Max Klare is a tight end from Ohio State projected to be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. This comprehensive scouting report analyzes Klare’s draft potential, current mock draft trends, and where he ranks among the top prospects.
Max Klare’s NFL Draft Potential
Max Klare looked like an early 2026 NFL Draft TE1 candidate in 2024, after putting up 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns with the Purdue Boilermakers. He transferred to Ohio State to compound his upward momentum as a prospect, and at first, the progress was rocky. He caught just six passes in the first four games, but started to catch his stride later on, finishing the regular season with 41 catches for 420 yards and two touchdowns.
Standing around 6’4 1/2″ and 243 pounds, Klare needed to tune up to Ohio State’s level of physicality, but now that he has, he’s back in the conversation as a potential Top 5 TE in the 2026 NFL Draft. Klare has always been a compelling receiving TE prospect. He’s explosive working upfield into stems, but has the fluidity and quickness to offset defenders, and he can make tough adjustments for catches in-stride working up seams and to the boundary. On top of it all, he’s a hard-charging RAC threat whose fast play pace and short-area quickness translate to powerful, energetic leg churn through contact.
Where Klare has leveled up as of late, however, is as a blocker. His game against Minnesota, in particular, accentuated his strengths there. Despite weighing in under 250 pounds, Klare weaponizes his explosiveness to generate vulnerable point-of-attack power, and his legs and hands are always exceedingly active, to maximize reloading and re-exertion. He has the leverage IQ to load his base and attune his pad level, and the angle IQ to attack blocks with judicious positioning, and he fights to the end of the whistle.
Against his former team, Klare had one of his better outings of the year, hauling in five catches for 59 yards. The Buckeyes didn’t use Klare much as an in-line blocker, but he was still able to show off his versatility. He reliably chipped in the passing game and was utilized as a lead-blocker out of the fullback spot at times, but he truly shined in the passing game. He showed off his explosive RAC, smooth body control and late-hands timing, and unique separation chops at the TE spot – offsetting against press, sinking and decoupling on whip routes, and flowing into open zones.
Klare’s high-end receiving value and blocking versatility infuse his game with natural utility, but he does stand to improve in several areas. He can cut down on focus drops and tighten up his hand technique at times, and he still has room to add mass to his frame to better size up against larger defensive ends. He’ll need that added mass at the NFL level to survive 1-on-1 driving professional defensive ends out of gaps.
Nevertheless, Klare has the right physical foundation and the right temperament, and he doubles as a dynamic, versatile receiving threat with multi-level appeal. As of now, he grades as a mid-round TE prospect on my board, who could ultimately contend for a Top 100 grade and Day 2 capital.
Where Is Klare Being Selected Most Often in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator?
Klare currently holds the No. 127 overall rank among prospects, reflecting his standing among mid-round prospects. His most recent Average Draft Position (ADP) of 116.3 as of December 6 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 Denver Broncos have been the team that selected Klare the most frequently over the past week, accounting for 1.6% of their picks across all seven rounds.
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Where Does Max Klare Rank Amongst Other NFL Draft Prospects?
Klare is currently outside the top 100 in my December big board but remains an intriguing prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft. Rankings are updated monthly as the college football season progresses and more scouting information becomes available.
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.
