My Favourite Day-3 Tight Ends

This tight end class is polarising, some love it, some hate it. I am in the ‘love it’ group. Now, I will happily admit it is very bottom-heavy; the vast majority of the draftable talents are day-three players. In fact, half of my top 10 will be selected in rounds four and beyond. Because of that, I will do things slightly differently with this group, I will give you my top ten, then give you ten other day three prospects to know before the draft later this month. If you are new to this series, a player needs to have an average consensus rank of 110+ to be considered a day three player.

1. Kenyon Sadiq – Oregon

2. Max Klare – Ohio State

3. Justin Joly – NC State

4. Sam Roush – Stanford

5. Tanner Koziol – Houston

6. Jack Endries – Texas

7. Oscar Delp – Georgia

8. Eli Stowers – Vanderbilt

9. Josh Cuevas – Alabama

10. Eli Raridon – Notre Dame

Michael Trigg – Baylor – Average Consensus Rank: 117

I like my tight ends to block, hence why Stowers is lower for me than others, Trigg is of the same ilk, basically a big wide receiver. The redshirt senior was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He committed to USC, where he played for a year before transferring to Ole Miss, then entered the portal again after two years. There is a long list of reported lack of effort and off-field issues which may explain these moves. But he seemed to find a home at Baylor, in his two years there he gained 1089 yards on 80 receptions with 9 touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Mackey Award in 2025.

At 6’3 ¾‘’ and 240 lbs, he is small for the position, but he’s built like the Slenderman, his arms are 34 ½‘’, his wingspan is nearly 84 ½‘’, pair this length with his 10 ½‘’ hands and you see why he produced so much at Baylor. Unsurprisingly with these measurables, he has a massive catch radius which can bail a quarterback out on off-target throws, he has strong hands and can make catches through contact. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but his first few steps are explosive, he has a good feel for the space versus zone coverage and flashes some sharp cuts on his breaks. Trigg offers a bit after the catch but he’s not going to beat defenders in a phone box, he needs space. So let's get to his blocking. Not only does Trigg lack technique when blocking in both the run and pass game, but he also looks disinterested in that part of the game. There are many plays on tape where he doesn’t even try to make his block if the run is designed to go in the other direction, this is concerning to me.

The fact that I am so low on Trigg as a blocker, yet he is still on this list, shows you how much I rate his receiving ability. I can’t knock him for his off-field issues as I don’t have the full details and players do mature, none of us is the same person we were at 18 or 19, NFL front offices will need to do their due diligence though. Unsurprisingly, in my opinion, Trigg is not a fit for the Lions. I have him graded as a mid-fourth round talent, but, as long as the off-field stuff checks out, I could see him being selected late on day two, conversely, teams might pass on him until late day three due to the lack of effort concerns.

Dallen Bentley – Utah – Average Consensus Rank: 181.5

With just one year of production, Bentley is a late riser up draft boards. He transferred from JUCO to Utah in 2023 but only managed three receptions for 20 yards over his first two years as a Ute. 2025 however was a different story, hauling in 48 catches for 620 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was a semi-finalist for the Mackey Award and was selected as Third-Team All-Big 12.

Bentley is a good, not great athlete and this was on display at the combine, 4.42s short shuttle, 35’’ vertical and his 9’10’’broad jump are around average for the position. His 4.62s forty and 24 reps on the bench are both in the 79^th percentile of tight ends. That strength he displayed on the bench press shows up in his blocking, especially in the initial punch, he has the ability to stop an edge defender in his tracks and the grip strength to maintain the block. As a pass blocker, Bentley shows some really good footwork, paired with the aforementioned grip strength, which leads him to be a hard obstacle for edges to get around. Overall, I would describe Bentley’s blocking as good and effective, but not dominant. As a pass catcher, he has a very good feel for the space in zone coverage, and I like how he finds space when his quarterback is scrambling. Despite having fairly small hands and a limited catch radius, his hands are great, he rarely drops anything, after the catch, if he has space and can attack the arms of defenders, he can gain some yards after catch.

Bentley has the potential to be a true all-around tight end, whether he has the athleticism to be a TE1, I'm not sure, but he will be a big contributor to an offence. I have him graded as a mid-fourth round pick, but with the way he has been climbing up boards, he could end up going on day two.

