For the first time in 16 years, a BYU tight end was taken in the NFL draft.
Carsen Ryan was the latest to do so, as he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round with the No. 248 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft Saturday.
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The last time a BYU tight end had been drafted was 2010, when Dennis Pitta went to the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round.
“Ryan is more coordinated than explosive and offers an appealing mix of pass-catching talent and blocking toughness,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote of Ryan in his “The Beast” draft preview. “Regardless of where he is drafted, he has the type of talent that sticks on a roster and becomes valuable for an NFL offense.”
Ryan (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) took advantage of his lone season in Provo, following a college career that saw the American Fork High product play at UCLA and Utah prior to landing with the Cougars.
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While Ryan had established himself as a solid blocking tight end, he made the most of his opportunities to shine as a pass catcher for BYU in 2025.
He finished the year with 45 catches for 620 yards and three touchdowns and played a pivotal role in helping freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier build his confidence during a 12-2 campaign.
“Ryan profiles as a combination tight end with good size, adequate strength and plenty of aggression. He centers his blocks and works with inside hands, although he’s substantially more effective versus LBs/DBs in space than he is at duking it out in-line,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said of Ryan’s pro prospects.
“He could use more polish as a route-runner to help create cleaner throwing windows, but he has the foot quickness to improve in that area. His hands are OK, but he needs to do a better job of securing catches through contact at the next level. Ryan has average speed but pretty good flow with the ball in his hands.”
