 235
Teams looking for production and proven experience will be enticed by former Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers. Diego Pavia’s favorite target had 62 receptions for 769 yards with four touchdowns in 2025. Stowers was a high jump state champion in Texas before being a backup quarterback for two seasons at Texas A&M. He saw no path forward and transferred to New Mexico State, transitioning to tight end and immediately showing natural ability to catch the ball and make plays.

He’s still a bit raw at the position, and blocking does not come naturally, but he’s significantly improved during the 2025 season. There is no question that Stowers is a good receiver, but the main concern is whether or not he has a big enough frame to gain weight and consistently handle blocking duties. At this point in his career, he needs to be schematically protected, but he’s a red zone threat and has a unique athletic profile that makes him intriguing.
4. Tanner Koziol
Tanner Koziol NFL Draft Profile
- College: Houston Cougars
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Bloomingdale, IL
- Height: 6'7"
- Weight: 240
I am higher on Tanner Koziol than most, and if I were drafting, I'd probably take a shot on him ahead of players others will rank higher (see Trigg, Joly, or Endries). He's not a perfect prospect, but his past two seasons are as productive as any tight end in the country, and at 6'7", he's a real force in the red zone. Koziol was at Ball State and exploded in 2024, catching 94 passes for 839 yards before transferring to Wisconsin briefly and then playing the 2025 season at Houston. In the Big 12, Koziol had 74 catches for 727 yards with six touchdowns for a surprise Houston squad.

He's not particularly quick or explosive off the line, and that could create some struggles in gaining any separation against NFL defenders, plus we don't know what he'll look like against top-level athletes. That said, his frame creates mismatches, and he catches the ball well while running with toughness and determination after the catch to rack up yards. He's a better blocker than Trigg or Joly and bigger than most in this class. The tools are there to work with, and he could contribute quickly in red zone situations.
5. Jack Endries
Jack Endries NFL Draft Profile
- College: Texas Longhorns
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: Danville, CA
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 240
Jack Endries is a fundamentally sound and reliable tight end who finished his collegiate career at Texas after playing at Cal alongside Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Endries was a consistent performer, a good route runner, and a very effective pass blocker, playing 26 consecutive games without missing a snap due to injury. That durability will be enticing and is a boon for his draft stock, as is his ability to be deployed in various alignments.

Endries is not particularly fast, but he's quick enough to get himself open and has a good understanding, particularly against zone coverage. He falls below the others on this list because he lacks elite positional athleticism and is not a great run blocker. The athleticism is not going to magically improve, so the team that drafts him will need to be convinced they can turn him into an above-average run blocker to make him an every-down player.
6. Justin Joly
Justin Joly NFL Draft Profile
- College: North Carolina State Wolfpack
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Brewster, New York
- Height: 6'3"
- Weight: 251
Justin Joly is another receiver masquerading as a tight end, and concerns about his blocking lower his draft ceiling. Joly began his career at Connecticut before playing the past two seasons at North Carolina State. He had 661 yards in 2024 and dropped to 489 in 2025, but had seven touchdowns. Joly makes tough catches and is among the best players in this class at catching the ball in traffic. Those attributes make him a potentially valuable third-down and red-zone player.

He’s not necessarily undersized, but there is a limit to what his frame can add without losing his speed, and that probably means he’ll never be a plus-level blocker, particularly as a run blocker. He’s versatile and makes contested catches, so a creative offensive mind will be able to get a lot of his skillset, and I think he should be a round three or round four pick that ends up being surprisingly productive.
7. Michael Trigg
Michael Trigg NFL Draft Profile
- College: Baylor Bears
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Tampa, Florida
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 240
Baylor had a disappointing season, but tight end Michael Trigg was a breakout player who boosted his NFL stock in a big way. He exploded for 694 yards on 50 receptions with six touchdowns, dwarfing his previous production. He was a journeyman with a good pedigree, beginning his career at USC after being a two-way star in high school and then transferring to Ole Miss before spending his final two seasons in Waco at Baylor. Trigg might be one of the more dynamic athletes in the tight end group, and he's a perfectly capable route runner who can make circus catches.

