We’re less than one week from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Denver Broncos NFL Draft tight end options are numerous.
Denver has multiple needs, but many see both tight end and inside linebacker as needs 1a and 1b.
So, if the Broncos take a tight end at No. 62 overall in the second round, who could it be?
Denver Broncos NFL Draft tight end options: Eli Stowers, Max Klare, Sam Roush
Will the Denver Broncos take a tight end in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft?
It’s definitely a possibility.
Tight end, along with inside linebacker and defensive line, are the team’s biggest glaring weaknesses.
Here’s what Sean Payton said about tight ends earlier this week:
“I would say this about this class (of tight ends),” Sean Payton explained, “if you’re looking for a blocking Y, there’d be a handful available. If you’re looking for maybe a little bit of an undersized F, they are out there. To each his own, the different types of tight ends are available. It’s always difficult with that position because sometimes you’re projecting in an offense that is maybe playing them differently.”
Currently, the Broncos have some of each of those “Y” and “F” type tight ends.
Evan Engram is the true pass-catcher, who isn’t great at blocking. Adam Trautman, too, is more a receiving tight end since his blocking has been poor overall. Then there’s Lance Krull and Nate Adkins, tight ends who can catch passes but rarely do. They’re more of the Y tight ends Payton is talking about here.
The thing is, all of those aforementioned tight ends won’t be with the Broncos in 2027 besides Trautman, who signed a 3-year deal.
Clearly, the Broncos need a young tight end. Who are they likely looking at as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches?
Eli Stowers
Stowers, out of Vanderbilt, is a First-Team All-American and the reigning John Mackey Award winner, which is given to the nation’s top tight end. Stowers led the NCAA in receiving yards last season with 769, and added 4 touchdowns. Stowers is a converted quarterback who played the last two years at tight end for Vandy and excelled. He’s 6’4″ and 240 pounds, has the speed to run past linebackers and challenge up the seam of the field, and he can create yards after the catch, too. He has great hands and can highpoint balls, too. The downside in his game is he’s strictly a receiver. He can’t block well at all, which could be a tell when he’s on the field at the next level. It’s something he can improve upon, sure, but many teams may prefer a more well-rounded prospect.
Max Klare
Of the three players listed here, Klare is the most versatile. Klare played three seasons for Purdue and started the last two years, earning First-Team All-Big Ten in 2025. He ended the year with 448 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s highly athletic and plays a lot in the slot, just like Stowers does. But, Klare is at least a decent run-blocking tight end. That part of his game showed clear progression and improvement as a redshirt junior. At 6’4″ and 246 pounds, he has the beef to move or at least stymy defenders at the point of attack. His next-level comparison is Brenton Strange of the Jaguars from NFL.com.
Sam Roush
Unlike Klare and Stowers, Roush is a Y tight end, meaning he plays a more typical role as an inline player. But he still knows how to produce. As a senior with Stanford, he racked up 545 yards and 2 touchdowns on 49 receptions. He’s such a great blocker, that most of his positives by draft scouts circle around footwork, bend, and power; adjectives one would usually hear about offensive linemen. Roush is the biggest of the three tight ends listed here, at a whopping 6’6″ and 267 pounds. It’s no wonder Stanford used him as an extension of the O-line. He’s slower than Stowers by quite a bit (4.7-4.51 40-yard dashes), but is really tough to bring down when he has the ball in his hands. Some compare him to Dawson Knox, which would be awesome for Denver if they took him and he elevated to that level.
When it comes to draft positioning, Stowers is projected to go in the second round, while Klare and Roush are expected to go in the third. It’s possible Stowers doesn’t even last until No. 62 when Denver picks, which is very near the third round anyway. If the Broncos for some reason fall in love with Stowers, they could move up, but they don’t have a ton of firepower (no third-round picks) to do so.
The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 23. But Denver won’t have their initial pick until Friday, April 24.