As of a week ago, the tight end position was one the Miami Dolphins had the possibility of addressing affordably by retaining Julian Hill — a player it procured from an undrafted rookie — and 2025 successful-find Greg Dulcich.
But Hill’s signing a nice three-year deal with Super Bowl runner-up New England makes the position now unquestionably one of need.
This is Part Three two in a 11-part Aqua & Coral Report series breaking down draft evaluations by position, as well as a ranking of the preferred prospects at each spot.
When it comes to tight ends, the assumption here is that the Dolphins will want to continue to add size and possibly a prospect to have in line for a potential significant role next year. They signed blocking specialist Ben Sims and project Zach Kuntz, with UDFA Jaylin Conyers returning, but that is a pretty light room as it relates to higher-end competition for Dulcich, no disrespect.
TIGHT ENDS FOR MIAMI TO TARGET
Below are the top tight end options for Miami in our estimation. Like the Dolphins’ actual board, ours will stay dynamic until the final college pro days are conducted and all information collected. (e.g. last week, the guy at the top spot today was on our “do not want” list).
Nine tight ends of interest and six who aren’t, and aside from the very top of the list, the reader may notice a commonality at what area of the draft most likely to see action at this position.
2026 ACR Dolphins Draft Guide bios included. (⭐denotes favorite players respective of projected draft range). Schedule of future positions as well as links to past positional breakdowns are at the bottom of the page.
1. ⭐TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
51 receptions for 560 yards (11.0 ypc) and 8 touchdowns in ’25; 6-3, 245 but impressed at how he gets after it blocking+; not his strength but anticipating a weakness, pleasantly surprised; athleticism shows up on tape; physically looks like a receiver; makes real athletic catches and a few highlight plays but the end result is kind of average over the course of his career; 4.39 40-yard dash, a 43 ½-inch vertical and 11-1 broad jump – he aced the combine; best TE in this class by a wide margin; not necessarily the desired size profile, but he may have fewer flaws than any player outside of the top 5; if MIA chooses against a traditional fullback, having an F with these kind of tools could make an offense more versatile and dangerous, especially if he can line up in the backfield; have to consider depending how things fall if BPA is the true desire, despite needs and wants at other spots (R1)
2. TE Sam Roush, Stanford
probably the safest bet of this year’s TE class, only because of his blocking; 6-5, 267++ and he’s an inline Y TE who is pro ready as both a run blocker and in pass pro; not fast or particularly quick but his feet are okay and he’s good settling into holes in a zone; 49 receptions for 545 yards (11.1) and 2 TDs last year; short arms (sub 31 inches) which won’t help in the pass pro department; not a super-exciting player but could be your second TE in a 1-2 or 2-2 formation; testing numbers were way better than I expected: 4.70 with a 38 ½-inch vertical, 10-6 broad, 25 reps/225 and elite short area quickness with a 7.08 3-Cone; good blocker mechanically though (R3-R4)
3. TE Dallen Bentley, Utah
6-3 ½, 262; 42 receptions for 620 yards (14.8) and 8 touchdowns in ’25; good size and good hands; not an explosive receiver but physical after the catch; pretty good catch radius and hands; not super nimble but a true Y tight end, which seems harder to find these days; not going to be a receiving star but he does know how to find space; 25 years old as he went on LDS mission for two years before returning to school; was pretty much Dampier’s security blanket at Utah; needs work technique-wise as a blocker; 4.62 40, 35-inch vertical and 24 reps/225 a solid testing combination; JES will not like age (R4)
4. ⭐TE Marlin Klein, Michigan
One of the better run blocking tight ends in the class; 6-6, 248 and was born in Cologne, Germany; pretty good route runner, good feet and real good hands; sat behind Loveland, best year was ’25 (24 rec./248 yds./1 TD) and it feels like the lack of production plus some injuries have people down on him; watching just the tape, he’s my favorite TE in the class, especially based on value; Y tight ends are not easy to find anymore; Klein can block inline and in space; Michigan split him out at times, only to utilize him as a blocker for a receiver he was in stack with; runs really well for his size and looks real comfortable; 4.61 40-yard dash and a 36-inch vertical; if he can stay healthy, this could be gold in a few years (he will need some PT and an offseason); big fan of his potential (R4-R5)
5. TE John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
