Scouting the 2026 TE draft class for the Eagles

The Eagles obviously are in need of a tight end and the vast majority of us are still perplexed that they didn’t grab one in the historic 2025 TE draft class. I’ll try to make this the last time I complain about it (maybe… maybe not…) but it’s nearly malpractice to not draft one last April.

I just got through the top guys in this class and will give my Eagles targets here, what has projected to the NFL, and where the value could be in this class.

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Projecting TEs to the NFL

There’s no magic formula to project college prospects at any position, but there are some good historical predictors. If you look back at who the good NFL TEs are, the following is usually true (or, if these are missing, the hit rate is pretty bad):

• Physical thresholds – 6’4″ to 6’6″, 245-260 lbs, and 33″+ arms
• Speed and agility – under 4.65 sec 40, under 1.65 sec 10-yard, under 7.10 sec 3-cone, under 4.30 sec shuttle
• College production – over 2.5 yards per route run (YRR)
• Ability to beat man coverage – over 2.0 YRR vs. man
• Blocking – doesn’t need to be elite, just needs to not be a liability
• Processing – leverage recognition, zone manipulation, timing

You don’t need all of these, but the more a prospect is missing, the tougher the projection.

Some examples from the 2021-25 draft classes (above average pros are bolded):

• Production: Tyler Warren, Harold Fannin, Colston Loveland, Brock Bowers, Ben Sinnott, Cade Stover, Isaiah Likely, Gerritt Prince, Trey McBride, Kyle Pitts
• Man coverage skill: Warren, Fannin, Loveland, Oronde Gadsden, Gunnar Helm, Sam LaPorta, Michael Mayer, Charlie Kolar, Isaiah Likely, Gerritt Prince, Trey McBride, Kyle Pitts, Pat Freiermuth
• Speed and agility (guys not included above): Tucker Kraft, Theo Johnson, Chigoziem Okonkwo
• Physical threshold outliers: Dalton Kincaid (height), Sam LaPorta (height), Darnell Washington (height), McBride (arms), Chigoziem Okonkwo (height, arms)

There are a handful of misses above and the good NFL TEs that are missing from the list are few:

• Dalton Kincaid was very close to the production stats and a bit undersized but had the athleticism, processing, and route running
• Brenton Strange and AJ Barner are high-floor, good at everything but not elite at anything guys
• Darnell Washington is a good, not top, TE but is providing good blocking value and emerging as a pass catcher

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Some draft facts about TEs

Draft classes average 14 TEs taken but only 2-3 really good ones

That’s it, not a lot. I’m defining “really good” as 75th percentile players which cuts off around TEs like Dalton Schultz, David Njoku, and Dawson Knox.

A lot of the top TEs come from day two and early day three

TEs are rarely taken high (just about one per year) but those taken high are usually good – nine of the 11 R1 TEs taken since 2015 are top TEs in the league. Most top TEs come from day 2 and early day 3 – 30% are taken in R2 and another 45% have come between picks 100-150.

TE hit rates are low after the 1st round

TE has one of the lower hit rates after R1, 3rd worst on day two ahead of only QB and EDGE, and the 5th worst on day three ahead of QB, WR, CB, and EDGE.

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This isn’t the same level of class as 2025 – there’s probably one guy this year that would be in the top five last year and only 2-3 that would be in the top ten.

Last year I felt really sure on Colston Loveland and Harold Fanning, this year there isn’t a single guy I have the same “sure-ness” on. I don’t even have a 1st round graded TE this year (more on that in a minute). I’d expect something close to historical draft averages, meaning there are likely 2-3 very good pro TEs in this class. But who are they?

Here’s my board – first, I have the TEs in order of their current consensus expected draft position (EDP), then I have them where I value them. The guys I am targeting for the Eagles are bolded:

Round	Consensus EDP	My Grading
1	Kenyon Sadiq (18)
2		Eli Stowers Tanner Koziol
3	Max Klare (70) Eli Stowers (91) Michael Trigg (97)	Kenyon Sadiq
4-5	Jack Endries (119) Eli Raridon (133) Justin Joly (143) Oscar Delp (147) John Michael Gyllenborg (155)	Max Klare John Michael Gyllenborg Justin Joly Michael Trigg Eli Raridon
6-7	Tanner Koziol (206)	Oscar Delp Jack Endries

Here’s why I have them where I do:

Winning trait: Too fast for LBs, too big for CBs, wins on verticals
Eagles take: Draft him on day 2, he’s the top TE target

He’s going to test extremely well, is an ex-QB which is probably more interesting than relevant, and he’s one of the few TEs that stands out each year in route running, explosiveness, hands, and production. He’s currently projected early day three but there’s no way he goes that low come April.

