When the Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken as their new head coach, one thing was clear on the agenda: the offense was going to be changed dramatically.
The free agency period, along with the recent college draft, brought in a slew of new faces. Changes have occurred along the offensive line, receiver room, defensive tackle group, safety, and tight end.
RELATED: CLEVELAND PICKS TE CARSEN RYAN
Regarding the tight end room, the Browns did not retain veteran David Njoku, but re-signed Blake Whiteheart
and Brendan Bates, inked Jack Stoll from the New Orleans Saints, and then drafted Joe Royer from the University of Cincinnati, plus BYU’s Carsen Ryan in Round 7 at pick #248.
Who is Ryan? What can he offer Cleveland?
Beginnings
Ryan grew up in Orem, Utah, and went to Timpview High School in nearby Provo, Utah. In his senior year, he transferred to American Fork, Utah, and then attended American Fork High School. He played baseball, basketball, and defensive end/tight end for the football team, going both ways. He earned a starting position as a sophomore. He also returned kickoffs.
After playing for four years, on offense, he had an even 1,000 yards with an 11.1 per catch average.
High School accolades:
- Four-star recruit by rivals.com
- Utah All-State High School Football Team
- First Team Class 6A, Region 3: Offense
- #3 overall recruit in the State of Utah
Ryan had plenty of college offers from San Diego State, UCLA, Tennessee, Michigan State, Kansas, Washington, BYU, Nebraska, Colorado, Virginia, Boise State, TCU, Arkansas, Oregon State, Colorado State, Utah State, New Mexico, Arizona State, Ohio State, and Texas. He chose UCLA to play under Chip Kelly.
He didn’t play much at UCLA, with just 19 receptions in two years. Ryan then entered the transfer portal. He had quite a few programs attempt to sign him, and in the end, he agreed to go to Utah. Once again, he didn’t have much as far as playing time, although he played in all 12 games. He had just 10 catches for 113 yards and a single TD.
For his senior year of 2025, he again entered the transfer portal and agreed to an offer from BYU. Last season, he had 45 receptions for 620 yards with a 13.8 yards per catch average and scored three touchdowns. He also returned one punt for 14 yards.
His parents are Chase and Dani Ryan. They have four children with Carsen, the oldest. His father played linebacker at William Penn University, where he set school records for sacks and tackles for loss. Later, Chase was a football coach at Snow College. His grandfather, Steve Downey, was a long-time high school athletic director and football coach. Dani is a competitive cornhole and air hockey participant.
While at UCLA, he was teammates with Browns sensation Carson Schwesinger.
His Pro Day results:
Height: 6’-4”
Weight: 250 pounds
Hand: 10”
Arm: 31 3/8”
Wingspan: 77 3/8”
40-yard dash: 4.72
10-yard shuttle: 1.72
3-cone: 6.99
225-pound bench press: 23 reps
Vertical jump: 33.5”
Broad jump: 9’7”
College games: 43
Follow on social media:
Twitter: @CarsenRyan
Instagram: @carsenryan20
What should Browns fans expect from Ryan?
For one, Ryan is a very quiet guy. He’s as humble as they come, and his work ethic is unmatched. High character. He finished with a 75.3 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade in 2025. He offers discipline, toughness, and balance. Ryan reflects persistence, adaptability, and a deep football foundation. He offers versatility in that he can play in-line, off the line of scrimmage, run blocking, and has receiving abilities. Very competitive with high energy. Browns fans will love this kid.
WHY HE COULD SUCCEED:
This kid is a class act, soft-spoken, full of high character, and the type of player winning teams have on their roster. Like all tight ends, he refuses to go down. Great YAC numbers with 7.5 yards on average after the catch and is a good blocker. 75.3 PFF run-blocking grade. Ryan is a tough player who has plenty of athleticism. Adequate strength and plenty of aggression.
Ryan centers his blocks well and works with inside hands. He gives the Browns an array of pass-catching talent and tenacity in blocking. Good ball security and will dominate special teams.
He was highly decorated at the high school level and was ranked as one of the highest offensive linemen to come out of the State of Utah. He shows exceptional lateral ability with good recovery skills. Strong hands and will latch onto his defender. Good leader and one of the most gifted athletes in this year’s draft. He can reach, pull, and get to the second level with the best of them, who will finish blocks with violence. One word: Beast.
WHY HE COULD FAIL:
He has average speed, and his routes need to be cleaned up. His hands aren’t bad, but he is not a natural pass catcher and does not secure the ball to his chest enough. Ryan has some stiffness in his lower half when moving laterally. He lacks the burst out of his breaks and needs to find a way to get better separation. With blocking, he will also compromise his anchor point at times.