6-5, 245; ran a 4.60 (1.60 split), posted a 35 ½-inch vertical, a 10-8 broad and 4.22 short shuttle at the combine, all exceptional; is fast, plays fast; runs a little bit with his head down but is real good in space with the ball in his hands for a TE; took a couple of balls where defenders thought they had him and they just never caught up; also pretty instinctive as a runner; not so much a tackle breaker; power is his issue in run blocking too; despite lacking pop as a blocker, he is good at squaring his guy up in space, even if they have a quickness advantage on him; he will need to get stronger to be effective inline and as a Y, but I think that’s his future; needs work in increasing his catch radius as he has small arms for his height (31 inches) and he doesn’t really use his length to go up and get ballstendency is to let the ball get into his body and I would have him higher but he kind of has brick hands (R4)
7. TE Dae’quan Wright, Ole Miss
6-4, 255 and seems he could play F or Y; did not test at combine but was measured to have 32 ¼-inch arms; has the mass and dtrength to be in-line; good running after the catch; could still use some work as a blocker but is probably the best among the TEs with multiplicity; good at reach blocks outside as well as a blocker on the second level; posted 39 receptions for 635 yards in 2025 and his 16.3 ypc was among the best nationally for a tight end; can play in the slot or line up inline; runs nice routes and takes on defenders with the ball in his hands; ran a 4.55 at the combine; needs to learn the art of the stiff arm; could be a good pro; appears I am higher on him than most (R5-R6)
7. TE Tanner Koziol, Houston
Played first three years at Ball State before finishing at Houston; 6-6 ½, 247; he’s a beast, slow as hell, but a beast; great hands and a huge catch radius; will never get you a ton of yards, especially per catch, but he can be a super reliable weapon in short yardage and goal line; NFL will have to figure something out for him in goal line, he’s that good; 74 catches for 727 yards (9.8) with 6 touchdowns in ’25: can take a hit and hang on; he might run in the high 4.8s (ran a 4.70) but curious his vertical (36 ½ inches); this isn’t a Gesicki, he’s a tough guy, gets YAC, but he can fill the same role in terms of a reliable pair of hands and can get up; big and strong enough to block but not sure what kind of leverage he can get in run blocking being as lean as he looks, will need work, like him though (R6)
8. TE Jack Endries, Texas
6-4, 240; played with Mendoza at Cal before transferring to UT and Arch; F tight end but not too bad of a pass blocker; hands are incredible; turned a few incompletions/picks until catches with his reach; nothing too special after the catch physically but not too bad in the open field; concerns about his run blocking; ran a 4.62 with an impressive 1.59 split at the combine; 36-inch vertical (R6)
9. TE Oscar Delp, Georgia
6-5, 245 tight end who went from being an H to working his way into the discussion as a Y over four years; not super strong but a reliable blocker; his receiver and runner after the catch; has a knack for trying to hurdle defenders, so he’s relatively athletic; not a gamebreaker but a better than average recovering threat; pretty limited body of work, averaging around 20 catches per season the last three years; zero career fumbles; foot fracture revealed at combine drops him for me (R6)
NOTABLE TE DNWs
TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt: 6-3 ¾, 239; definitely an F/slot/H-back; real good hands; 62 receptions for 769 yards (leading all FBS tight ends) and 4 touchdowns; Vandy would run stuff with him out of the backfield; runs with good contact balance, isn’t big enough to be powerful; was Pavia’s safety blanket; real good receiver; had a great combine, maybe the next Trey McBride for all I know but not a fit for power football; if Miami wants a receiver, his combine numbers were outstanding (4.51, 45 ½-inch vertical (modern combine record), 11-3 broad (TE record); blocking ability is the difference between him and Sadiq (R2/DNW)
TE Justin Joly, NC State
TE Michael Trigg, Baylor
TE Eli Raridon, Notre Dame: 6-6, 245; best season was last year (32 rec., 482 yards (15.1), 0 TDs); runs kinda funny (hands down low) and his hips are terrible; better blocker than you would expect, but trying to get low gets him off balance more than you would like; had a good combine, running a 4.62 with a 36-inch vertical and a 10-3 broad jump; had two ACL surgeries in his career already (R4/DNW)
TE Max Klare, Ohio State
TE Joe Royer, Cincinnati
THE SCHEDULE
- Mon., Mar. 9 — Part 1, Cornerbacks
- Thu. Mar. 12 — Part 2, Interior Offensive Line
- Today — Part 3, Tight Ends
- Thu. Mar. 19 — Part 4, Edge rushers
- Mon. Mar. 23 — Part 5, Linebackers
- Tues. Mar. 24 — Part 6, Wide Receivers
- Thu. Mar. 26 — Part 7, Defensive Tackles
- Tues. Mar. 31 — Part 8, Quarterbacks
- Thu. Apr. 2 — Part 9, Running Backs
- Tues. Apr. 6 — Part 10, Offensive Tackles
- Thu. Apr. 8 — Part 11, Safeties
DNW = Do Not Want (Examples: a) Jermod McCoy is a DNW in the first round, but would gladly select him in the second. He’s still a DNW because he isn’t expected to make it to round 2. B) Other times, there are straight DNWs based on things like character (e.g. James Pearce last year) or just a bad overall fit)
(Full bios on all players listed will be available on all players in the ’26 ACR Dolphins Draft Guide).
Aqua & Coral Report 