Ever since his parents bought him a plastic Cincinnati Bengals helmet and big Fathead wall posters of his favorite players — receiver Chad Johnson and quarterback Carson Palmer — when he was 5 years old, BYU tight end Carsen Ryan has dreamed of playing in the National Football League.
"It has been a big focus of mine ever since I can remember," he said.
This weekend, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Orem native will take a big step toward realizing that dream, either as a late-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, or as a priority free agent. Last December, after the Cougars edged Georgia Tech 25-21 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Ryan was not showing up on many mock draft boards despite a highly productive solo season at BYU.
But the buzz around Ryan has steadily been growing, and his performance at BYU's pro day in March after he disappointingly didn't receive an invitation to the NFL combine in February has caused a lot of NFL teams to move in for a second look.
"Yeah, I like my chances (of getting an NFL opportunity) quite a bit," Ryan told the Deseret News on Monday. "There has been a lot of really good stuff come out about me. I know a lot of teams like me and my skill set as a player. I think the odds are, from what I've been hearing lately, that I will probably get drafted."
Ryan and his agent, Carter Chow of Red Envelope Sports , the son of former BYU and Utah assistant coach Norm Chow, believe he could be picked anywhere in rounds 5-7, which are on Saturday.
"I've been hearing a lot of good things about Carsen Ryan," said another agent who does not represent him. "One thing working against him, however, is that this is a very deep tight end class."
Ryan said that whatever happens, he and Chow "have a plan" and that he is confident he will be in an NFL camp next week, one way or the other.
"If I go undrafted, it is not the end of the world," he said. "It could be a good thing for us, too. … You get a little bit more guaranteed (money), and you can kind of pick where you go. There's some positives to (not getting drafted)."
At BYU's pro day, Ryan ran a 4.66 time in the 40-yard dash, did 23 reps on the bench press and recorded a vertical jump of 33.5 inches. Then he started showing up on some NFL draft boards.
Carsen Ryan competes in the 40-yard dash at BYU's Pro Day in Provo on Friday, March 20, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
In his "The Beast" draft preview for The Athletic, draft expert Dane Brugler gave Ryan a fifth-round grade and noted: "More coordinated than explosive; offers a mix of pass-catching and blocking."
It is that versatility — the ability to block as well as run crisp routes and catch the football — that has piqued the interest of NFL scouts.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Ryan at No. 14 on his list of top H-backs and fullbacks, but didn't include Ryan on his list of top 23 tight ends.
Pro Football Focus called him "the best late-round prospect" at the tight end position in the draft.
After he caught eight passes for 120 yards in the bowl game to push his season totals to 45 catches for 620 yards (and three touchdowns), Ryan went to Los Gatos, California, to train with California Strength along with BYU receiver Chase Roberts — who was profiled by the Deseret News on Monday — and other NFL hopefuls.
"I feel like my explosiveness really got a lot better," he said. "I really leaned out, focused on really eating healthy and getting my body composition to where I wanted it to be. My explosiveness took a big step, and I got a lot quicker. I was really happy with that progress as far as speed goes."
Linebacker Jack Kelly, Roberts and Ryan represent BYU's best chances of having a player picked in the draft after the Cougars were shut out last year. Other hopefuls include safety Tanner Wall, cornerback Mory Bamba , long snapper Garrison Grimes, kicker Will Ferrin and offensive linemen Austin Leausa, Weylin Lapuaho and Isaiah Jatta.
Ryan, who played for UCLA and Utah before transferring to BYU for his final season, earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors after averaging 44.3 receiving yards per game for the Cougars.
"I feel like I had a really good pro day, and ever since then I've been doing a lot of Zoom calls with teams, and a couple of visits with teams, which meant a lot," he said.
The former Timpview and American Fork star said he went on visits to Minnesota and New England , and believes the Vikings and Patriots are among the teams most interested in him. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions have also spent a lot of time talking to him via Zoom.
BYU tights end coach Kevin Gilbride, who coached tight ends in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers , Chicago Bears and New York Giants , said making a 53-man NFL roster will be difficult for Ryan, but doable.
"He has an incredibly bright football intelligence. He has a really tremendous desire to do things the right way," Gilbride said. "He's physically tough as well. So it is the complete package. … He could be an eight- to 10-year NFL vet. That's how strongly I feel (about his prospects)."
Ryan said he's always been a Bengals fan, but would obviously love to play for any team willing to give him a chance. He picked the Bengals because he shares the "same" first name as Palmer (spelled differently) and loved Johnson's nickname — Ochocinco.
He said he will pay particular attention to the draft on Saturday, when rounds 4-7 are held, at his parents' home in Orem with his fiancée, Jayne Basso. The couple met when Ryan played at UCLA and will get married on June 26.
If he does get an NFL paycheck, Ryan says he will buy a new golf club, a driver, because his last driver "was super old" and broke a month ago. He's also got his eye on a new truck.
But first things first, he says.
"I've got a long way to go, but I'm happy with how it has gone, so far."
BYU Cougars tight end Carsen Ryan (20) looks at the defense as he runs the sideline after making a catch as the Cougars and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
