# Joe Royer
**Joe Royer** (Joseph Royer, born 2002) is an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) tight end for the [Cleveland Browns](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-browns) of the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league), who was selected in the fifth round (170th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft after a record-setting college career at the University of Cincinnati.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RoyeJo01.htm) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/players/joe-royer/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2002, Cincinnati, Ohio[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RoyeJo01.htm) |
| Size | 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm), 250 pounds (113 kg); arms 31 1/2 inches, hands 10 3/4 inches[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RoyeJo01.htm) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/players/joe-royer/) |
| College | Ohio State (2021-2023), then Cincinnati (2024-2025); high school Elder (OH)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RoyeJo01.htm) |
| 2024 season | 50 receptions for 521 yards and 3 touchdowns; All-Big 12 First Team; broke the Cincinnati single-season tight end record previously held by Travis Kelce (45, 2012)[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer) |
| 2025 season | 29 receptions for 416 yards and 4 touchdowns in 13 starts; All-Big 12 Third Team; Mackey Award Watch List[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer) |
| Draft | Cleveland Browns, Round 5, No. 170 overall, 2026, via a trade with the Denver Broncos[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/joe-royer/) |
| Rookie contract | Four years, $4,812,596 total value, $432,596 fully guaranteed; scheduled unrestricted free agency in 2030[4](https://overthecap.com/player/joe-royer/13314) |
| Status | On the Browns' non-football illness list as a rookie[5](https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/browns-joe-royer-placed-on-non-football-illness-list/) |
## Early life and high school
Royer grew up in [Cincinnati](https://www.edgepedia.org/cincinnati) and played at Elder High School, where he caught 70 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in his prep career and earned First Team All-Ohio honors as a senior in 2019.[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer) He was a consensus four-star prospect ranked among the top 10 recruits in Ohio in the 2020 signing class, and he signed with Ohio State.[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer)
## College career
**Ohio State, 2020-2023.** Royer redshirted his first year in 2020 and spent three seasons in a reserve role behind other Buckeyes tight ends, appearing in 14 games over 2021, 2022, and 2023 with four catches for 24 yards total.[6](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/players-roster/joe-royer/) • [7](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/joe-royer-1.html) He missed time early in the 2022 season after the death of his mother, Michelle, and he was part of the 2022 Ohio State team that reached the [College Football Playoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff), catching one pass against Georgia in the semifinal.[6](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/players-roster/joe-royer/) • [3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer)
**Transfer to Cincinnati.** Seeking more opportunities and targets, Royer transferred home to the [University of Cincinnati](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-cincinnati) in January 2024.[8](https://www.si.com/college/cincinnati/football/cincinnati-lands-commitment-from-former-ohio-state-tight-end-joe-royer) • [9](https://www.footballguys.com/article/joe-royer-scouting-report-te-cincinatti)
**Cincinnati, 2024.** In his first season of significant playing time, Royer started all 12 games and caught 50 passes for 521 yards and three touchdowns, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors.[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer) The 50 receptions set the Cincinnati single-season record for a tight end, surpassing the mark of 45 set by [Travis Kelce](https://www.edgepedia.org/travis-kelce) in 2012.[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer) His season-high was eight receptions for 84 yards at UCF, and he helped Cincinnati beat Big 12 champion Arizona State 24-14 with four catches for 41 yards.[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer)
**Cincinnati, 2025.** Royer started all 13 games and recorded 29 catches for 416 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 14.3 yards per catch, and was named All-Big 12 Third Team while appearing on the Mackey Award Watch List, which honors the nation's top tight end.[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer) A 73-yard catch against Bowling Green was the longest by a Cincinnati tight end since 2019 and made him the first Bearcats tight end with a 100-yard game since 2018.[3](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer) Over his two Cincinnati seasons he totaled 79 receptions for 937 yards and seven touchdowns, and his five-year college career closed at 83 catches for 961 yards and seven scores in 39 games.[7](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/joe-royer-1.html)
## Professional career
The Cleveland Browns selected Royer with the 170th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, a pick acquired in a trade with the [Denver Broncos](https://www.edgepedia.org/denver-broncos).[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/joe-royer/) He signed a four-year rookie contract worth $4,812,596, with $432,596 fully guaranteed and a 2026 salary cap charge of $108,149.[4](https://overthecap.com/player/joe-royer/13314) During his rookie season the Browns placed him on the non-football illness list, and he has not yet recorded an NFL statistic.[5](https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/browns-joe-royer-placed-on-non-football-illness-list/) • [6](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/players-roster/joe-royer/)
## Scouting profile
Scouting services describe Royer as a receiving-focused tight end. [Pro Football Focus](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-focus) called him a pass catcher with above-average athleticism and excellent hands, projecting as a TE2 with flexibility to align in receiver roles, while noting he is best kept out of key blocking situations.[10](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-pff-2026-nfl-draft-guide-joe-royer-cincinnati) PFF's summer scouting report credited his hand-eye coordination, reliable hands through contact, and body control, and identified blocking tenacity and short stride length as weaknesses.[11](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-summer-scouting-tight-end-overview-2026-nfl-draft) WalterFootball's report listed his height, length, contested-catch ability, and red-zone potential as strengths, with separation speed and blocking physicality as areas to improve.[12](https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreports2026jroyer.php) In PFF's grading for the 2025 college season, Royer earned a 60.4 overall grade, ranking 117th among 199 qualified tight ends.[13](https://www.pff.com/ncaa/players/joe-royer/52545)
## References
1. [Joe Royer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro-Football-Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RoyeJo01.htm)
2. [Joe Royer Stats, News and Video, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/joe-royer/)
3. [Joe Royer, 2025 Football Roster, University of Cincinnati Athletics](https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/season/2025/player/joe-royer)
4. [Joe Royer Contract Details and Salary Cap Charges, Over The Cap](https://overthecap.com/player/joe-royer/13314)
5. [Browns' Joe Royer: Placed on non-football illness list, CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/browns-joe-royer-placed-on-non-football-illness-list/)
6. [Joe Royer, Cleveland Browns player roster page](https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/players-roster/joe-royer/)
7. [Joe Royer College Stats, Sports Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/joe-royer-1.html)
8. [Cincinnati Lands Commitment From Former Ohio State Tight End Joe Royer, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/college/cincinnati/football/cincinnati-lands-commitment-from-former-ohio-state-tight-end-joe-royer)
9. [Joe Royer Scouting Report, Footballguys](https://www.footballguys.com/article/joe-royer-scouting-report-te-cincinatti)
10. [PFF 2026 NFL Draft Guide: Joe Royer scouting report](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-pff-2026-nfl-draft-guide-joe-royer-cincinnati)
11. [2026 NFL Draft Summer Scouting: Tight End Overview, PFF](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-summer-scouting-tight-end-overview-2026-nfl-draft)
12. [2026 NFL Scouting Report: Joe Royer, WalterFootball](https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreports2026jroyer.php)
13. [Joe Royer PFF stats and grades](https://www.pff.com/ncaa/players/joe-royer/52545)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Tight ends › Current NFL tight ends*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
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