PITTSBURGH — 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 Saturday, joining Cougar linebacker Jack Kelly who was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round.
“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."
With his selection, Ryan becomes the eighth Cougar tight end among 62 BYU offensive players to be selected in one of the first seven rounds of the annual NFL Draft. Overall, the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder is the 102nd BYU player to be taken during rounds 1-7 and the 21st former Cougar to be a seventh-round pick. BYU’s last seventh-round selections occurred in 2021 when the trio of defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga (Chicago), cornerback Chris Wilcox (Tampa Bay) and Dax Milne (Washington) were all drafted.
DAWG!! @Browns 🤝 @CarsenRyan pic.twitter.com/ML1CXjdWos
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) April 25, 2026
all of Carsen's hard work has led to this moment pic.twitter.com/JJIsJf2It6
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 25, 2026
Cougars to Browns
Ryan is the second BYU player to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns, joining linebacker Sione Takitaki, who was a third-round pick in 2019. Including undrafted free agents, seven Cougars overall have gone to Cleveland to start their NFL careers.
Cougar Tight End Room
The last BYU tight end drafted was consensus All-American Dennis Pitta, who was selected in the fourth round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2010. Other former Cougar tight ends along with Ryan and Pitta to be selected in the first seven rounds include Spencer Nead (2003, 7th round, Patriots), Doug Jolley (2002, 2nd round, Raiders), Tevita Ofahengaue (2001, 7th round, Cardinals), Itula Mili (1997, 6th round, Seahawks), Gordon Hudson (1984, 1st round-NFL’s USFL/CFL Supplemental, Seahawks) and Clay Brown (1981, 2nd round, Broncos).
Historically, Ryan is BYU’s 11th tight end to be drafted dating back to the 1977 NFL Draft when NFL Super Bowl winning head coach Brian Billick was picked by the San Francisco 49ers in the 11th round. Overall, Ryan is the 26th Cougar tight end to go to the NFL including undrafted free agents.
The Sitake Era
In Sitake’s 10 seasons at BYU, Sitake has had 15 players drafted including Kelly and Ryan this year, while another 52 Cougars have obtained NFL opportunities as undrafted free agents entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Additional signings will add to that total following this weekend’s draft. Ryan is the first tight end under Sitake to be drafted and the fourth overall in the Sitake era to obtain NFL opportunities including undrafted free agents.
Ryan is also the fourth seventh-round selection under Sitake along with Dax Milne (2021, Commanders), Khyiris Tonga (2021, Bears) and Chris Wilcox (2021, Buccaneers). Other Cougars drafted under Sitake include Kelly (2026, 6th round, Giants), offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia (2024, 2nd round, Chiefs), Freeland (2023, 4th round, Colts), Hall (2023, 5th round, Vikings), Nacua (2023, 5th round, Rams), running back Tyler Allgeier (2022, 5th round, Falcons), quarterback Zach Wilson (2021, 1st round, Jets), offensive linemen Brady Christensen (2021, 3rd round, Panthers), Takitaki (2019, 3rd round, Browns), Warner (2018, 3rd round, 49ers) and running back Jamaal Williams (2017, 4th round, Packers).
Carsen Ryan Profile
Ryan finished his collegiate career with BYU in 2025, becoming the Cougars top tight end target. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end finished his senior campaign playing in all 14 games and starting 13 while totaling 45 receptions, 620 yards and three touchdowns—all highs for his four years of college football.
Ryan, from Orem, Utah, was graded as the top tight end in all of college football by Pro Football Focus with an overall grade of 82.6 in 2025.
An All-Big 12 honorable mention, Ryan had career-best 120 receiving yards on eight receptions in his last game to help defeat Georgia Tech in the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl. He caught multiple passes in 13 of 14 games played as a Cougar and had 50 or more receiving yards four times.
Prior to BYU, Ryan spent his first two years at UCLA and then one season at the University of Utah. Including his 2025 season, Ryan finished his college career playing in 43 games with 26 starts, totaled 74 receptions, 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns.
BYU in the NFL Draft
The Cougars have been represented in 55 of the last 61 drafts since their first conference championship team in 1965 and in 70 of the 91 drafts conducted overall since the inaugural NFL Draft in 1936. With two selections this year, NFL teams have now drafted a former BYU player 157 times since the program’s first draft choice in 1938 (John Stringham, Back, ninth round). Entering this year’s post-draft free agency signings, 224 additional Cougars have received NFL deals as undrafted free agents following the annual draft.