Seydou Traore – Mississippi State – Average Consensus Rank: 414

I promise, Traore is not on this list because he’s a Brit. He has been on my radar for a couple of years because of his nationality, but he fully warrants attention. After moving to the US with the dream of playing Division 1 football, having never played in an 11-man game, Traore managed to play one season of high school football earning a three-star rating as a recruit, committing to Arkansas State. He played there for two seasons before transferring to Mississippi State via a quick stop in Colorado. Over his career, he has 131 receptions, 1482 yards and 10 touchdowns.

At 6’3 ½‘’ and 233 lbs, you would be forgiven for thinking that Traore is a receiving tight end only, and while that is his calling card, he is a converted wide receiver, I was pleasantly surprised by his run blocking. Now, he is not going to line up opposite an edge defender and move him off the line of scrimmage, but he was used in motion and as a lead blocker a lot at Mississippi State and he was very effective in this role. But pass catching is where he’ll earn his money. Traore is explosive off the line and out of his breaks allowing him to gain separation, especially on crossing, dig and drag routes. This explosiveness was on show during the Shrine Bowl practices where he left linebackers and safety’s reeling behind him.

Traore will never be a TE1 in the NFL due to his shortcomings when blocking inline, but he will be a mismatch weapon on offence early on in his rookie year. I can see someone like Sean Payton falling in love with the receiving ability. I have a low-mid fourth-round grade on Traore, way higher than consensus.

Joe Royer – Cincinnati – Average Consensus Rank: 144.5

Royer is a former four-star recruit from Ohio, he has good size at just over 6’5’’ and 247 lbs with massive 10 ¾‘’ hands. The redshirt senior who spent three years at Ohio State before breaking out at Cincinnati over the past two seasons. During his time as a Bearcat caught 79 catches for 937 yards and 7 touchdowns, earning First-Team All-Big 12 honours in 2024.

Royer is very good at finding space versus zone coverage, he always manages to present a target for his quarterback. Against man coverage however, it is a different story, he lacks dynamism in his route running, his breaks are rounded and he struggles to outrun linebackers. This lack of athleticism especially shows on vertical routes where he can be easily blanketed by a linebacker or safety. He rarely drops the ball, but he tends to use his body to catch instead of extending his hands to the ball, this tells me that he doesn't totally trust his ability to snatch the ball out of the air. As a blocker, Royer is inconsistent, there’s some fairly good stuff on tape when he manages to sync his hands to his feet, but this is few and far between.

I would like Royer to try to add some weight to his frame, I think this would help his blocking and it shouldn’t negatively affect what he does well in the pass game – getting open on short routes versus zone. Royer’s fit in the NFL is as a TE2 or 3, he will need to improve his blocking to see regular action as a rookie. I have a mid-fifth round grade on Royer.

Nate Boerkircher – Texas A&M – Average Consensus Rank: 180

A common pick to the Lions in mock drafts, Boerkircher spent five years at Nebraska before transferring to the Aggies this past year. Unsurprisingly, being a six-year player, he is an older prospect, he will turn 25 just before the start of his rookie season. His 2025 season was his most productive as a pass catcher, but even that was only 198 yards and 3 touchdowns, so clearly, he’s more of a blocking tight end.

I do believe there is some potential with Boerkircher as a pass catcher, he flashes quick feet on short routes to get some separation and has solid hands, becoming more consistent is the goal here. Let’s get into Boerkircher’s bread and butter, blocking. He is a willing and aggressive blocker who takes great pride in his work, his initial punch carries some serious pop with the ability to reroute a defender. From the moment the ball is snapped, he is trying to bury a defender until that whistle is blown, the Lions will love this attitude. The grip strength could do with a bit of work to allow him to sustain these blocks for longer, there are also some instances where he misses his landmark when trying to block on the move.

Boerkircher has some serious potential, which is a strange thing to say for a 25-year-old rookie. For me, he will be around the league for a while as TE2 or 3 opening running lanes and popping up with crucial catches a few times a season. I could definitely see the Lions being interested. Boerkircher is a mid-fifth-round talent for me.

