Each year since joining BTSC in 2024, Ryan Parish has put together a draft gems list. This series is not meant to predict who the Steelers will pick, but rather highlight players Ryan thinks will be viable NFL players, and should be available in Rounds 2-7. Looking for more? Check out Ryan’s picks this year at:
- Running backs
- Wide receivers
- Offensive Tackles
- Interior offensive line
- Defensive line
- Edge defenders
- Linebackers
- Cornerbacks
- Safeties
We’ve just about reached the end. The draft cycle feels like it has stretched on for a millennium at this point. The first round has been poured over and speculated ad nauseam, and our humble
series has delved into the depths of this draft for all positions save quarterback (which is excluded from this series) and one other: tight end.
Tight end hasn’t been a huge need for the Steelers since I’ve started this series. Pat Freiermuth has been in town since 2021, and Darnell Washington was drafted in 2023, one year before I joined BTSC. Those two form a formidable top two, and give the Steelers a good mix of pass-catching weapon (Freiermuth) and blocking prowess (Washington). Under former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the depth chart also featured names like Jonnu Smith, Connor Heyward, and Mycole Pruitt in recent years. Now, though, it’s just Freiermuth and Washington who remain, meaning the Steelers are in need of at least one more tight end, maybe two.
That makes this the perfect position to finish our series with for this draft cycle. The Steelers are not likely to draft one of the top names at the position during the first two days, at least not in the first two rounds. This will be my first time doing a tight ends list, so I’m hopeful this will be a fruitful learning experience. With Freiermuth likely to slide back into a more involved role in the offense this season, we’ll be putting extra emphasis on players who can contribute as blockers.
As always:
- Any player selected for this list cannot be commonly mocked as a 1st round pick. For a position like tight end, which typically has few first-round prospects, we’ll expand this out slightly to encompass the top-4 prospects on the Consensus Big Board.
- I also avoid players who will have a profile written on BTSC. Paired with the previous rule, this year that disqualifies: Kenyon Sadiq, Max Klare, Eli Stowers and Oscar Delp.
Let’s dive in.
Sam Roush, Stanford
Age: 22 (09-06-2003)
Height/weight: 6’6, 267 pounds
Arm Length: 303/4” arms, 761/2” wingspan
Projected Round: 3rd/4th
If the Steelers are looking for a skilled blocker, Stanford’s Sam Roush would offer a top-shelf option as a player whose draft ceiling is the third round. Roush offers an intriguing blend of height, weight, and athleticism (94th-percentile broad and vertical jumps, 4.70 40-time). If there is one bugaboo in his physical profile, however, it is his short arms, which fall within the first percentile of tight ends. That limits his catch radius and can show up against defenders with significantly longer arms, but the good on his tape outweighs the bad.
As you can see in the reel above, Roush is a feisty blocker, and he offers upside as a pass catcher, though I’ll note his drop rate (12.5% in 2025) can be frustrating, and he had a few head-scratching drops when I watched him during the Senior Bowl, both in practices and the game.
His expected draft cost might be a bit rich for the Steelers. However, if they do draft him, it would be because he contributes more as a blocker than Freiermuth.
Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
Age: 23 (02-12-2003)
Height/weight: 6’51/2, 261 pounds
Arm Length: 325/8” arms, 801/8” wingspan
Projected Round: 4th
One of the Steelers’ scheduled pre-draft visits, Kacmarek (pronounced Kaz-mare-ik) is in the running for the best blocking tight end in the class. If you hear a dull roar sometime around noon EST on Saturday, do not be alarmed; that’s just the sound of me pounding the table for the Steelers to select “KAZ” with one of their two fourth-round picks. The idea of Kacmarek and Darnell Washington both paving the way for the Black and Gold’s run game should be enough to whip any Steelers fan into a fervor.
As a pass catcher, Kacmarek was never a focal point in his two years with the Buckeyes. He more than doubled his total targets in Columbus (27) during his first two college seasons at Ohio (58), but in his limited opportunities, he flashed that he is a strong hands-catcher who can pluck the ball out of the air away from his body. His 4.4% drop rate on 85 targets is encouraging as well. He’s a little stiff as a route runner, but he was clocked at over 18 mph at the Senior Bowl, so he could be utilized in the seam and as an underneath target, especially on routes where he is tasked with chipping a defender and then deploying on a delayed release.
Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
Age: 24 (09-04-2001)
Height/weight: 6’51/2, 245 pounds
Arm Length: 325/8” arms, 791/8” wingspan
Projected Round: 4th
A sixth-year senior with just 38 targets in his college career, Boerkircher is purely a projection when it comes to being a pass catcher. He’s shown flashes of being able to catch the ball away from his frame, and he’s shown some contested catch ability in limited opportunities. He’s had too little exposure to be overly confident in his ability as a route runner, but his hands do appear to be good. Here’s a Senior Bowl rep he took against Kyle Louis.
He’ll also turn 25 years old as a rookie, which should play a significant role in him landing on Day 3 of the draft.
