TE Rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft: Which TEs Come After Big Two?

Do not forget, tight ends (and kickers?) are people too. My NFL Draft TE rankings for 2026 are defined by two prospects at the top with real Round 1 juice, a third prospect with starter potential, and then a steep drop into developmental territory. TE is one of the hardest positions to project from college to the NFL, and this class is a good illustration of why. Want to find where I think they will land? Check out the latest mock draft.

Here's my top 10.

NFL Draft TE Rankings: 1-5

1. Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)

Sadiq is a modern space TE with WR-esque movement skills and ascending usage in Oregon's offense. Despite his position and young age, he led the Ducks last year with 51 receptions, which he leveraged into 560 yards (No. 2 on team) and 8 TDs (a team high in the red zone). His 2025 tape shows a player transitioning from a gadgety move piece to a featured mismatch.

At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, the 20-year-old junior's Noah Fant comp is earned. A former four-star recruit, he lined up all over the formation (slot, out wide, H-back), and his athletic testing is elite: 4.39 40, 1.54 10-yard split, 43.5-inch vertical, 11-1 broad jump. He wins with a sudden first step, sufficient long speed and fluid change of direction that consistently exposes LBs and DBs in man coverage. He's an above-average vertical seam stretcher, crosser merchant and catch-and-run specialist.

He's not a complete TE. He's a move F, not a traditional in-line Y. If he's to contribute as a blocker in the NFL, he must continue to add play strength, and as a pass catcher he needs to tighten his route breaks and eliminate the focus drops. But his athleticism is just too great to ignore. He's the clear No. 1 TE in this class as a scheme-diverse matchup piece, and he could go as high as the top 10.

2. Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)

Stowers is a dual-threat QB convert who looks like a lab-built move TE. After enrolling at Texas A&M as a four-star passing recruit, transferring to New Mexico State two years later, and switching to TE as a redshirt sophomore (35-366-2 receiving, 28-108-2 rushing), Stowers jumped to Vanderbilt in 2024, where he functioned as the Commodores' No. 1 pass catcher for two seasons (111-1,407-9).
At 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, the graduate senior has slot-ready burst and real YAC juice, and his Harold Fannin Jr. comp captures the matchup-piece profile. He can create explosives, finish through contact and even run the wildcat. His elite athleticism—4.51 40 and a combine-record 45.5-inch vertical—could catapult him into Round 1 for an innovative play caller who sees him as a chess piece.
He offers little as a blocker, which could push him to Day 2. But the modern NFL increasingly wants movable mismatch pieces at TE, and Stowers fits that mold perfectly.

3. Max Klare (Ohio State)

Klare is a smooth, pro-ready receiving TE whose game is built on separation and reliability more than freak traits. At 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, the redshirt junior transferred from Purdue (where he was the No. 1 pass catcher with 51-685-4) to Ohio State, where he was a consistent chain-mover last year (43-448-2). His Terrance Ferguson comp tracks. Fluid mover with enough speed to threaten the seam and enough agility to separate on digs, outs and curls. Blocking is competitive but still a work in progress. Strong Day 2 candidate with starter potential.

4. Oscar Delp (Georgia)

Delp is a classic SEC in-line TE with enough athletic juice to matter in the pass game and enough sand in his pants to hold up as a true Y. At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, the senior apprenticed behind Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington before stepping into a starting role for his final three seasons (24-284-3, 21-248-4, 20-261-1). His Tip Reiman comp reflects the pro-ready well-roundedness. Steer-and-sustain blocker rather than people-mover, but he plays with leverage, hand placement and strain. In a class light on polished Y players, he has a shot to go in the top 100 and open his rookie year as a steady No. 2 TE.

5. Sam Roush (Stanford)

Roush is a throwback Y body type. At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, the 22-year-old junior was a 2025 All-ACC Second Team honoree. His Dawson Knox comp captures the inline TE profile with red-zone upside. Day 3 projection.

Are There Any TEs Worth Taking After The Top 5?

Short answer: yes, but with tempered expectations. TEs who go on Day 3 typically take multiple years to develop. That said, there's usable depth here for patient teams.

6. Michael Trigg (Baylor)

Trigg is the prototypical basketball forward turned TE. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound redshirt senior finally translated his athletic profile into sustained Power Five production at Baylor (30-395-3 as a junior, 50-694-6 last year). His Charlie Kolar comp reflects the vertical seam-and-red-zone profile. He accelerates through the stem, elevates with plus length, and creates explosive plays in high-leverage moments. But he's more athlete than technician, raw as a blocker, and the delayed development (five years, one truly productive season) will raise eyebrows. Day 2 shot; eventual starter likely.

7. Justin Joly (NC State)

Joly had 7 receiving TDs in 2025 with two multi-TD games. At 6-foot-3 and 263 pounds, the 22-year-old junior has a Brevin Jordan comp and the red-zone production to stick. Developmental pick with a clear specialty.

8. Joe Royer (Cincinnati)

Royer is a late-emerging three-down TE who finally broke out at Cincinnati after languishing at Ohio State. A four-star recruit who caught just four passes in three Buckeye seasons, he produced for the Bearcats (50-522-3 in 2024, 29-416-4 in 2025). At 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, his Gunnar Helm comp captures the prototypical TE size with enough athletic juice to threaten zones without being a burner. Settles into windows on time, finishes through contact, transitions quickly upfield after the catch. Ceiling is more "very good starter" than star. Day 3 candidate who could become a starter.

9. Jack Endries (Texas)

Endries is a clean TE whose game is built on separation, reliability and versatility. A walk-on redshirt at Cal, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound redshirt junior served as the No. 1 pass catcher for the Golden Bears as a sophomore and then joined Texas as a four-star transfer. His Daniel Bellinger comp fits. At a 4.62 40, he moves like a big slot who can situationally play in-line. High football IQ, toughness, comfort in multiple alignments. The downside is potential lack of upside—he's a "jack of all trades, master of none" prospect who might already be near his peak. Top-100 shot; could slide to Day 3 and top out as a reliable backup.

10. Eli Raridon (Notre Dame)

Raridon is a skyscraping TE with field-stretching speed (4.62 40). At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, the 22-year-old redshirt junior finally converted his four-star pedigree into sustained production last year (32-482-0) after two ACL tears and playing behind Michael Mayer and Mitchell Evans for three seasons. His Davis Allen comp reflects the vertical seam-runner profile. Good hands, enough ball skills to finish through contact, but more linear than twitchy as a route runner and inconsistent as a run blocker. Injury history, delayed breakout and underdeveloped skill set will probably push him into Day 3.