Rating the 2026 NFL Rookie Tight Ends: Post-NFL Draft Rookie Super Model Ratings

Have you ever wondered how NFL Draft prospects stack up across multiple factors—draft pick, collegiate production and film? Yeah, me too.

That's why I built the Rookie Super Model. And it has a strong track record compared to NFL Draft pick alone. Using well-researched inputs that matter for TE prospects, we rate and tier the top 2026 TEs, with player comps and historical fantasy hit rates included.

Analysis here focuses on the bottom line, but full write-ups are linked throughout and accessible via the 2026 NFL Draft Guide under the Analysis tab. As we get updated mock draft and actual draft pick data, we will update the Rookie Super Model.

WHAT IS THE TIGHT END ROOKIE SUPER MODEL?

New to the Rookie Super Model? The introductory guide covers all the inputs by position and includes a glossary for any unfamiliar terms. We also have a quick-reference glossary at the end of this article. Returning Super Model lovers, welcome to Year 4!

In short, the model calculates a rating between 50 and 100 based on what has historically mattered most for NFL production. It accounts for age, strength of schedule, program quality, and teammates to normalize comparisons.

Don't fixate on exact grades—focus on tiers and range of outcomes. That's how you find over- and underpriced assets.

Below is a review of how TE prospects fared based on Rookie Super Model rating. For example, 100% of the TEs rated between 90 and 100 achieved a top-12 PPR finish by Year 3 versus 75% for TEs rated 80 to 89.

HOW DO THE 2026 TE DRAFT PROSPECTS COMPARE TO PRIOR YEARS?

Before we dive into the prospects, let's zoom out and assess the overall strength of this TE class. To do this, I have broken the prospects into three buckets:

Super Model Rating: 90 to 100 (elite prospects)
Super Model Rating: 80 to 89 (great prospects)
Super Model Rating: 70 to 79 (good prospects)

The data below shows the number of elite, great and good prospects from each class since 2018:

2018: 0, 2, 7 (9)
2019: 1, 2, 7 (10)
2020: 0, 1, 10 (11)
2021: 1, 0, 4 (5)
2022: 0, 0, 11 (11)
2023: 0, 5, 6 (11)
2024: 0, 2, 9 (11)
2025: 1, 2, 13 (16)
2026: 0, 1, 3 (4)

TEs were surprise winners of the 2026 NFL Draft, with nine going in the first three rounds—tying 2023. We knew many would be drafted with a record 27 invited to the Combine, but the Day 2 volume was unexpected. Despite that, only four prospects from this class land in the great/good buckets—the lowest mark since 2018.

Two things explain the disconnect. First, many Day 2 TEs are blockers, not receivers, and for fantasy purposes, the model views half of them as massively overrated as receiving prospects. Second, teams are chasing the Rams' heavy TE package blueprint as a counterpunch to smaller defenses built to stop three-WR sets. The NFL set 12-year highs in 12- and 13-personnel utilization last season, and more teams want in on the action.

2026 TE ROOKIE SUPER MODEL RATINGS & TIERS

It's time to dive into the prospects, y'all! See below for how the Rookie Super Model views each 2026 TE prospect, ordered by tiers.

Tier 1: Low-End to Mid-Range TE1 Prospects

Kenyon Sadiq | Jets

Super Model Rating: 84.9 (5th since 2018)
Draft Pick: 17
Rookie Age: 21.5
Height: 75 inches
Weight: 241 pounds
Complete Rookie Super Model Prospect Profile

Fantasy Outlook For Kenyon Sadiq

Since 2018, four TEs have posted a Super Model rating between 80 and 90, with 75% delivering a top-12 finish by Year 3. Because of the small sample size, we have expanded the range, looking at Super Model ratings between 80 and 95 (five):

Top-three finishes: 20%
Top-six finishes: 20%
Top-nine finishes: 60%
Top-12 finishes: 80%

Sadiq's closest Super Model comps:

Noah Fant
Tyler Warren

Bottom line: The Rookie Super Model views Sadiq as a mid-to-late Round 1 pick, a traits-based prospect who didn't break out until his final season at Oregon, where he was never the alpha receiver. The high drop rate and potential playing-time restrictions are concerns, but his elite athleticism and Film Rating suggest untapped potential. With the Jets, he'll battle Mason Taylor for snaps while competing for targets alongside Garrett Wilson and Omar Cooper. Long-term QB uncertainty clouds the situation, though New York's three 2027 first-round picks could help land one. Sadiq projects as a low-end TE1 with mid-range TE1 upside.

