2026 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns pick TE Joe Royer at No. 170
Cleveland stays in Ohio for a player who projects as a “functional” second tight end.
Sep 13, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats tight end Joe Royer (11) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Northwestern State Demons in the first half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images With the 170th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected tight end Joe Royer (6-foot-5 and 247 pounds) from Cincinnati. It’s the second player from an Ohio college that the Browns have selected, following Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the second round.
Royer Scouting Report Here is a scouting report from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler , who had Royer as the 12th-ranked tight end prospect on his board in this year’s draft class: A two-year starter at Cincinnati, Royer was a Y tight end in former offensive coordinator Brad Glenn’s scheme and split his snaps evenly between the slot (49. 3 percent of snaps) and inline (45. 4 percent).
After injuries derailed his time at Ohio State, he reinvented himself with the Bearcats and in 2024 broke Travis Kelce’s single-season school record for catches by a tight end. However, his usage and production took slight declines in his final year (4. 2 catches per game in 2024 to 2.
2 in ‘25). Royer is a smooth athlete for the position, with the impressive hands needed to easily adjust and frame the football, regardless of the placement. Although he is more of a one-speed receiver down the seam, he runs hard and has some giddy-up with the ball in his hands (only FBS tight end with multiple receptions of 60-plus yards in 2025).