Why is he not up there with Kenyon Sadiq? There are significant blocking concerns, and multiple outlets have reported that NFL teams are concerned about his overall lack of dedication to or approach to football. Trigg is not an inconsistent blocker; he's been a disinterested one who has shown little ability to run block effectively. That means he can't really be put on the field until the blocking has been completely overhauled, or if a team just commits to splitting him out wide and playing him as a wideout.
8. Joe Royer
Joe Royer NFL Draft Profile
- College: Cincinnati Bearcats
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
- Height: 6'5"
- Weight: 250
Joe Royer is another good-sized tight end that should test well, and he's been really good on intermediate routes as an inline receiver. He began his career at Ohio State before playing for his hometown team, the Cincinnati Bearcats. There are two things limiting his NFL Draft stock and moving him down this list: he's not a plus-level blocker, and the receiving profile, while intriguing, places him below guys like Michael Trigg, Justin Joly, or the bigger Tanner Koziol.

Royer only had 29 receptions with 416 yards and four touchdowns in 2025 despite playing in the Big 12 and having a fairly prolific quarterback throwing him the ball. A player with those receiving numbers, no obvious standout athleticism, and inconsistent blocking projects, to me, lower than the others ahead of him, and I think his ceiling is probably as a solid TE2 in the NFL.
9. Eli Raridon
Eli Raridon NFL Draft Profile
- College: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Des Moines, IA
- Height: 6'7"
- Weight: 251
Eli Raridon is one of the bigger prospects in this tight end class, and his father was an offensive lineman for Notre Dame before Raridon followed him in his footsteps to South Bend. Obviously, at 6'7", he has good length and is a mismatch for defenders.

He's a solid route runner and has a good understanding of how to get open, but Raridon's stock plummets when NFL teams dive into the medical file. He has two torn ACLs on the same knee, and that probably removes him from a number of draft boards. In addition, he's a solid but not exceptional blocker and lacks above-average speed. Raridon should be ready to play pretty quickly for whichever team drafts him, but how much faith will there be that he can stay healthy?
10. Josh Cuevas
Josh Cuevas NFL Draft Profile
- College: Alabama Crimson Tide
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
- Height: 6'3"
- Weight: 256
If you have not noticed, the top of this class is a bit light on high-end blockers. Indeed, the position has changed somewhat, and you need to be a pass catcher to get on the field as a tight end, but there is still a need for competent blockers, and Josh Cuevas fills that void well. He's not an elite blocker, but he's very good and has shown significant growth since transferring to Alabama.

This past season, he was the safety valve for quarterback Ty Simpson and had 37 receptions for 411 yards while also blocking effectively on running and passing plays alike. He's drawn comparisons to players like Gunnar Helm and Cade Otton. Those are useful professionals who will never be mistaken for stars but have offensive roles and contributed early in their careers.
Who are the Next Tight Ends?
The Best of the Rest
- Nate Boerkircher - Texas A&M Aggies
- Oscar Delp - Georgia Bulldogs
- John Michael Gyllenborg - Wyoming Cowboys
- Jaren Kanak - Oklahoma Sooners
- Miles Kitselman - Tennessee Volunteers
- Marlin Klein - Michigan Wolverines
- Lawson Luckie - Georgia Bulldogs
- Riley Nowakowski - Indiana Hoosiers
- Sam Roush - Stanford Cardinal
2026 NFL Draft: Tight End Rankings
With the football season officially concluded, it is now draft season! The 2026 NFL Draft is in April, and teams are already deep in preparation as each franchise tries to build a championship contender. While this draft class is not loaded with high-caliber quarterback prospects, the tight end group is considered to be a rock-solid assortment of players with one headliner sitting alone at the top in Kenyon Sadiq of Oregon.

The NFL is moving back towards more heavy formations, and that trend is expected to continue as the Seattle Seahawks ran 12 personnel (two tight end sets) on the field on more than 42 percent of their offensive possessions on the way to the title. In fact, there were nine NFL teams during the 2026 regular season that had two tight ends on the field more than 41 percent of the time, and more than half of the league ran those sets more than 30 percent of the time.

That means getting versatile and reliable tight ends is becoming more important than ever, and this group of players should be in demand.

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Ranking the Top 10 Tight Ends for the 2026 NFL Draft

The Best of the Rest

The Best of the Rest

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