Certain positions are harder to project to the next level than others, as evidenced by low hit rates in the NFL Draft. Few spots are as tricky as tight end. Las Vegas Raiders phenom Brock Bowers is a superstar, and T.J. Hockenson eventually blossomed into a true weapon, but there are far more disappointments than successes on Day 1.
The position is notoriously difficult for rookies who are tasked with learning NFL passing games while blocking all-world athletes. Pulling double duty can push development further into one's rookie contract, and tight end is at the center of the league's new-age development. As receiving types (and their corresponding defenders) grow smaller and faster, there's an increasing value on every-down, versatile options. Toeing that line as the bar of athleticism skyrockets isn't easy, either.
Thus, we continue to search for generational prospects at a position that rarely produces them, thereby inflating the blocking value of some (like Tyler Warren) and the immediate passing game impact of others. The 2026 NFL Draft is no different, offering a handful of slot-bound options hoping to launch themselves into Round 1. They, too, must answer questions this season.
Top questions facing 2026 NFL Draft tight ends
Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
- How will Sadiq's run blocking translate to the next level?
Sadiq's profile suggests an immediate contrast. At 6'2", 235, he's operating with sub-20th-percentile measurables. This screams slot receiver, but his usage and strengths say the answer is more complex.
Oregon used him across the formation in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, Sadiq played 17.4% of his passing snaps out wide, 35.9% in-line, and 43.1% in the slot. There's only a small sample to explore as a receiver, posting just 27 targets for 24 catches and 308 yards. He's in line for a bigger role in 2025. He has more than enough athleticism to create explosives after the catch and stretch the field, and while there's projection inherent with that sample, he's a safe bet to catch passes on Sundays.
What's more interesting is his prowess as a run blocker. PFF graded him as the ninth-best run blocker among TEs with at least 180 blocking snaps a season ago. In pass protection, he ranked 37th of 216 qualified players. Those are incredible marks, although they aren't guaranteed to translate to the NFL.
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None of the top blocking tight ends at the next level is as small as Sadiq. He'd be an outlier, but there is (some) reason to believe he can pull it off. He's more than willing to get his hands dirty, and the motor isn't going anywhere. His technique is pretty good, allowing him to get square and get his hands inside, where he exceeds the expectations of his frame.
Against bigger defenders, it's hard to be confident in this skill remaining atop his arsenal. The chance that his blocking is adequate, though, is enough to earn him a second-round grade entering the year.
Max Klare, Ohio State
Can Klare pave a path to high-level upside?
Klare has all the ingredients of an early-process darling and a first-round letdown. His 51-catch, 685-yard season makes him one of the more productive tight ends in the class. He'll play his final collegiate season at a championship contender and play an important role in the offense.
Yet, I struggle to see how a team would get a good return on its investment in Round 1. Despite standing at 6'4", he's a tick heavier than Sadiq and offers far less as a blocker. It's clear he's a receiving-first option, which is fine, but it tasks him with separating himself in the passing game.
Klare absorbs contact well as a route runner, has soft hands, and offers an intriguing blend of acceleration and agility. However, he's not particularly fast, does better work against zone than man, and isn't the kind of field stretcher or gadget option who earns playing time over better slot receivers.
He looks the part in the Travis Kelce archetype of chain-moving tight ends. But if he isn't giving offenses an advantage on early downs and not one of the best receiving options at the next level, there's little reason to take him until the middle of Day 2. Establishing himself as a truly elite pass catcher or filling out his frame could pay significant dividends in the coming months.
Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
- Is Stowers more dangerous than the average slot receiver?
Max Toscano, who does excellent work at his substack, Remember The Tight Ends, will often ask if one likes a tight end for "tight end reasons" or "wide receiver reasons." With Stowers, the answer is always the latter.
Another high-level athlete at 235 pounds, Stowers is the mismatch option teams drafted repeatedly in the 2010s. There isn't as much surplus value now as there was when Evan Engram was drafted in 2017, but the vision remains similar.
Like Klare, Stowers isn't giving teams anything as a blocker. Of tight ends with at least 50 targets in 2024, no one played a higher percentage (72.2%) of passing snaps in the slot -- it wasn't close, either.
Stowers is an excellent route runner underneath and posted elite numbers after the catch. He's shifty for his size and often bigger than the defensive backs asked to tackle him, so he passes that slot receiver test closer to the line of scrimmage. He'll have to prove himself to be more than a third-round prospect by winning downfield, turning seam routes into easy explosives and using his size to maximize his effectiveness on the crossing routes.
This skill set has a hard cap, but if he makes good on his frame, a team could easily fall in love with his potency as a receiver. At a pick-your-flavor position, it's just not the type of bet I want to make.
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