Joe Royer is a tight end from Cincinnati who is ranked No. 96 on my NFL Draft Top 100 Big Board. This comprehensive scouting report analyzes Royer’s draft potential, current mock draft trends, and where he ranks among the top prospects.
To view where I rank other draft prospects heading into this week’s slate of college football games, visit my Week 9 Top 100 Big Board.
Joe Royer’s NFL Draft Potential
Joe Royer transferred to Cincinnati after three nondescript years at the bottom of Ohio State’s depth chart, and instantly produced in 2024. In his first year as a full-time starter, he caught 50 passes for 521 yards and three touchdowns. In his second, he’s already surpassed that TD total and is on pace to eclipse his career-high yardage mark. He has PFSN’s fifth-highest TE Impact grade at the CFB level, with a score of 82.8.
Royer quietly profiles as one of the more complete TE prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. In particular, he’s a weapon as a seam threat and RAC component. Per TruMedia, he’s averaging over 10 yards of RAC per reception, and over five yards of RAC over expectation per reception.
Meanwhile, in catch-point situations, he’s registered an 18.22% catch rate over expectation. At 6’5″, 250 pounds, Royer can use his frame to box out defenders while making body control adjustments, and while his proportional length is middling, he has a good sense of timing on extensions.
Royer provides clear and intrinsic value as a RAC and seam threat, but he also has a compelling route running foundation. He’s shown he can offset DBs with fast feet and fluid hips at stems against off-man and zone, and he has the curvilinear acceleration and bend to sear through LB blind spots and enter space over the middle. The athleticism is there in spades with Royer, and he’s proven he can apply it to create space for himself.
As a blocker, Royer’s consistency is still coming along. In particular, he can improve at fully acquiring leverage and sustaining power exertions. Still, Royer’s fast feet and fluid hips enable him to reliably recalibrate his base on engagement, and he has the mass and competitiveness to hold up in space or in-line with more technical development. Ultimately, Royer has starting upside at the NFL level, and could excel as a multi-level target in time.
Where Is Royer Being Selected Most Often in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator?
Royer currently holds the No. 190 overall rank among prospects, reflecting his standing among mid-round prospects. His most recent Average Draft Position (ADP) of 176.0 as of October 13 reflects that he is typically being selected in the middle rounds.
Interestingly, his ADP is higher than his rank, suggesting that users are targeting him more aggressively than his positional ranking might indicate.
Users controlling the New England Patriots have been the team that selected Royer the most frequently over the past week, accounting for 1.8% of their picks across all seven rounds.
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Where Does Joe Royer Rank Amongst Other NFL Draft Prospects?
Royer is currently ranked No. 96 overall in my October 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Among TE prospects, Royer ranks 4th at the position, trailing prospects like Kenyon Sadiq, Oscar Delp, Max Klare. Currently ranked in the top 100, Royer will look to increase their draft stock in the coming months.
Want to see how we rank all the draft prospects in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator? Check out our NFL Draft Prospect Rankings page, which includes more than 750 prospects.