• 769 yards in 2025 with 6.1 YAC/rec and a very good 2.55 YRR
• 1.76 YRR against man coverage but his film is better than that and he had a 2.89 YRR vs. man in 2024
• Faced top competition with 7/146/2 vs. Texas and 6/113/0 vs. Alabama
• One of the best in this class at forcing missed tackles with 9, behind only Michael Trigg

His ability to beat man coverage stands out in this class and he’s even better against zone where his intelligence and feel for routes and timing show. He’s slight (pre-season verified 6’3″ 1/2 and 240 lbs) so you are going to struggle with him blocking, but he will be a mismatch as a pass-catcher.

I don’t like him quite as much as Loveland or Fannin last year, but he’s the closest in this class and my TE1 in 2026. He’s young, turning 23 right before the draft.

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Winning trait: Elite processing and leverage separation paired with size and strong hands
Eagles take: If he really goes day 3, thank the league, draft him and don’t look back

I know I’m high on Tanner, maybe too high. But if I’m taking a TE on day two or three, I’m looking for winning traits and outsized upside. And Tanner may have the most projectable NFL traits in this class.

• 727 yards with 42 1st downs on 74 catches
• 2.6% drop rate and a 74% contested catch rate
• 2.20 YRR vs. man coverage, one of the best in this or recent classes

Tanner is big (pre-season verified 6’6″ and 251 lbs), won’t blow up the Combine, but has winning traits and actually has better games against top defenses – his 2.70 YRR against top opponents is sneakishly elite and puts him right with Colston Loveland (2.8), Brock Bowers (2.7), and Dalton Kincaid (2.5).

He’s an incredibly dependable chain mover and catches everything – you consistently see him drop into a space, catch, and quickly turn up field. He’s one of the best in this class vs. man coverage because he wins with leverage, his size, and his hands – it doesn’t matter how tight the coverage is. He’s a willing blocker but not great there, partly due to his size.

Hard to think of a good comp due to his size, but I kept thinking “he’s what people wanted Darnell Washington to be as a playmaker”. Tanner could be the best upside pick in this draft and if he had a bit more burst, he’d be TE1 or TE2 in this class.

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Winning trait: Vertical speed from big slot alignments, mismatch vs. LBs
Eagles take: Will go higher than warranted, I wouldn’t take him with that draft capital

This will feel hot-takey and it isn’t meant to be – I like Sadiq but I keep seeing a big slot WR, not a TE, and usage matters a ton with him.

• 560 yards with 4.9 YAC/rec
• 1.62 YRR but had a 2.10 YRR in 2024
• Has put up a 1.20 and 1.85 YRR vs. man coverage the last two seasons

He is physically impressive and his highlights are cool to watch, but there are concerns in his profile if you watch him. Sadiq has concerning competition splits – besides USC where he went 6/72/2, against the five good defenses he played he had really small games (including two games against Indiana and one vs. Texas Tech where he didn’t crack 30 yards). Watch the Indiana playoff game and he was taken out of the game and failed to generate any separation.

He’s a physical specimen and fast, but also undersized for a TE and big for a WR. At his size, I was wondering “could he play an AJ-type role”, but he lacks the physicality, has nowhere near AJ’s speed, cannot beat man coverage, and doesn’t separate. I don’t dislike him as a prospect, but you aren’t getting a NFL TE if that’s what you want.

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Winning trait: Route pacing and vertical seam separation
Eagles take: The day 3 guy with the most upside

Another forgotten guy in this class and another guy I may be high on, but I’m betting on his 2024 and continued development and the upside that you see on film.

• Only 211 yards this season while dealing with a hamstring injury through most of the season, but put up 437 in 2024 in 8 games
• 3.28 YRR against man coverage in 2024 and 2.47 in 2023

A high school basketball player, he didn’t even start playing football until his senior year. His production won’t be much to look at, but if you watch him on seam routes, he’s impressive with surprisingly good, but inconsistently used, snap on his breaks. Also a very willing blocker.

He’s going to have competition questions playing at Wyoming, but had some good film vs. Toledo and Texas Tech. At a recorded 6’5 1/2″ and 251 lbs and good hands, he will be a mismatch.

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Eagles take: “Just a guy” unless you believe Ohio St ruined him this year, I wouldn’t draft him especially at his projected draft slot

Consensus TE2 this year and a guy that profiles with some risk.

