2026 NFL Draft Rankings: TE/FB/ST

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NFL Draft: TE/FB/ST

TE:

1

Kenyon Sadiq

School: Oregon

Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 241 lbs

An athletic TE who can impact the passing game. He runs a variety of routes and has the speed and twitch to separate. His athleticism even allowed him to be used on jet sweeps. He has good hands and can make tough catches. That said, he is a little on the smaller side for a TE. Blocking is okay, but he is better on the move than in-line. Sadiq projects as a starter at the next level.


2

Sam Roush

School: Stanford

Ht/Wt: 6’6”, 267 lbs

A decent enough athlete to run routes and get open down the field. He has prototypical TE size, can make catches outside of his frame, and has been solid as a blocker. Roush is someone who possibly can be a plug and play guy for a team looking for a traditional TE.


3

Oscar Delp

School: Georgia

Ht/Wt: 6’5”, 245 lbs

Good combination of size and speed. Delp can separate down the field and make catches above the rim. He’ll need to get stronger to handle contact and blocking duties, but the potential is there.


4

Tanner Koziol

School: Houston

Ht/Wt: 6’7”, 247 lbs

Huge catch radius, great hands, and the ability to play above the rim. He won’t blow you away athletically, but is capable. Work as a blocker needs improvement, but he has a big frame and should get there in time.


5

Max Klare

School: Ohio State

Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 246 lbs

Athletic player with the ability to separate downfield. Flashes the ability to make tough catches, but also has frustrating drops. He isn’t a great blocker at this point, but hopefully can improve. The drops are tough to get over for a receiving TE, but he is athletic enough to pick up yards after the catch, so perhaps teams might be somewhat willing to overlook the mistakes if he can still produce.


6

Eli Stowers

School: Vanderbilt

Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 239 lbs

Good athlete but inexperienced at TE after converting from QB. He is a good pass catcher with reliable hands but could do better above the rim and leaves a lot to be desired as a blocker. His speed and YAC ability will appeal to teams.


7

Nate Boerkircher

School: Texas A&M

Ht/Wt: 6’6”, 245 lbs

Good size and catch radius, but was mainly used as a blocker. He is strong and can play in-line as a traditional TE. Despite the limited usage, the flashes have shown that he is capable of more work as a receiver. He won’t blow you away athletically, but his catch radius and ability to box out is noticeable.


8

Eli Raridon

School: Notre Dame

Ht/Wt: 6’6”, 245 lbs

Good build to play as a traditional TE. He can block and contribute as a pass catcher. His athleticism won’t blow you away, but he’s got size and good hands, and is capable of making plays down the field.


9

Jack Endries

School: Texas

Ht/Wt: 6’5”, 245 lbs

Good hands and catch radius in the passing game. He isn’t the quickest player and won’t wow you with separation, but he does well above the rim. If he can get stronger, he should be a good blocker, too, but will need time.


10

Justin Joley

School: North Carolina State

Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 241 lbs

He isn’t the fastest player, but he boxes defenders out at the catch point. His hands are inconsistent, but he has some nice highlights on tape. Overall, he is inconsistent, both as a pass catcher and blocker, but has some tools and good moments that are worth working with.


11

Michael Trigg

School: Baylor

Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 240 lbs

A decent catch radius with flashes in the passing game. He has good hands, but the nuances are still developing. Route running etc. Trigg doesn’t have the biggest frame and isn’t in a great place right now to block regularly, unless it is on the move. But he does well after the catch and could have some touches schemed up.


12

Josh Cuevas

School: Alabama

Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 245 lbs

Cuevas doesn’t wow with traits. Size is below average, athleticism isn’t anything special either. However, he is just a solid player. Gets the job done as a blocker. He has good hands that are reliable in the passing game, even if he isn’t ripping off a ton of highlight reel catches. I don’t know if he ultimately is good enough as a recover down the field to be a number 1, but his reliability in both phases will likely earn him work as a TE2.


13

John Michael Gyllenborg

School: Wyoming

Ht/Wt: 6’6”, 249 lbs

Gyllenborg is a good athlete who shows flashes in the passing game. Good catch radius and speed to make plays. However, his route running is sloppy and he needs to get stronger in order to improve as a blocker. A bit of a project right now, but there is developmental upside.


FB:

1

Riley Nowakowski

School: Indiana

Ht/Wt: 6’2”, 250 lbs

Undersized for a TE, but is a good blocker and has good enough hands for work in the quick passing game. Has a chance to carve out a career as an H-Back/FB and/or move TE.


2

Matthew Hibner

School: Michigan

Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 251 lbs

Is lacking mass for a TE, but has fundamentals that translate as a blocker. Hibner can do well blocking on the move as a FB/H-Back, while also making contributions in the passing game, with an emphasis on his run after the catch ability.


3

Max Bredeson

School: Michigan

Ht/Wt: 6’2”, 252 lbs

A true FB, Bredeson can block out of the backfield as a lead blocker, or remain in pass protection. He has enough toughness for some in-line work as well, though his is a little light. It is tough these days for FB’s to find work, but he is the best true FB of the class so perhaps he gets a shot. 


K:

1. Trey Smack

2. Dominic Zvada

3. Drew Stevens

P:

1. Brett Thorson

2. Jack Stonehouse

LS:

1. Luke Basso

2. Beau Gardner


TE Rankings:

1. Kenyan Sadiq (82.2, Rd 2)

2. Sam Roush (79.9, Rd 3)

3. Oscar Delp (75.2, Rd 3)

4. Tanner Koziol (74.3, Rd 3)

5. Max Klare (73.4, Rd 4)

6. Eli Stowers (72.0, Rd 4)

7. Nate Boerkircher (71.2, Rd 4)

8. Eli Raridan (70.5, Rd 4)

9. Jack Endries (70.0, Rd 4)

10. Justin Joly (66.2, Rd 5)

11. Michael Trigg (64.3, Rd 6)

12. Josh Cuevas (62.0, Rd 6)

13. John Michael Gyllenborg (59.5, Rd 7)

Notables Not Graded:

– Joe Royer

– Will Kacmarek

– Mark Klein

FB Rankings:

1. Riley Nowakowski (75.5, UDFA)*

2. Matthew Hibner (72.1, UDFA)*

3. Max Bredeson (65.0, UDFA)*

K Rankings:

1. Trey Smack

2. Dominic Zvada

3. Drew Stevens

P Rankings:

1. Brett Thorson

2. Jack Stonehouse

LS Rankings:

1. Luke Basso

2. Beau Gardner


See Also: S Rankings



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