NFL Player News

The Broncos selected Bentley in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 256th overall.

Bentley's big numbers from the 2025 season were undermined by the fact that he did next to nothing in any of the prior seasons, and by the time Bentley started producing for Utah he already had a big age advantage over most of the competition, cheapening the value of that otherwise noteworthy receiving production (48 catches for 620 yards and eight touchdowns on 80 targets). Even with quality workout metrics at 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, Bentley will likely begin his NFL career as a practice squad type yet will turn 26 this winter, so he doesn't have much development time on his side.

The Browns selected Ryan in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 248th overall.

Ryan bounced from UCLA to Utah to BYU, and he finally broke out at his final destination with 45 receptions for 620 yards and three touchdowns, ranking third on the team in all three categories. The 22-year-old fits the tight-end build (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) while adding a 4.71 40-yard dash, and he's a dependable run blocker. He's one of eight tight ends currently on the Browns roster, but the only player with a truly secure role is Harold Fannin.

The Titans selected Kanak in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 225th overall.

Kanak spent his entire four-year collegiate career in Norman with Oklahoma, but it wasn't until his senior season that he saw the field. He didn't disappoint in 2025, compiling 44 catches for 533 yards while dropping just one pass. Kanak is severely undersized for the tight end position at just 6-foot-2, 234 pounds, but he at least makes up for that with a 4.52 40-yard dash time. It remains to be seen if he can stick at tight end in the long run, but he has plenty of special-teams work on his resume and will likely be asked to contribute on that front in Nashville this fall.

The Bengals selected Endries in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 221st overall.

Endries (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) began his collegiate career with a redshirt 2022 campaign at California, which he followed up with two consecutive years as a starter from 2023-24 before transferring to Texas. In his sole season as the Longhorns' starting tight end in 2025, Endries compiled 33 catches for 346 yards and three scores, a step down from the 56-626-2 line he logged with the Golden Bears in 2024. Endries has the size to find a role at the NFL level but lacks difference-making athleticism, so as a rookie he could have a difficult time competing for depth reps with Erick All (ACL), Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson and Cam Grandy (chest) behind top tight end Mike Gesicki.

The Buccaneers selected Sharp in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 185th overall.

Sharp made three different stops during his college career, starting out at a lower level at Southeastern Louisiana before transferring to Oklahoma in 2024 and on to LSU in 2025. In his final college campaign with LSU, Bauer compiled 24 grabs for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sharp lacks some of the athleticism to make plays downfield, but he works well underneath and is a solid blocker. Cade Otton remains entrenched atop the Bucs' depth chart at tight end and Payne Durham is likely aligned behind him, but Sharp could compete with Devin Culp for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, and the former also figures to be a special-teams candidate.

The Dolphins selected Traore in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 180th overall.

A native of England, Trore is the first draft pick from the NFL Academy. Traore compiled 35 catches for 369 yards and five touchdowns in his senior season at Mississippi State, and he only started playing football in 2020. He's raw as a result and has plenty of developing to do, but Traore is athletic and a receiving threat, boasting enough size (6-foot-4, 244 pounds) for the modern tight end position. While Traore is likely bound to be a special-teams contributor as a rookie, Miami's tight end room is nothing to write home about, headlined by Greg Dulcich and 2026 third-round pick Will Kacmarek, so there's a chance he moves his way up the chart as he gets coached up at the next level.

The Ravens selected Cuevas in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 173rd overall.

The Ravens add another tight end to the mix after they picked up Matthew Hibner in the fourth round. They're likely hoping these additions stick after they lost tight ends Isaiah Likely (Giants) and Charlie Kolar (Chargers) in free agency. Cuevas spent the final two seasons of his five-year collegiate career at Alabama, working as a starter in 2025 and catching 37 passes for 411 yards and four touchdowns. At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Cuevas is a bit undersized, but he was a strong blocker in the SEC and could line up at fullback if needed in the NFL.

The Browns selected Royer in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 170th overall.

After starting his career at Ohio State and spending four years with the Buckeyes, Royer transferred to Cincinnati prior to 2024 and racked up a combined 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns over the last two seasons with the Bearcats. Royer sports sound hands and an ability to make things happen after the catch (8.9 YAC/reception in 2025), and he's a solid blocker in the run game. However, he isn't blessed with the top-tier athleticism for the position. Royer joins a tight end room that cut David Njoku loose this offseason, leaving Jack Stoll as the No. 2 option at tight end. Royer will likely slot in as a depth option for now with potential to move up the depth chart, depending on how he fares in camp.

The Steelers selected Nowakowski in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 169th overall.

Nowakowski (6-foot-2, 250 pounds) was a standout tight end at Indiana and before that Wisconsin, and with this selection the Steelers might have picked Nowakowski to be their replacement for Connor Heyward, who left for the Raiders in free agency. Nowakowski looks more like a fullback than a tight end, and if he's replacing Heyward then the Steelers might have concluded the same thing.

The Jaguars selected Koziol in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 164th overall.

Koziol fell almost to the sixth round over concerns that he just doesn't have what it takes to be a blocker at the NFL level. At 6-foot-7, 247 pounds Koziol is big in general, but his height (93rd percentile, according to Mockdraftable) rapidly outpaces his weight (27th percentile). There's also the suspicion that Koziol just doesn't have tight-end temperament -- he truly might be a gigantic wide receiver. Finally, the good news: as a pass catcher Koziol clearly has NFL ability. Koziol drew targets at a rapid frequency at both Ball State and Houston, proving beyond any doubt that he will draw targets at a standout per-snap basis. The concern is that Koziol's lack of blocking ability and/or intent could result in a very low snap count, even if he makes the team. Long shot as he might be, Koziol is still a preferable fantasy target to Jaguars second-round pick Nate Boerkircher.