BYU tight end Carsen Ryan was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 248th overall pick on April 24, joining linebacker Jack Kelly, who was picked by the New York Giants in the sixth round.
Ryan’s selection highlights his role as a key player for BYU and marks another milestone for the university’s football program. His drafting is significant as he becomes the eighth Cougar tight end among 62 BYU offensive players to be chosen within the first seven rounds of an NFL Draft.
“Carsen Ryan is a complete tight end,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “He is both a good receiver who can catch with the athleticism to get open and a tough-nosed player who can block. He is an offensive coordinator’s dream because he can use him in so many different ways. I think he’s going to fit perfectly in the NFL.”
Ryan, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 250 pounds, finished his senior year at BYU playing all 14 games with 13 starts, totaling career highs of 45 receptions, 620 yards, and three touchdowns. He was recognized as an All-Big 12 honorable mention and received top grading from Pro Football Focus as college football’s leading tight end with an overall grade of 82.6 in his final season.
Before joining BYU, Ryan played two years at UCLA and one season at Utah. Over his college career spanning four years and three schools, he appeared in 43 games with a total of 74 receptions for over one thousand yards and seven touchdowns.
Historically, Ryan is BYU’s eleventh tight end drafted since Brian Billick was picked by San Francisco in the eleventh round of the draft held in 1977. Including undrafted free agents, twenty-six Cougar tight ends have gone on to play professionally.
Sitake has now seen fifteen players drafted during his ten seasons coaching at BYU while another fifty-two Cougars have had opportunities as undrafted free agents entering this year’s draft cycle.
