The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders' "Drive to the Draft" podcast has spent the last month ranking each position in the 2026 NFL Draft. Tight end is less likely to be addressed in the draft now that Chig Okonkwo is on the team, but co-hosts Logan Paulsen and Jason Johnson still broke down their best players at the position.
- 10. Max Klare (Ohio State)
Analysis: The thing with Max Klare is that when you watch his Purdue tape, you think, "This is the second coming of your favorite tight end." It looks a little bit like Brock Bowers. He's super smooth in the hips, has great ankle flexion, and excellent coordination tracking the football in the air. He brings yards-after-catch ability, runs people over, and is competitive enough in-line. Then you turn on the Ohio State tape and you're like, "Where is this guy?" - 9. Matthew Hibner (SMU)
Analysis: SMU runs a crazy offense—it's a spread, hybrid run-and-gun RPO system. Hibner is 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, ran a 4.57 at the combine, and is an impressive linear athlete. He has eight touchdowns and is competitive in-line. He's not dominant by any stretch, but he competes. - 8. Dallen Bentley (Utah)
Analysis: He's a bit of a labor of love for me because when you watch him, he runs a little awkwardly. The vertical numbers and athletic testing are there, though. You'll see him just ghost people—he runs a go route against Cal, beats the safety, and they hit him over the top for a 65-yard gain. - 7. Eli Raridon (Notre Dame)
Analysis: This guy has real "Y" tight end upside as a blocker. He's competitive in the run game—watching him against Miami, blocking Ruben Bain, getting physical. He's got good vertical speed, a great catch radius, and is explosive. He's an athlete. I really, really like him. - 6. Oscar Delp (Georgia)
Analysis: He's one of my favorite players to watch. He has great bend in his ankles and knees, understands how to roll his hips in the run game, and keeps nice, tight elbows. He knows where his hat placement should be and can do some counter-inserting as a fullback. What stands out most is that he can move—he's sudden and can really run. - 5. Tanner Koziol (Houston)
Analysis: He's very fluid for a big man. In the LSU game, what sold me was a rep where he's lined up isolated on the right, runs a post against a corner, and high-points the ball—basically "treetops" it—pulls it in, and gets two feet down. Then you wonder how often he does that—and he does it all over the film, including at the Senior Bowl. He's an offensive weapon in the right situation. - 4. Jack Endries (Texas)
Analysis: His ability to win in man coverage really stands out. He's competitive in-line, tall, and catches the ball well. He's super sudden in and out of his breaks and handles contested catches nicely. He plays through contact well and ran a 4.62, so there's some vertical juice, and it shows up on tape. He's just solid and checks all the boxes. - 3. Sam Roush (Stanford)
Analysis: Guys this big who move this well, are this well-coached, and can accelerate and decelerate like this are rare. The last guy who did it at a high level was Rob Gronkowski. He's not Gronk—because Gronk was a mutant—but there are shades. I couldn't resist it. I'm sold. - 2. Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)
Analysis: He's the best route runner in the class, and it's not even close. He's smooth, sudden, and understands zones at a very high level. He also reads man coverage extremely well. He's fast—ran a 4.51 at the combine—and has great coordination. As a route runner, he's head and shoulders above everyone else. - 1. Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
Analysis: What really impresses me about Kenyon is his physicality in the run game. His footwork is outstanding—being able to accelerate into contact and handle pressure like that is difficult, and he excels at it. There's real vertical speed; when he runs a seam, it's freaky. He's competitive, tough, and explosive. With the ball in his hands, he becomes a running back. He has everything you want to see.