Miles Kitselman – Tennessee – Average Consensus Rank: 364

A member of the ‘My Guys’ club, Kitselman is a former JUCO prospect who then spent two unproductive years at Alabama before moving to the Vols. In his two years in Nashville, he produced 48 receptions, 572 yards and 6 touchdowns. He is similar in some ways to Boerkircher, he is primarily a blocking tight end and is also a slightly older prospect, Kitselman will turn 24 early in the 2026 NFL season.

The last line of my evaluation on Kitselman simply says ‘he looks and moves like an NFL tight end.’ I stand by this comment, and at just over 6’5’’ and 251 lbs he certainly has prototypical size for the position, and I believe his play speed is more impressive than his poor combine numbers suggest, his 4.9s 40-yard dash was the slowest of tight ends in Indy. I really like his blocking tape, he has some pop in his hands and I love the way he keeps driving his legs when run blocking, as a move blocker, he paces himself well so he can react to any movement from a defender, I see no reason why this shouldn’t continue in the NFL. As a pass catcher, he was asked to run a varied, NFL-style route tree, and he possesses enough speed to outrun a linebacker. Kitselman is not a natural receiver; he's a body catcher and there are a few bad drops in his career, I’d also like him to get stronger at the catch point.

It is hard for a tight end to produce in the Tennessee offence, they are usually either running the ball or throwing 50-yard bombs downfield. I really think Kitselman’s best football is ahead of him and I expect him to contribute early and often in his rookie season. I have a low-mid fifth-round grade on Kitselman, he will probably be available later on day three and potentially as a UDFA. I hope the Lions are looking at my guy to fill a low-key need on the depth chart.

Dae’Quan Wright – Ole Miss – Average Consensus Rank:169.5

Wright’s production increased year on year during his collegiate career which started at Virginia Tech where he spent two seasons before transferring to the Rebels in 2024. Over his two years in Oxford, he contributed 66 receptions for 1029 yards and 9 touchdowns, he also had one rushing attempt which gained 2 yards. His 635 receiving yards in 2025 earned him Second-Team All-SEC Honours.

I was surprised Wright opted not to test at the combine, on tape he looks like a very good athlete who will constantly stress linebackers and safety's, especially in man coverage. Hi breaks are not overly crisp yet and could do with a bit of improvement, but he loves to threaten vertically and has the juice to do so. When he gets the ball in his hands he gets vertical in a flash, gaining good yardage after the catch, at 6’3 ¾‘’ and 246 lbs, he’s not easy to bring down once he gets a head of steam. I am higher on Wright’s blocking prowess than others, he was asked to go one-on-one with defensive ends more than the vast majority of other tight ends in this class, and whilst he had mixed success, I believe he has the makings of a really good, consistent blocker.

I gave Wright the same grade as Kitselman, I believe he has the potential to become a TE1 in the league but will most like be a good TE2 for whoever drafts him. He is currently slated to go mid-day three in a few weeks, but, due to his ceiling, I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a bit higher.

Marlin Klein – Michigan – Average Consensus Rank: 203.5

Klein moved to America from his native Germany prior to his junior year of high school. In the two years he played in Georgia, he earned himself a three or four-star rating as a recruit, depending on which site you look at. He committed to Michigan and spent all four years in Ann Arbor but is still very inexperienced, this is because he had to compete with the likes of Luke Schoonmanker, AJ Barner and Colston Loveland for playing time, all three of these guys are now in the NFL so that's no sleight on Klein. In the last two years, Klein has appeared in 24 games, with 12 starts, caught 37 passes for 356 yards and scored just the 1 touchdown.

Klein is a good linear athlete; Bruce Feldman listed him at no.35 on his 2025 Freaks List stating that he has been GPS recorded at 21.75mph which is reflected in his very good 4.61s 40-yard dash, Feldman also wrote that he managed a 6.89s 3-cone drill, but he only managed a disappointing 7.42s time at the combine. The strength of Klein's game is his blocking. I love some of the pass blocking tape especially, he was left on an island against edge rushers and stood up to the task well, being 6’6’’ with an 80’’ wingspan, he has the length to keep defenders at bay. He also showed a decent anchor at times, which at only 248 lbs is encouraging. He’s good in the run game too, he has great grip strength to sustain blocks once engaged, making it very hard for the defender to shed him and he keeps his legs driving to create displacement from the line of scrimmage. I’ll take this opportunity to shout out Klein’s teammate, Max Bredeson who will be listed as a tight end in some places, but for me is an out-and-out fullback, he is also superb in the run game. As a receiver, Klein shows some good hands when extending to make a catch, but his route running is stiff, and he struggles to explode out of breaks.

