Justin
Joly.
Justin
Joly.
NC State· 6'3"· 246 lb
R5 · #152 · Denver Broncos"Move tight end with reliable hands and route feel who wins as an F/H detached, breaking out at NC State with 15 career receiving TDs and true seam speed after transferring from UConn."Pre-draft read
He aligns primarily as a detached F/flex tight end, with situational reps in-line and in the slot on 12-personnel. His primary win is separation off the line. He releases with a stem that threatens vertically before working back to the ball, sits down cleanly in zone voids, and stacks defenders on seam and post routes. His hands are natural and quiet, and he catches away from the frame in traffic and adjusts to back-shoulder throws without stalling his stride. His route feel against zone is a secondary trait; he sees leverage late and finds soft spots at the sticks.
As a blocker, he plays with functional grip strength on move duty and combo work, but his base and anchor are still developing at the point of attack. His athletic ceiling is average, and his effectiveness is sold on feel, timing, and hands.
This prospect best fits a spread RPO or West Coast timing scheme that prioritizes athletic pass-catching tight ends in detached alignments.
Joly projects as a year-one depth F/flex tight end with a ceiling to develop into a reliable receiving option, particularly in the red zone.
He would be a poor fit for a gap/duo power run game that frequently asks its tight ends to block in-line against powerful defensive ends.
Joly's nuanced route running against zone, natural hands, and red-zone effectiveness make him a valuable receiving asset despite his average athletic ceiling.
Justin Joly 2025 Regular Season Highlights | NC State Tight End
Senior-year reel showcasing red-zone wins, seam routes and hands in traffic.
Justin Joly (TE) | FULL NC State Highlights | Welcome to the Denver Broncos
Post-draft cutup covering full NC State career with route work and YAC reps.
Justin Joly 2024 Highlights
Junior breakout tape at 15.4 yards per catch, seam and crossers from flex alignments.
He projects as an F-tight end whose primary value will be as a receiving option in passing situations, particularly from detached alignments. His hands, route feel, and ability to track the ball in the air provide a clear role on offense, while his average athletic profile places a premium on his technical execution and football intelligence.
After starting his career at UConn, he transferred to NC State, where he developed into a reliable receiving threat, accumulating 166 catches for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns across 49 collegiate games. His junior season at NC State, where he posted 43 receptions for 661 yards and 4 touchdowns at 15.4 yards per catch, established him as a productive target, showcasing his ability to deliver across multiple schemes.
Evaluations noted a strong receiving profile countered by an average athletic ceiling and an in-line blocking grade requiring development. Consensus among evaluators placed him as a Day 3 player with evident passing-down utility, and he was ultimately drafted in the fifth round.
- 01
Reliable hands
He catches away from his frame in traffic and adjusts to back-shoulder throws without stalling his stride or body movement.
- 02
Detached alignment separation
His primary win is separation off the line as he releases with a stem that threatens vertically and stacks defenders.
- 03
Reads leverage in voids
He sits down cleanly in zone voids and his route feel against zone is a secondary trait as he finds soft spots at the sticks.
- 04
Functional grip strength
As a blocker, he plays with functional grip strength on move duty and on combo blocks against defensive linemen.
- 05
Receiving versatility
He aligns primarily as a detached F/flex tight end, with situational reps in-line and in the slot in 12 personnel.
- 01
Blocking base and anchor
His base and anchor are still developing at the point of attack, impacting his effectiveness as an in-line blocker.
- 02
Average athletic ceiling
His athletic ceiling is average, which means effectiveness relies on feel, timing, and hands more than burst.
- 03
Inconsistent contested catches
His contested-catch consistency against tight man matchups is lower than his performance in zone coverage.
- 04
Limited special teams
He has limited core-four special teams reps, increasing expectation for his offensive snap count role.
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | UConn | 12 | 18 | 250 | 2 |
| 2023 | UConn | 12 | 56 | 562 | 2 |
| 2024 | NC State | 13 | 43 | 661 | 4 |
| 2025 | NC State | 12 | 49 | 489 | 7 |
| Career | — | 49 | 166 | 1962 | 15 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- CJ BaileyQB31%
- Terrell AndersonWR9%
- Ethan DowdyWR8%
#7 of 14 tracked contributors · Production leaned on volume · Offense explosiveness 1.38 (p93) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Move tight end who turned reliable hands and detached-alignment value into a rotational NFL role.
F-tight end whose hands and route feel let him grow into a starter despite average athletic testing.
Body-catcher move tight end whose blocking limitations kept him on the back half of the depth chart.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context Justin Joly grew up in New Jersey, signed with UConn out of high school and stacked two productive seasons in Storrs before transferring to NC State ahead of the 2024 cycle. He caught 74 balls for 828 yards in the AAC/Independent stretch, then jumped to the ACC and turned into one of the more trusted receiving tight ends in the league, finishing his career with 166 receptions for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns across 49 games. The 2024 tape carried the evaluation — 43-661-4 at 15.4 yards per catch on a possession offense — and the 2025 senior year added a red-zone spike (seven receiving scores) even as intermediate volume dipped. Combine and pro-day timing splits never surfaced publicly, so scouts leaned on route tape, hands and two seasons of ACC production over tested traits.
NFL fit — Denver Broncos The offensive approach in Denver has kept a rotational F-tight end job available behind veteran players who specialize in blocking and the incumbent starter, and Joly slots straight into that flex role. Rookie usage is likely built around 11-personnel passing downs, red-zone packages and detached alignments where his hands and route feel show up, with in-line snaps saved for the veterans until the blocking grade catches up. Special-teams reps will decide whether he stays active as a fifth or sixth tight end.
Retrospective At 152 the pick is the classic Day 3 receiving tight end swing — you already know what he is on passing downs, and you find out later whether the base can grow into a two-way role. The ceiling case is Tyler Higbee, a move tight end whose hands and feel outran his testing profile and grew into an offensive-package starter. The likely case is a Josh Oliver-style rotational tight end who lives on 12-personnel and red-zone snaps. The floor is a passing-down specialist whose blocking never gets there and who bounces between the active roster and practice squad after his rookie deal.