One prospect the Denver Broncos are showing interest in and brought in for a pre-draft top-30 visit is former NC State tight end Justin Joly. He is a 6’3.5”, 241-pound tight end prospect who is viewed as one of the better pass-catching tight end prospects in the draft. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Joly ranked as his 4th best tight end in the draft and graded him as his 87th-best prospect in the entire 2026 NFL Draft.
Joly started his career at UConn before transferring to NC State and spending
the past two seasons there. He has been a productive tight end during his entire college career and is now viewed as one of the top tight end prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. During his two seasons at NC State, Joly appeared in 25 games and totaled 92 receptions for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns. This past season, he appeared in 12 games and totaled 49 receptions for 489 yards and 7 touchdowns.
The Broncos re-signed veteran tight end Adam Trautman to a multi-year deal while also bringing back Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull on one-year veteran minimum deals. However, they still could add to their tight end room, and a pass-catching threat like Justin Joly would make a lot of sense for the Broncos in the middle rounds of the draft.
Player Profile
Justin Joly | Tight End | NC State
- Height: 6-3 1/2 inches
- Weight: 241 pounds
- Arm Length: 32 1/4 inches
- Hand Size: 10.5
- Vertical Jump: 30.5 inches (Pro Day)
- Broad Jump: 9-6 (Pro Day)
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
- Contested catch monster – Goes up and gets it and has good body control
- Has big and strong hands and doesn’t have much issue with drops
- Is a vertical threat tight end who can make plays down the field
- Has the speed and athleticism to get open and create after the catch
- Is a smooth and fluid athlete who looks good in space
- Versatile – Lined up inline, in the slot, out wide, and in the backfield
- Finds a way to get open after a play breaks down
- Will be a red zone weapon
Weaknesses
- Undersized for an NFL tight end – lacks the ideal height and size
- Will need to add some weight/strength if he wants to be an inline TE in the NFL
- Blocking is a work in progress and may never be a strength
- Route running can be more polished
What other analysts are saying about NC State TE Justin Joly
The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, on NC State TE Justin Joly
Built in the mold of Jonnu Smith, Joly is a good-sized athlete who can drop his weight at the top of routes and uncover with foot quicks and savvy. He has large, strong hands and has developed into a ball-winner because of his ability to frame the catch and finish, regardless of his surroundings.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein on NC State TE Justin Joly
Undersized pass-catcher with the ability to expand the route tree and challenge man coverage around the field. Joly still needs to polish his route-running but he has the footwork and athletic traits to uncover. He doesn’t catch with much hand extension and fights throws on occasion but he makes up for it with impressive body control/catch toughness. His effort and strain as a blocker need to improve. Joly has the ability to contribute as a moveable “F” tight end.
Should the Broncos draft NC State TE Justin Joly in the mid rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft?
If the Broncos are looking for a potential move tight end who can be a red zone weapon, then yes. If they’re looking for an in-line blocker, then no.
It really comes down to the type of tight end the Broncos are seeking. Joly is a pass-catching tight end who can line up all over and give you a big target in the middle of the field and in the red zone. His best trait is going up and getting the contested catches and making plays in the red zone. The Broncos lacked both of those things last season from their tight ends, so Joly would make sense.
However, his blocking will be an issue. He’s not awful as a blocker, but if you’re consistently using him as a blocker, he’ll be a liability. He needs to add some muscle and maybe another 5-10 pounds to consistently be an in-line tight end in the NFL. With that said, if you’re drafting him for his pass-catching upside, I think he can contribute right away.
He reminds me of Harold Fannin Jr., who was a prospect in the draft last year. An undersized tight end who can make plays as a pass catcher and was a contested catch monster in college. He went on to have a productive rookie season, and I believe Joly can have a similar impact this upcoming season.
I think Joly goes sometime in the 3rd or 4th rounds, and if he’s there for the Broncos in the 4th, I wouldn’t be upset if they selected him and added him to their tight end room.