Klein is the type of tight end I value more than other people, I have him graded as a late fifth-round talent but honestly, due to the lack of production, I expect him to be available late on day three. With his lack of fluidity as a route runner, Klein’s ceiling is that of a TE2 in my opinion, but with his blocking ability, he will be very valuable to an offence.  

Riley Nowakowski – Indiana – Average Consensus Rank:236

An experienced college player played for Wisconsin for five years, transferring to Indiana in 2025 and winning the National Championship. Nowakowski was a well-respected linebacker recruit in the state of Wisconsin, he enrolled at Wisconsin and played his first two years as a linebacker. His next two years he was moved to offence and listed as a fullback; it was in his last year at Wisconsin that he made the move to tight end. During his two years as a tight end, he caught 43 passes for 461 yards and just the 2 receiving touchdowns, he also had two rushing touchdowns on two attempts for the Hoosiers in 2025.

At 6’2 ¼‘’ and 250 lbs Nowakowski will probably be pegged as a fullback/H-back in the NFL but even from this alignment, I expect him to be a threat in the passing game. He’s a smooth mover, his 4.66s 40-yard dash and 9’11’’ broad jump show that he does have some athletic upside, which especially appears on tape once he has the ball in his hands, he looks quick and has great contact balance which makes him very hard to bring down. He ran a very limited route tree at Indiana, but was fairly effective. His run blocking is inconsistent though, the initial strike is often well timed and placed, but he struggles to reset once the defender makes a move on him. I don’t rate him much as a pass blocker due to a lack of length and strength.

Due to his multiple position changes, Nowakowski is still inexperienced at tight end while also being an older prospect, his NFL ceiling is probably quite limited. He will be a TE/FB hybrid which certainly has its place in the league with 12 and 13 personnel becoming increasingly prevalent. I can’t realistically see Nowakowski being anything more than good depth at the position. I have an early sixth-round grade on him.

John Michael Gyllenborg – Wyoming – Average Consensus Rank: 223

The former three-star recruit is another member of the 2025 Freaks List, coming in at no.54. He hit 21.6mph on the GPS, squatted 500 lbs, benched 350 and cleaned 335 amongst other freakish achievements. At the combine his freakiness showed, 4.6s 40-yard dash, 4.22s short shuttle, 35.5’’ vertical and an incredible 10’8’’ broad jump which was still only good enough for third amongst tight ends, which shows you just how ridiculous Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers are. Gyllenborg has had up and down production throughout his college career, this is down to the absolute turgid offence that Wyoming produced during his time there, in his career he managed 80 catches for 1023 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Gyllenborg is a good mover, he gets off the line quickly and closes the space on the defender allowing him to dictate the route, he shows the ability to decelerate well to create separation versus off coverage. He’s not eclectic after the catch, few tight ends are to be fair, but he does use his speed and subtle change of directions to break the odd tackle and if, as a defender, you let him get into open space, he will make you pay. There is no other way to say this, as a blocker he is just not good, at times, he is a liability. I don’t think this is due to a lack of effort, but he is technically all over the place and even at 6’5 ¾‘’ 249 lbs, he has a worrying lack of strength and anchor.

NFL teams will need to decide whether his blocking can improve with good coaching, if not, then he will be off some boards altogether. For me, I graded him as a mid-high sixth-rounder, I only really see him as being a mismatch weapon to isolate linebackers in obvious passing situations, how many teams are willing to use a roster spot for such a niche role? We’ll find out in Pittsburgh.

As has been discussed at length, this tight end class is sparse at the top end, but there are loads of role players to be had on day three, even outside of the ones I have talked about here. As always, feel free to drop a comment if you want to know about any other player in this tight end class, or any other position. We will be hopping back over to defence next and having a look at the interior defensive line class.