Tight Ends - 2027 NFL Draft Preview

 

Two year starter, Inglewood, CA. Johnson is a former high school quarterback who has developed into one of the top tight ends in college football this season. Johnson has ideal size and athleticism to develop into the prototypical tight end at the next level. An excellent blocker, he played his first two seasons at Louisville before transferring to Oregon. Last year at Oregon, played behind the no.1 drafted tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Had a good National Championship game against Indiana. Good big hands, goes and gets the ball. Owns the seams with his large athletic frame. Has a wide catch radius. Has missed 2 games in 2026 due to an undisclosed injury. Needs to develop more overall speed to match his vertical burst up. Must be more physical run blocking, uniting his feet and hands together. Seen as a first round pick, watch closely the remainder of this season.

 

 

Two year starter, Jackson, LA. A tall rangy tight end who was second team All-SEC last season. Has 11 touchdown grabs in 46 career receptions. Sharing his talents with the basketball team at LSU, Green is an emerging talent whose upside ceiling has yet to be reached. Very quick off the ball with a burst of speed that threatens the secondary down the field. At 6’7, he has a very large catch radius and instinctively catches passes at its high point. A red zone run threat, he poses a mismatch with both size and speed. With more of a slight build then where he will eventually end up, he puts his nose in there and uses his reach to his advantage. His hands at times are inconsistent, and he does have too many pass drops. Needs to continue to build on his frame to be able to more comfortably play “in line”. Injured this season against Ole Miss, he will miss a few weeks of the regular season, hopefully this will not slow down his development. At his height, he is a large target who has downfield speed and a vertical edge. Early rounds of the draft.

 

 

Two year starter, Westford, MA. Originally a five-star commit to Penn State, he stayed two seasons before following Coach Franklin to Virginia Tech. Had 35 receptions over his two seasons at Happy Valley and has quickly emerged with the Hokies, snaring 30 receptions in his first four games. Has good size, athleticism and excellent hands. Has become a threat in the red zone with four touchdown receptions this season. An energetic player who hustles on every play. Could be an ideal “move” tight end, shows ability to engage defenders from flex as well as the ability to leak out in short routes. Good hands. Works in and out to get open. Very efficient down block that keeps low center and will square up on the defender particularly in quick screen game. Needs to show ability to move routes to a more intermediate level to take the top off of his routes. Run blocking can always be increased to complement his ability to catch. With eligibility still in hand, could go in the mid rounds of the draft.

 

 

Two year starter, Breda, IA. A walk-on, this red shirt sophomore is a young developing tight end. A freshman All-American as seen by the Football Writers of America. With 35 receptions through the last two seasons, Vonnahme had a prolific bowl game last season. Shows some nasty attitude in leading the counter plays. Shows excellent hands in traffic. His top end speed is very good, goes and attacks the ball down field. Works the middle of the field effectively. Needs to work on balance, drive and staying with his block on running plays. Needs to work more behind his hands in pass protection. At 240 pounds he is a bit light by Iowa’s past tight end standards, and needs more bulk to help his inline skills. Lets the ball into his body on his intermediate routes. Will continue to get quality coaching at his position at Iowa, however if he chooses to enter the draft, his upside will draw interest from NFL teams.

 

 

Three year starter, Killeen, TX. Second team All-Big 12 in his first season at Texas Tech. Carter has had a productive collegiate career starting with his first three seasons at Louisiana Lafayette where he was All-Sunbelt, and last season he had 55 receptions and five touchdowns. As a player who has started over 40 games in his career, he has proven capable of playing in all the positions required for a tight end. A good solid frame with an athletic mass. Always seems to be moving the chains. Yards after the catch is a big skill he owns. Lacks ideal length for a tight end. Inline blocking is a skill that needs to continue to be developed, particularly working behind his hands. In that same vein, needs more strength and agility when sinking his anchor. Needs to run crisper routes, he tends to round off his routes. Must improve on working in the middle of the field. This experienced tight end appears to be a path to day two in the 2027 draft.

 

Penn State - 6070 / 255 | SR

 

Duke - 6030 / 252 | GR

 

Georgia - 6030 / 240 | SR

 

Kentucky - 6030 / 245 | JR

 

Temple - 6060 / 265 | SR

 

Missouri - 6060 / 256 | SR

 

Louisville - 6060 / 261 | SR

 

Penn State - 6040 / 251 | JR

 

Penn State - 6060 / 250 | RS SR

 

BYU - 6040 / 245 | JR

 

SMU - 6060 / 257 | SR

 

Arkansas - 6050 / 260 | JR

 

Washington State - 6030 / 232 | JR

 

Auburn - 6060 / 240 | SR

 

Texas - 6030 / 251 | SR