NFL Player News

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.

The Vikings selected Bredeson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 159th overall.

For a fullback to go in the fifth round these days is to all but set aside a roster spot for him, though Bredeson's lack of athletic testing makes it difficult to assess how notable of a fullback prospect he might be. Either way, the Michigan product has a good chance to make the Minnesota roster following the retirement of longtime standout fullback C.J. Ham.

Denver selected Joly in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 152nd overall.

Joly spent the last two years of his four-year college career at NC State, and he was named to the All-ACC First-Team in 2025 after catching 49 passes for 489 yards and seven touchdowns across 12 games. Joly was mostly detached from the offensive line with NC State and lined up primarily in the slot, making him a mismatch when lined up against opposing secondaries. His 6-foot-3 frame and large, strong hands helps him finish catches regardless of coverage, and he could earn himself regular snaps on offense if he can be more consistent as a blocker. Evan Engram leads the Broncos' tight end room, so Joly is set to compete against Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins for snaps as the TE2 and in 12-man personnel.

The Ravens selected Hibner in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 133rd overall.

The Ravens lost tight ends Isaiah Likely to the Giants and Charlie Kolar to the Chargers in free agency, so they're likely hoping Hibner along with free-agent addition Durham Smythe can add immediate depth behind Mark Andrews. Hibner spent six years in college. He caught just two passes through his first four seasons at Michigan before transferring to SMU for his final two years of eligibility and producing 55 receptions for 804 yards and eight touchdowns over 27 games. Hibner is an impressive athlete with a 4.57 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 251 pounds, and he's a strong route runner with dependable hands. However, he'll need to immediately prove that his blocking skills can translate to the NFL before he establishes himself in the rotation.

New England selected Raridon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 95th overall.

Raridon spent his entire four-year college career with Notre Dame, and he was able to overcome knee injuries in 2022 and 2023 to become a productive starter for the Fighting Irish. He put it all together in 2025 with 32 catches for 482 yards over 12 games, though he did not haul in a touchdown pass. Raridon showed steady improvement as a pass catcher over the course of his college career and has the athletic foundation (6-foot-6, 245 pounds) to establish himself as a large target in the passing game for Drake Maye, though the former will need to work on his blocking ability in order to earn consistent snaps on offense. Hunter Henry is New England's top option at tight end, but with Austin Hooper signing with the Falcons in March, Raridon has a chance to earn the TE2 job, with Julian Hill being his main competition.

The Dolphins selected Kacmarek in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 87th overall.

In a Day 2 where several teams made dubious tight end selections, the Dolphins probably made one of the better ones. Kacmarek (6-foot-6, 261 pounds) is potentially an AJ Barner type out of Ohio State, or at worst an Adam Trautman. Kacmarek is a rugged blocker who can amplify the run game, and he has enough athleticism to hurt the defense if they don't defend him honestly as a potential pass catcher (4.74-second 40, 36-inch vertical jump). Kacmarek is unlikely to be a fantasy factor, but don't be surprised if he's in frame, driving some defender backward on a lot of De'Von Achane's big plays.

The Saints selected Delp (foot) in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 73rd overall.

Delp (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) sat out drills at the 2026 Combine while recovering from a hairline fracture in his left foot, but he took part in Georgia's Pro Day and logged an impressive 4.49-second 40-yard dash. Despite having started the last three of his four seasons with Georgia, Delp never tallied 25 catches or 300 receiving yards in a single year. Playing alongside Brock Bowers limited Delp's production early in his career, but expectations that he would develop into a featured pass catcher for the Bulldogs in his junior or senior seasons never truly materialized. As a rookie in New Orleans, Delp may have a difficult task competing for reps as the No. 3 tight end behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant.

The Bears selected Roush in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 69th overall.

Roush (6-foot-6, 267 pounds) is a massive tight end and moves well for his build (4.7-second 40-yard dash, 38.5-inch vertical, 126-inch broad jump), but his short arms (30 and 5/8 inches) were a hindrance and a plausible explanation for his poor pass-catching production at Stanford. Athletic as he is, Roush projects more as a blocker than a receiver at the NFL level, and that's even before you account for the fact that Colston Loveland is obviously the featured pass-catching tight end for Chicago's indefinite future.