If the Denver Broncos wanted everyone to think they are prioritizing the tight end position early in the 2026 NFL Draft, it's safe to say that mission is accomplished.
Linebacker and tight end are the two most frequently projected picks for the Broncos in the 2nd round of mock draft scenarios, and tight end is starting to pull away lately. And for good reason. The Broncos don't have a long-term solution at the tight end position with Evan Engram a free agent in 2027 and the other players on the roster more in the "role player" category.
NFL Draft expert Rob Rang of FOX Sports recently put together a post highlighting what he believes would be the "perfect pick" for every NFL team, and his selection for the Denver Broncos was a tight end with dynamic abilities in the passing game.
Max Klare labelled the perfect pick for the Denver Broncos in the 2026 NFL Draft
Here's what Rang had to say about the fit of Ohio State Max Klare with the Broncos at pick 62 overall:
"Sean Payton heavily featured the tight end position while head coach of the New Orleans Saints, with players like Jimmy Graham, Taysom Hill and Jared Cook. Last year, the Broncos got a combined three scores from their tight ends. The athletic Klare is a catch-first tight end and would represent an immediate upgrade for Denver."
- Rob Rang, FOX Sports
There is no doubt that Klare would bring an element of upside to the passing game both in the short term and long term for the Broncos. George Paton used a 3rd-round pick on Greg Dulcich in the 2022 NFL Draft, and while he's not exactly the same type of player, you see the same type of on-field athletic traits and play speed with a guy like Max Klare.
Klare got to Purdue weighing just 215 pounds once upon a time, and has worked his way up to a 6-foot-5, 247-pound beast. He was a high-volume weapon in his final year at Purdue (2024) but sort of got lost in the shuffle by comparison in his lone season at Ohio State.
One of the primary question marks with a player like Klare right now would have to be his smaller hands. His hands measured under nine inches at the Ohio State pro day (8 7/8 inches), and he had seven total drops over the past two seasons. On top of that, he also had three fumbles, which is definitely something to consider.
There's no such thing as a truly "perfect" prospect, so you can poke holes in everyone's game. But is Max Klare the ideal option for the Broncos as a future high-volume pass-catching option? There might not be many better options coming out of this draft class.
Klare is considered a top 3-5 tight end in a rather deep class, so he obviously has a lot of traits that set him apart. There are always going to be red flags, but he's shown big-play ability.
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