But now that I’ve highlighted the concerns, I’ll also say that I’d be willing to overlook those profile red flags if he were selected by Pittsburgh. That’s mainly because any team that drafts him is selecting him to be the focal point of their offense. Rather, they’ll be looking at his skills as a blocker.
I’d prefer to draft Boerkircher later than his projected fourth-round value, but if the Steelers are targeting blocking tight ends this draft, he’s a name you should be familiar with.
Marlin Klein, Michigan
Age: 23 (09-17-2002)
Height/weight: 6’6, 249 pounds
Arm Length: 323/8” arms, 801/8” wingspan
Projected Round: 4th
Another pre-draft visit for the Steelers, Marlin Klein had more targets in college than Boerkircher, but not much more (64 targets). He’s another player whose projection as a playmaker is highly speculative because of his limited opportunities. But it’s not hard to see why NFL teams are taking notice after his Combine performance. Klein ran a 4.61 40-Yard Dash (87th percentile) and had a 36” vertical (81st percentile), with great size and length.
While his athletic testing hints at a player who could unlock more to his game as a pass catcher, what will get Klein drafted — and what makes him intriguing to the Steelers — is his ability as a blocker. While I don’t think his blocking is quite at the level of the tight ends that have preceded him on this list, he shows good grip strength, and he’s tied with Kacmarek for the longest wingspan among this collection of players. Klein fits the mold of an ascending player who could unlock more in his game at the pro level. Should Kacmarek go before the Steelers can pick him, Klein wouldn’t be a bad pivot.
Carsen Ryan, BYU
Age: 22 (08-21-2003)
Height/weight: 6’33/8, 255 pounds
Arm Length: 313/8” arms, 773/8” wingspan
Projected Round: 5th/6th
Well-traveled with stops at UCLA, Utah, and BYU, Ryan is one of the players who would show up on a Draft Hipster’s list, if such a thing existed. Social media posts about him are almost always prefaced with a claim that he’s one of the poster’s favorite sleepers in this class. The 2025 season was his first truly productive season, but he showed out with an increased opportunity at BYU, snagging 45 passes for 620 yards. It was enough to earn him comparisons to Cardinals’ All-Pro tight end Trey McBride from respected draft analysts.
But of course, Ryan wouldn’t be on our list if he wasn’t a decent blocker. He isn’t the most powerful blocker on this list, but he shows good footwork and a good understanding of angles and how to seal off lanes for runners. He’s capable on the move as a puller, as well as blocking in space on screen concepts out wide to receivers.
And while this certainly isn’t the top thing that will get him drafted, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention he’s in the running with linebacker Jacob Rodriguez for best mustache in the class.
Khalil Dinkins, Penn State
Age: 23 (05-29-2002)
Height/weight: 6’41/4, 251 pounds
Arm Length: 331/4” arms, 797/8” wingspan
Projected Round: 6th/7th
Dinkins might be a familiar name to Pennsylvania residents and is another one of the tight ends the Steelers brought in for a predraft visit. Like many of the names on this list, he had limited opportunities as a pass catcher at the college level, with just 54 career targets. In his defense, tight ends aren’t typically the focal point of college passing attacks, and he spent time behind two NFL starters: Brenton Strange and, more infamously, Tyler Warren. But Dinkins made the most of the opportunities, with 19% of his receptions in college resulting in a touchdown. And say what you will about former Penn State coach James Franklin, it’s clear Dinkins was a player who had his respect, with the coach putting out a highlight reel for him on social media.
But if you’ve read this far into my list, you know I’m not highlighting Dinkins simply because he shows some promise as a pass catcher.
Roll that beautiful blocking footage!
There’s some serious pop behind Dinkins blocks. If the Steelers elect to fill other needs earlier in the draft, Dinkins is an intriguing option in the late rounds.
TE/FB/H-back hybrid honorable mention:
Riley Nowakowski, Indiana
Age: 23 (06-30-2002)
Height/weight: 6’21/4”, 250 pounds
Arm Length: 311/2” arms, 771/4” wingspan
Projected Round: 5th
Nowakowski lacks the size you’d like to have in a traditional tight end, but with hybrid fullback/H-back/tight end Connor Heyward leaving the team via free agency, the Steelers could be looking for a new player to fill that role. Mike McCarthy’s offenses have utilized fullbacks in the past, with players like John Kuhn (6’0, 250 pounds) in his Packers days, and Hunter Luepke (6’1, 238 pounds) with the Cowboys.
Nowakowski fits that size profile, and more importantly, he has a nasty demeanor as a blocker that played an underrated role in the Indiana Hoosiers’ path to their first national title.
If the Steelers want to take their running game to the next level — and find a hard-nosed underneath target that can be reliable for Aaron Rodgers — Nowakowski fits the bill.
What do you think of these tight end prospects? Would you like the Steelers to draft any of them? Who was your favorite? Did I leave one of your favorites out? Let us know in the comments!
