2026 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns pick TE Joe Royer at No. 170

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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). Though competitive as a blocker, his execution must improve for NFL coaches to trust him.

Royer lacks an explosive gear as both a receiver and blocker, but his ball skills are above average, and he is well-rounded everywhere else. He projects as a functional TE2 for an NFL offense.

How Royer fits the Cleveland Browns

Royer spent five seasons in college, the first three at Ohio State (so that should calm the fans who want only Ohio State players) before playing his final two seasons for the Bearcats. He had 79 total receptions for just under 1,000 yards and 7 touchdowns for Cincinnati, so at least there is some production there. And the 50 receptions he had in 2024 broke the school record for receptions by a tight end, which was previously held by a guy that may have heard of: Travis Kelce.

The Browns are set at TE1 with Harold Fannin Jr, so adding a potential “functional TE2” this late on Day 3 of the draft seems acceptable.

React to the Royer pick

What do you think, Browns fans? Let us know in the comments section below.

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