Max
Klare.
Max
Klare.
Ohio State· 6'4"· 241 lb
"Fluid ‘‘F’’ tight end and route-first move piece whose 2024 breakout and Ohio State season proved he wins vs zone with feel more than as an in-line thumper."Pre-draft read
Move tight end who aligns detached, flexed into the slot, or as a wing off the ball, with occasional inline chip usage. He primarily wins as a route runner, particularly on option, sit, and skinny post routes against zone. He reads leverage, throttles into windows, and presents a bail-out target for the quarterback on scramble drills. His hands are natural and he calmly adjusts to off-target throws over the middle. His release relies on tempo and stem quality, allowing him to separate late by winning the top of the route.
As a blocker, he functions as a willing positional shield with quick hand replacement. He is not a drive-blocker capable of digging defensive ends off the line, but he is competent at walling off flow at the second level and executing down blocks in gap running schemes.
The Los Angeles Rams operate a diverse offensive scheme that incorporates Shanahan-style outside zone principles with spread formations and play-action passing.
Klare can be a Year 1 contributor as a primary receiving target from flex and slot alignments, eventually developing into a versatile three-down 'F' tight end with increased strength.
A run-heavy, two-TE offense that relies on traditional inline 'Y' blocking from both tight ends would significantly diminish his impact and limit his receiving opportunities.
His receiving prowess from detached alignments makes him a valuable chess piece for an imaginative offensive system, particularly in 11 personnel.
2026 NFL DRAFT HIGHLIGHTS: TE Max Klare | Ohio State Football
Max Klare - Ohio State Highlights 2025
Max Klare (TE) 🔥 | FULL Ohio State Highlights | Welcome to the Los Angeles Rams
Klare projects as a Day 2 receiving tight end, offering teams a versatile move piece capable of contributing immediately in 11 personnel. His advanced route feel against zone coverage and reliable hands make him a valuable target, particularly over the middle of the field. Teams are buying a player who can create repeatable windows for his quarterback and provide a critical safety valve on broken plays.
A three-star recruit, Klare spent two developmental years at Purdue before breaking out in 2024 with 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns, placing him among the national leaders in receiving yards for tight ends. He then transferred to Ohio State for 2025, where he absorbed a smaller target share on a national title roster, finishing with 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns across 14 games, totaling 116 career catches for 1,329 yards.
Evaluators consistently noted his plus-level route feel and safe hands as Day 2 traits. The primary flags concerned only-adequate long speed and a blocking floor that limited his potential as a true three-down, in-line starter. He was a consensus Day 2 pick, ultimately drafted 61st overall, with the expectation that he could start early as a Y/F move tight end and potentially grow into a full role as his point-of-attack strength develops.
- 01
Route feel vs zone
Reads coverage rotations, throttles into voids on option and dig routes, and creates repeatable middle-of-the-field windows for his QB.
- 02
Natural, quiet hands
Catches away from his frame, adjusts calmly to off-target throws in traffic, and rarely body-catches with defenders draped on him.
- 03
Detached versatility
Lines up flex, wing, slot, and occasional inline snaps without losing efficiency; a real chess piece for 11 and 12 personnel play designers.
- 04
Big Ten production arc
Back-to-back seasons of meaningful reps (51/685/4 in 2024, 43/448/2 at Ohio State in 2025) against SEC-caliber safeties and nickels.
- 05
Scramble-drill target
Sits down late, works back to the QB, and finishes contested grabs on second-reaction plays; a functional safety valve on broken snaps.
- 01
Only-adequate long speed
Struggles to threaten seams vs true field safeties; ceiling on go and wheel routes limits how much vertical stress he creates.
- 02
In-line blocking floor
Cannot consistently dig 4i or 5-technique ends off the ball; NFL teams will scheme him away from true in-line down blocks early.
- 03
Contact-balance dips
Can be knocked off routes by physical press coverage from bigger nickels; slower release when he doesn't win with tempo on the stem.
- 04
Play strength at the top of routes
Can get rerouted by physical coverage safeties, and hip stiffness shows on late breaks vs press-man coverage.
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Purdue | 5 | 22 | 196 | 0 |
| 2024 | Purdue | 12 | 51 | 685 | 4 |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 14 | 43 | 448 | 2 |
| Career | — | 31 | 116 | 1329 | 6 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- Julian SayinQB29%
- Jeremiah SmithWR14%
- Carnell TateWR13%
#7 of 18 tracked contributors · Production leaned on volume · Offense explosiveness 1.15 (p8) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Ohio-adjacent Y/F who lives on option routes, sits, and third-down conversions rather than as a true seam-buster.
Detached move tight end who wins over the middle with route feel and body control more than raw juice.
Big-frame receiving tight end whose blocking floor and average long speed cap him at rotational No. 2 if the route feel plateaus.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context. Klare arrived at Purdue as a middling three-star recruit and needed two developmental years before his frame and route grades caught up. The 2024 breakout — 51-685-4 in a losing Purdue season, top-five nationally in TE receiving yards — moved him firmly onto Day 2 boards. His transfer to Ohio State for 2025 was a stress test the evaluation needed: he played a smaller target-share role beside Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate on a national title contender, still finished with 43-448-2 in 14 games, and left college with 116 career catches for 1,329 yards on 11.5 yards per reception.
NFL fit — Rams. Los Angeles took him at 61 as the successor plan to the tail end of the Tyler Higbee era and as the receiving tight end Los Angeles' condensed formations have missed since Higbee's ACL. The projected role is immediate 11-personnel Y/F snaps: option routes off play-action, in-breakers behind veteran-receiver spacing, and scramble-drill outlets for the quarterback. He is not expected to be the primary in-line blocker on early downs; the Rams will pair him with a heavier-set second tight end on the line and let Klare detach.
Retrospective. On draft night the evaluation was that his route feel and hands were both plus-Day-2 traits, while his long speed and in-line block grade were the ceiling caps. If the receiving role translates cleanly against NFL safeties, this is a comfortable starter pick in the second round. If the blocking floor never rises, he lives as a role-defined third-down and red-zone tight end rather than a true three-down piece.