Jack Endries will be hard to keep off the Bengals’ 53-man roster

The Cincinnati Bengals took a talented tight end prospect that surprisingly fell to the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft in Jack Endries. Endries was projected to be a mid-round draft selection prior to the draft, and could end up being a major steal for the Bengals.

Jack EndriesHeight: 6-foot-5 • >Weight: 245 pounds • >Age: 22 • >College: Texas • >Hometown: Danville, California • >Experience: RookieContract StatusEndries is entering the first year of his rookie deal. He signed a four-year, $4.5 million deal, with an average annual salary of just over $1.1 million. He wouldn’t hit free agency until 2030.

BackgroundJack Endries grew up playing a variety of sports. He began with soccer and swimming as a young kid. His primary sport for much of his youth was baseball, and he also played basketball during high school. He didn’t even start playing football until his sophomore season of high school.

class="wp-block-paragraph">While being productive in high school, Endries was only a three-star recruit. After initially being a silent commit to Harvard, he ultimately decided to take a preferred walk-on spot with Cal. After redshirting as a true freshman, he had over 400 receiving yards as a redshirt freshman, earning Freshman All-American honors that season. The following year, he put up over 600 receiving yards as a go-to option for Fernando Mendoza.

class="wp-block-paragraph">At the conclusion of the 2024 season, he decided to transfer, ultimately choosing the Longhorns for the 2025 season.

Jack Endries (6’5 245) Texas

+ Work ethic to go from an initial walk-on at Cal to a starter + 59.4% career contested catch rate + Effective against zone coverage + Productive pass catcher with almost 1,400 receiving yards over the past three seasons + Ability to play in-line,… pic.twitter.com/3TX0crfs6y

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) March 7, 2026At Texas, Endries was able to put up almost 350 receiving yards. While the production was down in this aspect, he developed as a blocker for the Longhorns. Endries was projected as a mid-round draft selection, but ultimately fell to the seventh round, where he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Outlook for 2026 and BeyondJack Endries will be competing for a spot on the 53-man roster in a crowded tight end room. He joins a room that has Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, Erick All, and Tanner Hudson to compete with. If the Bengals decide to only keep four tight ends, he will likely be battling against Tanner Hudson for the final spot. If the Bengals tried to get Endries to the practice squad, he would almost assuredly be plucked to an active 53-man roster elsewhere.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Endries is too talented a prospect to risk losing. For that reason, he is highly likely to find a spot on the 53-man roster, even if that means he is inactive for several games throughout the season. The injury history of Erick All is another reason the Bengals could even opt to keep all five of the aforementioned players on the initial roster. Endries’ ability as a pass catcher gives him the ability to play behind Mike Gesicki as a big slot target.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Beyond 2026, it would not be surprising to see Jack Endries as a key rotational player in 2027, and ultimately a starting tight end for the Bengals in 2028.