Justin Joly, TE, NC State Wolfpack: 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report plus pro comp

Justin Joly has been a highly-touted tight end prospect since he transferred from UConn to NC State, and has some physical abilities that the new-age NFL will certainly covet. Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, he's coming off a solid final season and is expected to hear his name called in the middle rounds on draft night.

Joly joined the UConn Huskies out of high school, and saw some decent production in his freshman season with 250 yards and 2 touchdowns. He stepped it up during his sophomore year, and made the jump to a bigger program in NC State for his final two years. He was a steady producer for the Wolfpack, and will look to be the same at the next level.

Justin Joly NFL Draft Profile:

Position: Tight End

School: NC State Wolfpack

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 251 pounds

Hometown: Brewster, New York

Statistics:

2025: 56 Tackles, 8 TFL, 4 Sacks, 3 INT, 3 PBU, 1 FF

Career: 218 Tackles, 35 TFL, 17 Sacks, 5 INT, 11 PBU, 7 FF

Strengths:

Fantastic overall athleticism, can work well as a receiver in space

Has the length to extend his arms and lock out to block defenders from a distance

Good feel for zone coverage, settles down into open spots well, and maximizes his available space

Excellent hands, works well through contact at the catch point, and can bring down some tough passes

Great after the catch mover, drives downfield, and has the athletic tools to extend plays

Fluid mover, excellent body control throughout his route,s and can adjust well on the fly to reel in tough passes

Absolutely visible toughness, always fights for extra yards, and has the aggressiveness to play above his weight

Great release package, can manipulate slower defenders and generate early space off the line

Lower half is impressively built, can sink into his base, and can survive on the edge as a blocker

Weaknesses:

Overshoots some early blocking assignments in space, doesn’t have the size and frame to sit down and work into blocks against quicker defenders

Struggles with contact on lateral routes, will get moved off his base, and has issues re-establishing himself

A bit of a tweener, doesn’t have the size to be a true TE against NFL pass rushers

While his athleticism is good, he doesn’t have the true elusiveness to consistently win against DBs

Needs to be sharper at the top of his routes, lets defenders recover, and can get closed out

Doesn’t have the functional strength to live as a full-time tight end; bigger defenders can throw him off

Speed is good, but not high-end enough to be a vertical threat in the receiving game

NFL Outlook:

Joly’s future will likely come down to the system he lands in, but his foundation projects much more as an H-Back than a full-time Tight End. He can block well enough to hold his own in spurts, but it could get ugly if he’s left alone for too long. His receiving capabilities make him a desirable target as a late Day 2-early Day 3 selection, but there are legitimate questions as to how much he will actually be able to contribute. Overall, he’s not the safest draft pick, but has the traits and upside to warrant a decently high selection and could become a staple in an offense’s passing attack.

NFL Player Comparison:

The hope is that Joly could become more, but there's a lot of Irv Smith Jr. to his game, or at least the idea of him. Smith Jr. never fully caught on in the NFL, but he had the receiving ability that led to him being selected in the 2nd round. Joly could emerge as a more proficient target in the passing game, but he could see his usage follow the former Minnesota Viking and Cincinnati Bengal in a similar rotational role.

Prospect Grade:

Early 4th Round