Kenyon Sadiq complete Rookie Model Prospect Profile

Tier 2: High-End TE2 to Mid-Range TE1 Prospects

Eli Stowers | Eagles

Super Model Rating: 73.5 (22nd)
Draft Pick: 54
Rookie Age: 23.4
Height: 76 inches
Weight: 239 pounds
Complete Rookie Super Model Prospect Profile

Fantasy Outlook For Eli Stowers

Disclaimer: While I haven't changed Stowers' rating in the model, I will use a slightly higher rating to capture his range of outcomes. He is an outlier scenario because he played QB his first two years.

Since 2018, 12 TEs have posted a Super Model rating between 72 and 82, with 50% delivering a top-12 finish by Year 3.

Top-six finishes: 20%
Top-nine finishes: 25%
Top-12 finishes: 50%

Stowers' closest Super Model comps:

Isaiah Likely
Oronde Gadsden II
Harrison Bryant

Bottom line: The Rookie Super Model sees Stowers as a mid-to-late Round 2 pick—though it doesn't account for his two seasons playing QB before switching to TE. He's the best receiving prospect at the position in this class, showing target-hog upside and plus athleticism with the ball in his hands. In Year 1, he'll play a situational role behind Dallas Goedert, but Goedert is only on a one-year deal. Long-term, Stowers must improve as a blocker or risk a Juwan Johnson-type big-slot role. He projects as a high-end TE2 with TE1 upside, but high-end TE1 is on the table if he develops into a full-time player.

Eli Stowers complete Rookie Model Prospect Profile

Tier 3: Mid-Range TE2 to Low-End TE1 Prospects

Max Klare | Rams

Super Model Rating: 72.8 (25th since 2018)
Draft Pick: 61
Rookie Age: 23.2
Height: 76 inches
Weight: 246 pounds
Complete Rookie Super Model Prospect Profile

Fantasy Outlook For Max Klare

Since 2018, 27 TEs have posted a Super Model rating between 68 and 78, with 30% delivering a top-12 finish by Year 3.

Top-six finishes: 15%
Top-nine finishes: 22%
Top-12 finishes: 30%

Klare's closest Super Model comps:

Sam LaPorta
Pat Freiermuth
Ja'Tavion Sanders

Bottom line: The Rookie Super Model views Klare as a borderline Round 2 NFL Draft pick. He is a great example of a prospect who wasn't elite in any facet of his game but was good across multiple model inputs. That gives him a shot at the next level, but he will need to improve as a blocker, plus unlock deeper looks and additional YAC to become a difference maker. Klare lands in a crowded TE room with the Rams, including 2025 Round 2 pick, Terrance Ferguson. He is a mid-range TE2 with a shot at low-end TE1 upside long term.

Max Klare complete Rookie Model Prospect Profile

Tier 4: Low-end TE2 to Borderline TE1 Prospects

Oscar Delp | Saints

Super Model Rating: 69.9 (31st since 2018)
Draft Pick: 73
Rookie Age: 23.1
Height: 77 inches
Weight: 245 pounds

Fantasy Outlook For Oscar Delp

Since 2018, 39 TEs have posted a Super Model rating between 65 and 75, with 30% delivering a top-12 finish by Year 3.

Top-six finishes: 5%
Top-nine finishes: 13%
Top-12 finishes: 18%

Delp's closest Super Model comps:

Theo Johnson
Dawson Knox
Chigoziem Okonkwo

Bottom line: The Rookie Super Model views Delp as a Day 3 pick, but New Orleans prioritized him in Round 3. Like Kenyon Sadiq, he's an athletic traits bet, a below-average producer with a 67 Production rating, though he made the most of opportunities with an 83rd-percentile passer rating when targeted. His career YAC of +1.2 yards over expected aligns with an 80th-percentile Speed Score. Delp is a slightly below-average run blocker, but Lance Zierlein sees three-down potential. Long-term, he could claim the Saints' base TE role. Noah Fant is on a two-year deal with an out before 2027, and Juwan Johnson is really a big slot. Delp projects as a low-end TE2 with borderline TE1 upside.

Tier 5: TE3 Dart Throws

Historically, we don't see many breakouts from this range in fantasy football, with ~10% becoming top-12 options by Year 3. Many of the prospects listed here received a massive boost in the model due to going much earlier in the draft than expected. This probably partially ties back to the league trend of multi-TE sets. The Rookie Super Model Rating is listed after the team.

