Jack Endries, TE, Texas Longhorns: 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report plus pro comp

The receiving tight end prototype has seen a resurgence in recent years at the NFL level, and one player with considerable receiving success in college who could make an early impact at the next level is Texas Longhorns' Jack Endries.

Coming from Monte Vista High School in California, Endries became an immediate starter for the California Golden Bears, starting all 26 games in his first two years. His strong two seasons led to a Freshman All-American nod in 2023 and a place on the John Mackey Award Watchlist in 2024. He entered the transfer portal to head south to Texas for his junior season, putting together another strong campaign before declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Jack Endries NFL Draft Profile:

Position: TE

School: Texas Longhorns

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 240 pounds

Hometown: Danville, California

Statistics:

2025: 33 Receptions, 346 Yards, 3 TDs

Career: 124 Receptions, 1,377 Yards, 7 TDs

Strengths:

Keeps his hands close to his chest and strikes when moving laterally quickly as a blocker

Uses his arm length well to establish contact, and he will rarely get fully evaded by defenders

He times his pushes well and knows how to use outside blocking to make defenders force themselves out of the play

Solid hand placement, works below pads and drives up through the head-on defender

Good tuck-and-go receiver, secures the ball and immediately beelines upfield

Able to re-establish his hands quickly multiple times, can keep himself engaged with defenders, and stick on the block

Gets to his spots quickly on sit-down routes

Gets out of his breaks well on downfield routes, solid awareness of zones to maximize open space around him

Works into the defender’s chest well with his arms, and uses his upper half well to generate blocking momentum when clearing out lanes

Incredibly strong hands, reels in everything, and can be a perfect safety blanket

Weaknesses:

Settles down as a screen blocker, but doesn’t have the quickness and rotational fluidity to work laterally and intercept defenders

Plays high as a pull blocker, will engage successfully, but doesn’t do much to drive defenders out of the rushing lanes

Drifts upfield too often when blocking for screens, and defenders can rip past him

Too often either breaks down into his base or stays too high as a blocker; rushers can manipulate him and work around him

Doesn’t have the size or strength to be an effective shock blocker when moving across the line

Slower mover through routes, stop-and-go movement skills are lacking, and route cuts are more rounded

Jerky on horizontal cuts, lets his body drag at times, and lets defenders work back into the play

Not enough power to drive defenders backward on initial contact

Lacks the quickness to survive on the edge as a blocker for a considerable amount of time

Gets too cautious when running routes in traffic, will slow himself down, and make himself vulnerable to route contact

NFL Outlook:

Endries has one of the best traits a tight end can offer, in that he simply refuses to drop passes. He isn’t the greatest athlete, but he can work across multiple alignments and threatens the defense vertically with solid releases and zone awareness. Blocking can be an issue for him, and he might struggle if given consistent playing time immediately as an in-line TE, but his reception ability and success at times when blocking in motion project him to be a decent TE at worst, with the potential to work into a low-end starter role.

NFL Player Comparison:

Tyler Higbee is one player who shares traits with Endries, albeit likely being more of a receiving threat than the Longhorns' product will become. Standard body type TEs, strengths with their receiving technique, and an ability to stretch the field at times, and finding success as a motion blocker when working as a block-first alignment. Higbee was a Day 3 pick who found a consistent role in the Los Angeles Rams' offense, and Endries could work his way into becoming a mainstay in a franchise's offensive scheme.

Prospect Grade:

Mid 4th Round