BEST DEEP THREAT TIGHT ENDS 2026 NFL Draft

2026 BEST DEEP THREAT TIGHT ENDS

Breaking the mold of traditional tight end play, a select few emerge as genuine deep threats, turning standard offensive plays into potential big-gain situations. Historic talents like Vernon Davis (Maryland) and Rob Gronkowski (Arizona) have illustrated how impactful a tight end with the capability to exploit deep zones can be, stretching defenses and creating multifaceted offensive strategies.

Below, explore a dataset highlighting current college tight ends showcasing their prowess as deep threats. Engage with key metrics, such as average yards per catch and touchdowns from deep passes, to uncover which players are elevating the traditional tight end role into a new vertical dimension on the field.

2026 Tight Ends ranked by DEEP THREAT

RANK Player Pos Team HANDS SHORT MEDIUM DEEP BLOCKING Rating
1

Terrance
Carter

TE
Texas Tech   Mascot
Texas Tech Mascot
77 93 92 95 57
83.2
2

Eli
Stowers

TE
Vanderbilt   Mascot
Vanderbilt Mascot
91 95 92 94 67
85.9
3

Max
Klare

TE
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
73 90 95 88 54
86.5
4

Kenyon
Sadiq

TE
Oregon   Mascot
Oregon Mascot
75 76 82 85 73
84.4
5

Luke
Hasz

TE
Ole Miss   Mascot
Ole Miss Mascot
87 76 83 83 61
83.0
6

Jack
Velling

TE
Michigan State   Mascot
Michigan State Mascot
71 80 82 79 57
79.0
7

Jaden
Platt

TE
Texas A&M   Mascot
Texas A&M Mascot
65 0 0 78 60
65.0
8

Lawson
Luckie

TE
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
82 69 79 77 52
79.7
9

Brett
Norfleet

TE
Missouri   Mascot
Missouri Mascot
61 72 71 75 42
80.0
10

Jack
Endries

TE
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
85 86 92 72 62
84.1
11

Tanner
Koziol

TE
Houston   Mascot
Houston Mascot
83 82 87 71 65
84.3
12

Jake
Johnson

TE
North Carolina   Mascot
North Carolina Mascot
71 62 63 71 52
73.0
13

Oscar
Delp

TE
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
77 73 79 65 50
83.6
14

Joe
Royer

TE
Cincinnati   Mascot
Cincinnati Mascot
69 69 74 62 61
86.0
15

Jelani
Thurman

TE
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
72 64 71 56 69
68.6
16

Michael
Trigg

TE
Baylor   Mascot
Baylor Mascot
75 70 81 56 55
71.0
17

Riley
Williams

TE
Miami   Mascot
Miami Mascot
47 60 60 55 53
78.0
18

Trey
Leckner

TE
Washington State   Mascot
Washington State Mascot
72 0 56 0 55
79.0
19

Shamar
Easter

TE
North Carolina   Mascot
North Carolina Mascot
66 0 87 0 59
81.0
20

Jaleel
Skinner

TE
Louisville   Mascot
Louisville Mascot
67 66 0 0 44
73.0