Cowboys 2026 draft: Top early-round tight ends in the draft
With the Dallas Cowboys now fully in draft mode, this is a good time to continue looking at the biggest needs for Dallas, and who the key prospects are in the first round where the Cowboys have two picks. In this edition we look at the tight ends.
Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Strengths
Sadiq is very much a modern move tight end who can win as a passing target and do real work as a blocker. In 2025 his production was excellent – 51 catches, 560 yards, and eight touchdowns – while still playing with the physical edge offensive coordinators love.
Weaknesses
He’s not the classic inline monster, so the biggest questions are role and projection. Some NFL teams will view him more as a slot tight end than a full-time attached Y-type tight end who faces defensive ends every snap.
Summary
Sadiq’s profile is easy, he’s a versatile tight end who can be moved around the formation, help in the run game, and still score touchdowns as a redzone weapon. He’s a definite TE1-type because of the combination of physical blocking and explosive pass-game ability.
(Top-20 prospect)
Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Strengths
Stowers is a former quarterback turned tight end who plays like a mismatch. He’s a smooth mover, has reliable hands, and a real feel for finding space on third down.
Weaknesses
He’s more of a receiving tight end than a pure in-line player, so the biggest question is how consistently he’ll hold up when asked to block in the NFL. Some of his value comes from being schemed into space, and defenses that can match him with size and speed can limit easy separation, meaning his route detail and play strength at the top of routes matter a lot at the next level.
Summary
Stowers profiles as an NFL flex tight end who can be a quarterback’s safety blanket and a redzone option. He’s one of the better tight end prospects in this class, and the year-to-year climb at the position is a big part of the appeal. He’s already productive, and there’s still room for his blocking and route craft to get sharper.
(Top-70 prospect)
Max Klare, Ohio State
Strengths
Klare is a big, reliable target who plays with the calm, quarterback-friendly style you want from a tight end. He finds space, catches it clean, and always falls forward. He has real receiving production. At Purdue in 2024, he led the team with 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns, then at Ohio State in 2025 he posted 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns, even in a crowded offense.
Weaknesses
He’s more steady separator than rare explosive mismatch, so some of his wins come from smart positioning and hands rather than pure speed that scares safeties. He wasn’t consistently dominating as a pure pass-catcher compared to the previous two on this list, part of that is down to his role at Ohio State, and that’s the difference between good starter and true game changer.
Summary
Klare projects as a modern NFL move tight end who can be a dependable chain-mover and redzone helper, especially in play-action and on third down. His production plus solid grading is why most analysts view him as one of the top draft-eligible tight ends in this year’s class.
(Top-80 prospect)
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