• 448 yards this season and a 1.49 YRR
• 1.69 YRR vs. man coverage in 2025 but 2.65 in 2024

There’s a question of poor usage at Ohio St which I usually dismiss, but it may have some validity with Klare – he’s a guy you see the flashes on.

In 2025 his good opponent / bad opponent splits aren’t good – lot of his numbers came against Rutgers, Purdue, and Minnesota. But at Purdue in 2024, he had some nice games against Penn St, Michigan St, and Illinois. Another ex-QB, he is a good route runner but at his size, you’d expect a bit more athleticism. He’s an average but willing blocker.

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Winning trait: Spatial awareness and catch-point reliability
Eagles take: Fits a solid TE2, at the right draft capital he’s a good upside pick given his age

He’s not going to cross any elite thresholds, but Joly is just boringly consistent – every game is 40 or 50 yards a game, solid blocking, and dropping nothing:

• Averaged over 500 yards per season the last three years (489, 661, 589)
• 60% contested catch rate, second in this class behind only Koziol, and pairs it with a 5% career drop rate
• Four consecutive seasons around 1.80 YRR
• Worrying 0.93 YRR vs. man, but a much better 2.20 YRR vs. zone

He’s got good size at 6’3″ and 251 lbs, lacks explosiveness but has deceptive wiggle in his routes. He lined up in-line a lot and wasn’t split out much. More of a zone beater, you won’t see many man targets but he’s extremely physical at the catch point – I would have loved to have seen more targets where his QB just trusted him to make a play.

One of the youngest guys in the draft, Joly won’t even turn 22 until July after the draft so you can expect continued development.

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Eagles take: Interesting speed / size profile but late breakout risk

Another guy that consensus is higher on than I am and somebody I think profiles with some risk.

• 694 yards in his 5th season
• 11.3 ADOT, one of the deeper averages in this class
• A very good 2.20 YRR vs. man coverage
• A silly 17 missed tackles forced on 50 receptions

He’s got good speed and is an adequate blocker but does not sustain blocks consistently enough. Very good after the catch, will break a lot of tackles. Drops can be an issue.

My biggest issue is he will be 24 right after the draft and definitely was late breakout which is a concern – his first four seasons across USC, Ole Miss, and Baylor are very unremarkable. Does not profile as a guy the Eagles would be highly interested in.

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Eagles take: Would be an interesting upside value at the right draft capital

A size outlier at 6’7″ 252 lbs, Raridon was almost invisible for Notre Dame his first three seasons and had a mini-breakout this year:

• 482 yards on 32 receptions with a good 2.21 YRR
• Nonexistant vs. man coverage with only 3 receptions and a 0.94 YRR
• Good hands with a 75% career contested catch rate

This class is full of guys people wonder if they were used wrong and will have a better NFL career. As I said I usually dismiss that, but there are a few exceptions. I don’t think Raridon is one of them.

His man coverage stats show up on film – he is incapable of separating and really provides his value in zone and as a blocker. Watch Texas A&M where he went 4/85 and it was all busted coverages where he was left alone. He lacks suddenness in routes but does solve coverage against zone and is a chain mover. At the right draft capital, he could be a solid pick but his upside is capped.

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Winning trait: Rare straight line speed
Eagles take: A guy to take late and hope there’s upside based on traits

Another guy there are a lot of questions on his usage and if he will have a better career in the NFL than college. He does have good speed and watching him, you expect a lot more than what he showed:

• 261 yards on only 28 targets and 1.25 YRR
• Sustained a 4% drop rate his entire college career, but is not a good contested catch guy
• Incredibly low 0.18 YRR vs. man coverage, you see him being schemed open on film

He’s a very good blocker, one of best in this class (so far). Biggest question for him is what could he be if he was targeted more? While he has good speed, I’m not sure his acceleration / crispness is the same level. Looks to need to be schemed open as I didn’t see him succeed in man often. If you draft him, you are probably looking at a Luke Schoonmaker outcome, which is a decent comp for Delp.

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Eagles take: Low-ceiling, TE2 type guy with better upside options out there

• A better 2024 at Cal than 2025 at Texas, with 346 yards this season after putting up 623 last year
• 1.07 YRR this year, but hit 2.13 at Cal
• Incredibly reliable with only 1 drop in last 106 targets

He’s a good blocker with good size but you just don’t see NFL-level route crispness with most of his receptions coming while open or highly contested catches. Projects as a solid TE2-type guy that can block and give occasional offensive production, but lacks anything elite.