2026 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns pick TE Carsen Ryan at No. 248
Browns add a tight end who reportedly is adept at both catching the ball and blocking.
PROVO, UTAH - NOVEMBER 29: Carsen Ryan #20 of the BYU Cougars celebrates during the first half of the game between UCF Knights and Brigham Young Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Bryan Byerly/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) | ISI Photos via Getty Images With the 248th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected tight end Carsen Ryan (6-foot-3 and 255 pounds) from BYU. It’s (hopefully) the final pick the Browns made on Day 3 of the draft, coming in the 7th round.
Ryan is also the second tight end that Cleveland selected, as they also added Cincinnati’s Joe Royer in the fifth round. Ryan Scouting Report Here is a scouting report from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler , who had Ryan as the 18th-ranked tight end prospect on his board in this year’s draft class: A one-year starter at BYU (and a starter for two-and-a-half years overall), Ryan was a Y tight end (59. 6 percent of career snaps inline) in offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick’s scheme.
After stops at UCLA and Utah, he transferred to Provo to become more involved as a pass catcher in his final year of eligibility — and that is exactly what happened. He finished third on the team in targets in 2025 and tied for sixth-most receiving yards (620) among FBS tight ends (ironically, tied with Utah’s Dallen Bentley). A surprising NFL combine snub, Ryan stands out in both phases as a receiver and blocker.
He is an urgent, controlled route runner who feasts underneath against zone coverage, with reliable hands and some creativity after the catch. He is limited by some body stiffness and needs to do a better job with body position to win a crowd. As a blocker, he is both quick and physical with his inline duties to reach, cut off or get outside defenders.