The 2026 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Joe Royer NFL Draft Profile.
For full rankings, mock drafts and live coverage, visit our NFL Draft hub.
Position: Tight End
School: Cincinnati
Size: 6-foot-5 1/8, 247 pounds
Class: Senior
2025 stats: 29 receptions, 416 receiving yards, 14.3 yards per reception, 4 touchdown catches
Royer was a four-star recruit in the class of 2020 who stayed in-state to play for Ohio State. He didn’t play much in his four seasons with the Buckeyes, as he had just four catches for 24 yards during his time there. Royer transferred to Cincinnati for the 2024 season and he broke out. He caught 5o passes for 521 yards and three touchdowns. He helped the team win five games. In 2025, he caught 29 passes for 416 yards and four touchdowns. Royer led the team to seven wins in 2025.
Following the season, Royer has been preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a mid-round pick.
Royer is a good athlete for the position, especially for his size. He has good quickness at the start of plays. Royer can then build up to a solid top speed that can help him separate from linebackers. He has solid agility, which helps him get a bit of separation when he is running his routes, but he can also use it after the catch.
He has great hands, which he showed with not having a drop in 2025. Royer doesn’t have focus drops, but he can also make catches on balls that are thrown off of his frame. He has a solid catch radius, making him a big target for quarterbacks. Royer also hauls in contested catches as a quarterback-friendly weapon.
His ability to run after the catch is also of quality. Royer does most of his work underneath and then transitions to a runner qiuckly. He uses his good athleticism to pick up yardage. Royer has good vision in the open field and can be hard to tackle by defensive backs because of his size.
Royer is an older prospect, as he started college in 2020. He will have less time to develop at the NFL level and will have to be ready to go early in his career. On top of being an older prospect, he didn’t produce for his first four years in college, which will raise some questions.
His run blocking has improved a little bit, but he still needs a lot of work before being trusted with in-line work. Adding strength will help him sustain his blocks, but he can also improve his technique. If he keeps his hands inside, he can improve as well.
His route tree was limited at Cincinnati. While he can get in and out of his breaks pretty well to get separation, he will need to prove he can run a more diverse route tree at the NFL level.
Projected Draft Range: Third Round Pick-Fifth Round Pick
Draft Grade: Third Round Pick
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