Yeah, the 2027 NFL Draft doesn’t kick off in Washington, D.C. for another 10 months, but who’s counting? It’s never too early to look ahead to the next class, especially with the hype surrounding the 2027 class.

I’ve watched over 10 tight ends in the 2027 NFL Draft during summer scouting and have ranked the top five heading into the college football season. This list will absolutely change before the end of the college football season, but that’s what makes this fun.

Let’s take an early look at the tight end class of the 2027 NFL draft.

1. Jamari Johnson – Oregon

Jamari Johnson is listed at 6-foot-5 and 257 pounds, but moves like an X receiver while running routes. He had 510 yards and three touchdowns while at Oregon last season, splitting time with Kenyon Sadiq, even looking better than Sadiq on some reps.

He can line up just about anywhere on the offensive side of the ball. Has the body control to make catches in the air using his strong hands to attack it at the catch point. Has the lower body flexibility and quickness to deceler during his routes and sink his hips at the top of his breaks. An A+ athlete when it comes to agility, he makes defenders miss when he has the ball in his hands. Something that stands out when it comes to tight ends is understanding the run game, and Johnson does.

With another college football season under his belt after the 2026 season, expect him to get even stronger and quicker. He’ll be another first-round tight end we’ll be losing our minds about next spring.

2. Trey’Dez Green – LSU

This has been one of my favorite watches this offseason. Trey’Dez Green is just a mismatch nightmare for defenses. Green was the No. 2 tight end in the 2024 recruiting class and was a part of the 247Sports 2024 freaks list. He was a two-sport athlete in high school and had D-1 offers in football and basketball.

Green opted to go the football route, committing to LSU, and appeared in 24 games across two seasons. In 2025, he totaled 433 yards and seven touchdowns.

With new head coach Lane Kiffin taking over the offense, expect Green to absolutely explode in usage in the 2026 season. He’s 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds and moves like a wide receiver. Excellent control in contested catch situations, knows how to dip his shoulders to avoid re-routes, quick feet at the top of his breaks and can line up in-line or out wide. One aspect of his game that can improve is his run blocking, but Green can be the Eli Stowers of the 2026 class.

3. Peter Clarke – Temple

Peter Clarke has had an interesting journey to make it on this list. He’s from London and was a three-star recruit out of the NFL academy in England. He committed to Tempe and, as a junior in 2025, earned second-team All-American Conference honors. Clarke is 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, and had 483 yards with six touchdowns to give him the recognition.

While Clarke may not have the same atheltic traits as the two tight ends ahead of him, he still moves remarkably well for someone who is 265 pounds. That size is real NFL size for a player who is required to handle in-line responsibilities. He gives tremendous effort in the run game and knows how to drive his feet through contact. He’s not scared to battle through contact over the middle of the field and will position his body well in contested-catch situations. Can track the ball while in the air, and knows how to get to his spots against zone coverage.

4. DJ Vonnahme – Iowa

Being a redshirt-sophomore, there’s no guarantee DJ Vonnahme will come out in the 2027 class, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he made that decision. Vonnahme was a two-star recruit out of Iowa, committed to his home-state college. He was the No. 22 player out of Iowa in the 2024 class and was a first-team all-state and all-district player as a senior in high school.

Vonnahme redshirted in 2024 but exploded onto the scene in 2025. He was a FWAA Freshman All-American, playing in 12 games and having 434 yards with three touchdowns.

Running routes, Vonnahme has the acceleration mixed with a burst off the line to get to his spots. His hands are strong and can adjust his body to make tough catches look easy. He can manage his balance well to weave through traffic when needed, and with his burst off the line, he gets to defenders fast in the running game (a good lead blocker). He can get to his spots in the run game, but he just can’t move people quite yet. Needs to up his strength this offseason to be more of a threat in that aspect of his game.

5. Garrett Oakley – Kansas State

This may be a surprise, but hey, it’s my list. Garrett Oakley was a pleasant surprise while scouting this 2027 class, and I loved what I saw from him. 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds, Oakley was a three-star recruit out of Nebraska. He was the No. 85 tight end in the 2022 class and set school records for receptions and receiving yards while in high school.

Oakley committed to Kansas State and redshirted in 2022. He played in 34 games over the past three seasons and, in 2025, had 389 yards and six touchdowns. He was an All-Big 12 honorable mention by the coaches in 2025.

Kansas State knows Oakley has the versatility to line up in-line or out wide. He’s a strider while running routes, making it easy for him to push vertically down the field and he can pace his route running well to influence defenders’ weight, giving him an advantage over the middle. He has a real burst when the ball finds his hands making him a threat in YAC situations, he even got opptornutes on some tight end screens to help get easy yards for the Kansas State offense.

HM. Brody Foley – Louisville

Every list should have an honorable mention, and Brody Foley is the one for this list. He and Oakley are neck and neck in my rankings, but Foley barely misses out. He’s 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds and was a first-team all-American defensive conference selection in 2025. He was the first Tulsa tight end to earn those honors and led the team in receiving and receptions.

Foley is a supernaturally good athlete, and his ball tracking stands out above everything else. Tulsa trusted him to use his bigger body in goal-line situations, giving him wildcat looks to get easy rushing touchdowns while in the red zone. He has strong hands and a good understanding of zone coverage, and he gets to spots easily. Expect him to be a highly regarded mid-round tight end if he has a productive 2026 season at Louisville.