Justin Joly — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

Joly put together a productive four-year college career split between Connecticut and North Carolina State, totaling 166 catches for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns across 49 games. He set a career high in receptions (56) over 12 games at UConn in 2023, then peaked in receiving yards (661) and touchdowns (7) over his two seasons with the Wolfpack. His best individual performance came against Pittsburgh last season (six catches for 101 yards and two scores), and Joly caught five or more passes in 12 games throughout his career.

He won't check every box NFL teams look for at tight end. At 6'3" and 240 pounds, Joly is undersized for the position, and his speed is more in line with a plodding possession receiver than an athletic mismatch weapon. Joly won't be running away from linebackers after the catch. Blocking is another area that will need significant development before he can be trusted as an in-line starter.

What Joly does bring is reliability and feel. His route running is polished and consistent; he has a natural instinct for finding soft spots in zone coverage, and his hands are good enough to win in traffic and on high-point catches. There's a real floor here, and with better coaching and continued reps, his ceiling could quietly rise. Within the second tier of this draft class at tight end, Joly stands out as an intriguing developmental pass catcher, the kind of player who could carve out a legitimate role if given time to grow into it.