Rookie Draft Series 2026 – Tight End Primer

By Chris Kerr (@bustermartin)

Last year was a relatively deep year at Tight End.  

Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren constantly swapped as TE1 in pre-draft rookie rankings.

Mason Taylor, Terrance Ferguson, and Gunnar Helm all enter 2026 with a renewed hype and higher expectations.

And Harold Fanning.  

Well, if you drafted Harold Fanning, you most likely got him in the third or possibly even fourth round.  He was one of the best steals in rookie drafts last season.

This year, expectations are not the same.  

Sure, the Sadiq/Stowers combination is somewhat exciting, but definitely not at the level that we watched Round 1 in 2025.  Unless there is some serious draft night hijinks, it is clear that Sadiq will be taken in Round 1 and Stowers most likely on Day 2.

According to ECR, four tight ends are expected to be taken in the first three rounds of your rookie draft.

A Top 10 Tight End in 2026?

Kenyon Sadiq – (ECR – TE1 – Pick 6)

Former Oregon Duck, Kenyon Sadiq, profiles as the most explosive tight end coming into this Thursday’s draft.

Drawing comparisons to Vernon Davis as he entered the NFL, Sadiq is an athletic freak who surprised everyone by setting the 40 combine record.

Some NFL scouts believe there is another level to Sadiq’s game that was not unlocked at Oregon, both moving the chains and developing his route running.  He played behind Terrance Ferguson his sophomore year, but burst on the scene looking like a running back after the catch.  

His vertical jump, broad jump and forty time were all in the 98th percentile. He also has the type of footwork that NFL coaches try to develop in tight ends by year 3.

Sadiq can track defenders downfield creating space for running backs and receivers, often tossing backfield defenders off-balance with his agility and quickness in the blocking game.

We do know, however, that the team who drafts Sadiq will not be doing it to see him hold off pass rushers, and his new team will also have to focus on developing his route running to bring him to the next level.  

The Dolphins, Buccaneers and Ravens look like prime landing spots for his skill-set as both are looking to replace aging veterans.

(30 visits – Broncos, Browns, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Eagles, Texans, Vikings)

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Eli Stowers – (ECR – TE2 – Pick 9)

Stowers had more receiving yards than any other tight end in all of college football last season.  

The Vanderbilt alum boasted 64.1 receiving yards per game, and was a First Team All-American in Division 1 last season.  

While Kenyon Sadiq’s projections require him to develop at the next level, Stowers has put together one of the more statistically impressive collegiate resumes in recent years. 

The fact that Stowers’ numbers did not propel him to the projected first TE drafted tells you that scouts are valuing Sadiq’s athleticism and ability to develop it over Stower’s numbers.

It would not be surprising, however, to see Stowers have early success if he lands on a team like the Chiefs or Buccaneers who have an aging tight end as the rest of their depth chart screams backup.  

Entering his rookie season fundamentally strong with Travis Kelce as his mentor and Andy Reid as his coach could quickly accelerate his path to snaps.  

(30 visits – Broncos, Browns, Cowboys, Eagles, Jaguars, Rams, Ravens, Titans)

Hindsight is 20-23

Max Klare – (ECR – TE3 – Pick 30)

Max Klare began his collegiate career at Purdue.  He struggled with injury early, but by 2024 he had a breakout season and put himself in contention for Comeback Player of the Year.  He lead his team in receptions with 685 yards and four touchdowns.

One of the highlights of his game is sneaking past defenders and making plays down the field.

Eager to showcase his skills on the big stage, Klare entered the transfer portal at the end of 2024 and landed at Ohio State.  

It is unclear whether or not this move to the Buckeyes surrounded by so many playmakers may have stunted his growth or at least his ability to feature it.

Remaining in West Lafayette may have led to more opportunity and higher overall individual production.  

Although he did become a better blocking tight end at Ohio State because he had no other choice.

Max Klare is a stash play who I would be targeting in the late 3rd, early 4th or grabbing off my waiver wire should he go undrafted.

(30 visits – Broncos, Eagles, Texans, Buccaneers)

Senior Bowl Full of Joly

Justin Joly – (ECR – TE4 – Pick 35)

Joly’s frame mirrors that of Kenyon Sadiq by the numbers.  He is great on contested catches and has shown some promise in the red zone.

The problem is that he will not spend much time on an NFL field unless plays are specifically schemed for him to be the first or second look.  While his specific strengths are undeniable, he is just not good at enough things to warrant that attention.

Why someone will draft him as early as the third round?

Because he has the physical frame to be a solid receiving tight end, and he showed significant improvement from his junior to senior year.  He was selected First Team All-ACC and won the Tight End MVP at the senior bowl.  

Much like Max Klare, Joly is a guy I am scooping up late 3rd, early fourth if I need tight end depth.  Otherwise, he will sit on someone else’s taxi squad…probably for the next few seasons.

(30 Visits – Bills, Broncos, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Panthers, Ravens, Saints, Titans)

WWBD – What Would Buster Do?

This year, I am probably not taking a tight end where Sadiq is going because there are so many opportunities at wide receiver.  In that range, I am looking for Concepcion and if he is gone, I am trading back to grab one of the Penn State running backs.  Every year, there is the talk of “next year’s class is so much better”, but this time it may actually be true.  If I have the 1.06 and I can get a Devonta Smith (who should soon be without AJ) or somehow land one of the wide receivers in the round 5 range like Egbuka, Flowers or Odunze, I am probably taking that trade.  With the 1.06 or even 1.09, you may even be able to grab a 27 first and 26 second if you sell it mid-draft.  Through my research, I might just download Kalshi and put a bet on the Broncos to grab a tight end in the first two rounds.