The Cleveland Browns made some high-profile moves at the 2026 NFL Draft in an effort to improve their passing game, selecting wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston with two of their first three picks. Another selection they made later on could turn out to be just as important.
In the fifth round, the Browns drafted pass-catching tight end Joe Royer at No. 170 overall. Based on his history and what he has shown so far during practice, he could prove to be an impact player as well, particularly with the multiple sets that are the staple of Todd Monken’s offense.
The Browns’ rookie tight end is quietly emerging as a potential contributor after making an impression at the recent organized team activities (OTAs).
“Sometimes it can take a minute to get used to rookie numbers. A guy makes a play and you look at your roster and say, ‘Oh yeah.’ There were a few of those moments with Joe Royer on Wednesday. He’s very interesting as a TE2 option. Put a big circle around Royer’s name as a possible Day 3 contributor,” Dan Labbe wrote.
At the University of Cincinnati, Royer broke Travis Kelce’s single-season school record for receptions by a tight end. After transferring from Ohio State, Royer made 50 receptions in 2024, but that number dropped to 29 last season, which could have hurt his draft stock somewhat. His yards per catch did increase year over year, and he also caught one more TD pass despite fewer total receptions.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led all Browns pass-catchers in receptions, yards, and touchdowns as a rookie last season, and he could become the centerpiece of the offense in his second year. Despite his emergence, with 72 catches for 731 yards and six TDs, veteran David Njoku still managed to produce 33 catches for 293 yards and four TDs in just 12 games before leaving as a free agent this offseason.
Plus, as Monken showed over the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, he can get more than one tight end involved in the passing game. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely were arguably the best duo in the league since Likely arrived in 2022.
If Royer can pair with Fannin and deliver a similarly productive two-headed attack, the Browns’ offense could be even better than thought.
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