The 'On The Clock' crew of Matt Williamson, Mike Prisuta and Max Starks take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh in April. Today, they delve into the tight end position.
Note: The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matt's Take
Matt's Take: There is likely to be just one tight end drafted this year in the first round. But the second day of the draft should yield some very intriguing mismatch options in the passing game. Overall, this tight end group is deeper than usual and collectively performed very well at the Combine. Don't be surprised if some teams that aren't tight end needy grab a value pick at this position on the third day. And don't forget: the league is using more and more multiple tight end personnel groupings.
Matt's Rankings
1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon, 6-3, 241 lbs.- Sadiq confirmed that he is a truly elite athlete with a ridiculous performance at the Combine. He isn't the biggest tight end and won't be asked to do a lot of inline work at the next level. But Sadiq is a nightmare to combat in the passing game. He gets in and out of his breaks extremely well and can run away from defensive backs.
2. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 239 lbs. - Stowers is a certain type of tight end. He is a passing game weapon rather than a traditional player at this position. Whatever his next team gets out of Stowers as a blocker will be a bonus, but a creative offensive mind will have a blast utilizing Stowers immense athleticism and ability to win at all levels of the field. Also, a former quarterback, Stowers' knowledge of the game stands out. He won the Mackey Award last year as best tight end in the nation.
3. Michael Trigg, Baylor, 6-4, 240 lbs. - Trigg is another supreme athlete that creates all kinds of mismatches in the passing game. He has very good speed and uncanny length, that he uses well to his advantage. His highlight reel catches are jaw-dropping, but Trigg could be a little more consistent with his ability to set up defenders.
4. Sam Roush, Stanford, 6-6, 267 lbs. - Unlike the first three names listed here, Roush is the prototypical inline tight end-and that is a position that being more and more coveted in today's NFL. While Roush is rugged and plays a style of football that all coaches will love, don't underestimate is overall athletic ability. Roush's game translates very well to the league.
5. Max Klare, Ohio State, 6-4, 246 lbs. - Despite being surrounded with amazing wide receivers at Ohio State, Klare carved out a nice piece of the Buckeye's passing attack. He is an okay blocker at best that usually operates out of the slot, but Klare has big play ability and a strong feel for creating separation vs. man or zone coverage.
Sleeper: John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming, 6-6, 249 lbs. - Gyllenborg needs to continue to add muscle and bulk to his long frame, but you can't teach his height and length to go along with downfield ability. Unlike a lot of players with his height, Gyllenborg is not just a buildup athlete, rather, you see explosive movements consistently on tape.
Mike's Take
Tight ends are seemingly being relied upon more and more on Sundays and the ones who are playing on Saturdays have not only noticed, they're being prepared for such an increasingly-varied role.
"You love to see that," Ohio State tight end Max Klare told detroitlions.com at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "The more tight ends out there the better. I played 'Z' in 13 (personnel, a three-tight ends set) this year, 'H' in 12 (personnel, a two-tight ends formation) and 'Y' in 11 (personnel, one tight end). Even took a snap at running back.
"I've seen it all and been lined up all over the field and I think it's something that will benefit me in the future."
Klare's not the only one.
More are coming and they're ready to be deployed in numbers and as needed.
Mike's Rankings
1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon, 6-3, 241 lbs.- He didn't need to cement his status as TE1 but Sadiq tested through the roof in Indy, anyway. Sadiq set a Combine tight end record (since 2003) with a 4.39 40-yard dash and became the sixth player in Combine history (since 2003) to run a sub-4.4 40 and post a vertical leap of at least 43" (43.5") at 240 or more pounds.
2. Michael Trigg, Baylor, 6-4, 240 lbs. -Adjusting to new offenses shouldn't be a problem for Trigg, who played one season at USC, two at Mississippi and two at Baylor and found the end zone at every stop. His 2025 campaign was his best, with 50 catches, 694 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions.
3. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 239 lbs. - The most decorated of the bunch, Stowers won the John Mackey Award (nation's top tight end) and the William V. Campbell Award (Academic Heisman) and was named a First-team Associated Press All-American. He's also well-traveled, with stops at Texas A&M (where he played in two games as a reserve QB and was an Offensive Scout Team Award winner) and New Mexico State prior to Vanderbilt.
4. Max Klare, Ohio State, 6-4, 246 lbs. - He can line up in the slot or even out wide and he can get down the field and make plays. His numbers (43 catches, 448 yards, two receiving TDs) didn't scream "play-maker" in his one season at Ohio State but the Buckeyes always have a lot of pass-catching options at wide receiver and 2025 was no exception. Klare can make an impact in an NFL offense by catching the ball.
5. Joe Royer, Cincinnati, 6-51/8, 255 lbs. - Royer had to leave Columbus, Ohio to get his hands on the football consistently. But after making four catches in three seasons at Ohio State he turned two seasons in Cincinnati into a combined 79 receptions for 937 yards and seven touchdowns. That included 50 catches in 2024, which broke Travis Kelce's program record for tight ends.
Sleeper: Riley Nowakowski, Indiana, 6-2, 239 lbs. - After catching 18 passes in five seasons as Wisconsin, Nowakowski made the most of his one season in Indiana. He hauled in 32 receptions for 387 yards and two touchdowns and also played fullback, a position from which Nowakowski scored the Hoosiers' first TD in their national championship-clinching victory over Miami, Fla., on a 1-yard run.
Max's Take
The tight end prospects for this year's draft are not necessarily bereft of talent, but the top tier includes just one prospect (Kenyon Sadiq)and the rest of the group fall into a tier 2 or tier 3 type of scenario. Probably the shallowest pool of top talent of all the positions going into this draft this year. There's intrigue and skills but not a complete package in this group, so if you're looking for a specialist, this is the key focus in this group.
Max's Rankings
1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon, 6-3, 241 lbs.- Sadiq is the clear cut, Tier 1 TE and the only member of the top tier for this year's draft class. Slotted as the best at the position for good reason: clean route runner, good pass protector and can separate in space. He is a mismatch problem for a nickel or an OLB.
2. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 239 lbs. - Former QB turned tight end, Stowers has elite speed, and gets faster after he catches the ball. The only question is blocking in line and in max protection situations. With that said, TE's today look more like large wideouts than big body blockers with good hands.
3. Joe Royer, Cincinnati, 6-51/8, 255 lbs. - Royer is an all-around complementary tight end who can do a lot of things good. Whereas normally you want someone who's excellent in one area, Royer is a well-rounded prospect without any areas of great strength. He has a place here, but not dynamic to be a day one starter.
4. Sam Roush, Stanford, 6-6, 267 lbs. - Rousch is what I consider the traditional Y position tight end. He has a high-level skill for blocking and is a nice safety relief valve for a quarterback, looking for someone underneath and can pick up the tough yardage.
5. Oscar Delp, Georgia, 6-5, 245 lbs. - Delp would've gone in my sleeper category, but playing at Georgia behind Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers provided him with experience that moved him up, in my opinion. He is a very athletic and smooth pass catcher but still needs work in the blocking and multiple movement scenarios.
Sleeper: Jack Endries, Texas, 6-5, 245 lbs. - Endries intrigues me. He has the athleticism and the experience necessary to be a good tight end at the next level, but questions about whether he's a reliable pass catcher and consistent blocker puts him in the sleeper category for me.