Sam Roush | Bears | 67.8: The Rookie Super Model rates Roush as a Round 4 NFL Draft pick, but Chicago took him in early Round 3 (Pick 69). He is carried by his Film Rating (78) rather than his Production Rating (66). He offers size (267 lbs) and played in-line (59%) more than most TEs in the class. However, his PFF Career Run Block Grade of 55.6 (35th percentile) aligns more with smaller players, but Lance Zierlein sees him as a "pro-ready" blocker. With the Bears, Roush will battle Cole Kmet for a rotational role behind Colston Loveland.
Justin Joly | Broncos | 66.8: The Rookie Super Model views Joly as an underrated TE worthy of a Round 3-4 NFL Draft Pick who fell to Round 5 at Pick 152. He has the highest Production Rating (81) in the class, but must improve as a blocker to unlock a full-time role. Still, we are aiming for receiving upside in fantasy, so this is the type of profile that can pay dividends when we get it right, versus a less productive player that is a better blocker. Denver deploys a heavy TE rotation, where Joly could become the preferred receiving-down option over time.
Marlin Klein | Texans | 66.3: Houston selected Klein in Round 2 of the NFL Draft, which the Rookie Super Model views as a significant reach—at least for future fantasy production. He has the lowest Production Rating (57) in the class. Interestingly, his Career PFF Run Blocking Grade of 56.6 falls in the 37th percentile. Obviously, Houston saw something they liked, but Klein will compete with Foster Moreau for playing time as a rotational TE behind starter Dalton Schultz.
Eli Raridon | Patriots | 66.0: The Rookie Super Model rates Raridon as a Day 3 prospect, but New England grabbed him in late Round 3. The four-star recruit didn't register a meaningful RYPTPA until Year 4 at Notre Dame, though two ACL tears on the same knee provide some evaluation leeway. He was primarily an underneath target with 15% of his looks going 20-plus yards, and his run blocking graded in just the 38th percentile. Lance Zierlein sees ascending every-down TE potential with a 50th-percentile prospect grade. Julian Hill holds the blocking TE role, but Raridon could emerge as the heir-apparent to Hunter Henry.
Nate Boerkircher | Jaguars | 65.7: Jacksonville selected Boerkircher in Round 2 with pick 56 in the NFL Draft. However, the Rookie Super Model isn't very high on him for fantasy due to a 61 Production Rating. Boerkircher is one of the better blocking prospects from the class, so he could see immediate playing time in multiple-TE sets, but is squarely behind Brenton Strange for fantasy purposes in Year 1. Strange's contract is up after this season, but the Jaguars also drafted Tanner Koziol, who was more productive in college.
Will Kacmarek | Dolphins | 65.4: Miami took Kacmarek in Round 3 with the 87th pick of the NFL Draft. He is one of the best blocking TEs in the class, but his 64 Production Rating isn't ideal for future receiving production in fantasy football. However, the Dolphins' depth chart is wide-open with Greg Dulcich as the TE1.
Tanner Koziol | Jaguars | 64.6: The Rookie Super Model rates Koziol as a Day 3 NFL Draft pick in the Rookie Super Model. His 80 Production Rating ranks 21st in the model's history, and is second in the class behind Justin Joly. He was not a dynamic player after the catch, as indicated by his -1.6 YAC over expected. But he was a high-end target earner with a 25% career TPRR (73rd percentile). Koziol will compete with Nate Boerkircher for playing time in Year 1 behind Brenton Strange, but could emerge as the better receiving TE long-term for the Jaguars.

To see how the rest of the 2026 TE class fared, check them out in the Rookie Super Model tool, where you can compare all prospects back to 2018.

Data Glossary:

Adjusted Career RYPTPA: Career receiving yards per team pass attempt adjusted for age, strength of schedule, QB play, teammate competition, aDOT, and alignment. Doesn't count games missed.
aDOT: Average depth of target in yards.
Career Targeted QB Passer Rating: Passer rating on WR's targets.
Contested catch rate: Percentage of contested targets caught.
Contested catch rate over expected: Percentage of contested targets caught after adjusting for aDOT.
Draft Capital Rating: Based on Chase Stuart's Draft Value Chart, an improved version of what many know as the Jimmy Johnson trade chart. It accounts for the larger drop-off in the first round and a flatter drop-off around the end of the second round.
FDPRR: First downs per route run. Often shown as a percentage (first downs divided by routes).
Film Rating: Based on NFL.com prospect grades from Lance Zierlein.
PFF Run Block Grade: Weighted average of run blocking grades based on run-block snaps each season.
Production Rating: A combination of adjusted career RYPTPA and career targeted QB passer rating.
Program Quality Rating: ESPN's College Football Power Index is used to assess program quality. The model accounts for each school a prospect attended.
RYPTPA: Receiving yards per team pass attempt.
SOS Rating: Based on strength of schedule (SOS) from Sports Reference. The model accounts for each school the prospect attended.
Speed Score: Speed normalized for weight; invented by Bill Barnwell. Formula: (Weight * 200) / (40-yard dash time)4
Target Share: A player's percentage of team targets in games played.
TPRR: Targets per route run.
YAC: Average yards after the catch.
YAC over expected: YAC over expected after adjusting for aDOT.
YPG: Yards per game.
YPRR: Yards per route run.