Ohio State tight end Max Klare selected in 2nd round of NFL draft

Another Ohio State football player has been selected in the 2026 NFL draft, and it's a bit of a surprise, not because of him being drafted, but because he went so early in the second round. The Los Angeles Rams selected tight end Max Klare with the No. 61 pick in the second round.

Max Klare transferred to Ohio State from Purdue for his final season of college football, and he made a real impact on the Ohio State season. He was a clear and effective third option for the Buckeyes in the passing game (after Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate) and was also a strong blocker on the edge, though not quite as effective as Will Kacmarek).

Klare has good size for a tight end and an impressive catch radius. He doesn't quite have the top-end speed that some receiving tight ends do, but he makes up for it with impressive route running and pretty sure hands (though he did have a few drops at the beginning of this season).

Klare blocked well enough in college, but he's a bit smaller than most NFL tight ends, which raises concerns about his ability to contribute in the run game in the NFL. One thing to note is that Klare was, in some ways, even more impressive in his 2024 season at Purdue than in his 2025 season at Ohio State. NFL teams can see that, and certainly that's what the Rams took note of.

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