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Los Angeles Rams select Max Klare in second round of 2026 NFL Draft

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs04/25/26grant_grubbs_

The Los Angeles Rams selected tight end Max Klare with the No. 61 overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Klare transferred to Ohio State ahead of the 2025 campaign after spending three seasons at Purdue.

In his lone season with the Buckeyes, Klare made 14 appearances and 11 starts. He recorded 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named an All-Big Ten First-Team selection by both the league’s coaches and media.

In his three years at Purdue, Klare amassed made 18 appearances and 12 starts. All of his starts occurred in the 2024 season, when he notched a career-high 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns. In turn, he was an All-Big Ten Third-Team honoree.

Max Klare played high school football at St. Xavier (OH), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1,220 overall player and No. 78 tight end in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Max Klare

At 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, Klare’s size won’t be an issue at the next level. Ahead of the draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided an in-depth analysis of Klare, while weighing in on the 22-year-old’s professional potential.

“Highly athletic, pass-catching tight end capable of earning volume targets on the pro level,” Zierlein wrote. “Klare can live beyond the typical targeted depth for most tight ends thanks to his route inventory and ability to generate separation across the field. He’s best from the slot but can widen out when a matchup presents itself.

“Hands and ball-tracking are below average but his production could make teams forget the drops. He improved as a run blocker as the season progressed, but ‘functional’ might be the finish line there. In a league craving impact tight ends, Klare has a chance to inject life into an offense hunting mismatches.”

Zierlein isn’t the only analyst who is confident Max Klare can carve out a role in the NFL. Before the draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper listed Klare as the No. 6 tight end in the 2026 draft class. Meanwhile, Kiper’s fellow ESPN draft expert, Field Yates, ranked Klare as the fourth-best TE in the draft.