If any member of the 2025 BYU football team is ready to rock and roll in Cleveland, it is tight end Carsen Ryan.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior from Orem was taken in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft Saturday by the Browns, the 248th player selected. Only nine players were drafted after Ryan, who began his career at UCLA and then played at Utah for one season before transferring to BYU.
Better late than never, right?
Well, when it comes to the NFL draft, sometimes it is better to go undrafted than to go in one of the later rounds, because prospects who become priority free agents often get guaranteed money and sometimes have options regarding where they will go.
Ryan’s agent, Carter Chow of Red Envelope Sports, told the Deseret News earlier this week that Ryan would land in a great spot, whether via the draft or free agency. He said similar things about another of his clients, BYU receiver Chase Roberts, who went undrafted Saturday.
Ryan, 22, has prototypical size for an NFL tight end, but what makes him special is his versatility and adaptability. BYU tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride says Ryan is not only an outstanding route runner and pass-catcher, he is an above average blocker. Ryan’s blocking is one of the reasons why BYU RB LJ Martin was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2025.
Ryan isn’t one of those vocal, rah-rah guys, but he’s as determined and competitive as any player on Kalani Sitake’s roster in 2025.
“Carsen Ryan is a complete tight end,” Sitake said in a statement. “He is both a good receiver who can catch with the athleticism to get open and a tough-nosed player who can block.
“He is an offensive coordinator’s dream because he can use him in so many different ways. I think he’s going to fit perfectly in the NFL.”
So Ryan is off to the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Whether he can find a permanent home there remains to be seen. It won’t be easy to make the roster on the shores of Lake Erie.
The Browns drafted Cincinnati tight end Joe Royer in the fifth round, and already have one of the better tight ends in the league in Harold Fannin Jr.
Fannin led the club in receptions, 72, last season. Cleveland signed Sal Cannella and Caden Prieskorn to reserve/futures contracts after the 2025 season, and also picked up Jack Stoll and Blake Whiteheart in free agency.
In Cleveland, Ryan will be reunited with his former Utah teammate, offensive tackle Spencer Fano, who was taken in the first round by the Browns. Fano’s brother, edge rusher Logan Fano — a former BYU signee — is also headed to Cleveland as a free agent, reported Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Cleveland hasn’t won an NFL playoff game since 2020.
The Browns drafted former BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki in the third round of the 2019 draft, and Takitaki had a productive five years there.
At BYU, Ryan was largely responsible for helping true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier enjoy an outstanding 2025 season, and the Cougars went 12-2 and won the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Ryan played well in that bowl game, catching a career-high eight passes for a career-high 120 yards.
In all, Ryan appeared in all 14 games for BYU and caught 45 passes for 620 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his college career with 74 catches for 1,020 yards and seven TDs.
In a pre-draft interview with the Deseret News, Ryan said the Lions, Jaguars, Vikings and Patriots seemed to be the most interested in him. He did not mention the Browns, but said his favorite NFL team growing up is located in Ohio — the Cincinnati Bengals.
The former Timpview and American Fork high school product is getting married on June 26, he said.