Cleveland Browns select BYU’s Carsen Ryan in 7th round of NFL Draft
Apr 25, 2026, 4:55 PM | Updated: Apr 27, 2026, 8:46 am
BYU dominated TCU 44-13 in Provo for in ninth win in 2025. (BYU Photo)
(BYU Photo)
PITTSBURGH — Former American Fork standout Carsen Ryan was clear about his intentions to return to Utah County to play one season with BYU and elevate his draft stock.
On Saturday afternoon, he made sure to do just that.
The Cleveland Browns selected Ryan with the No. 32 pick of the seventh round (No. 248 overall) on Saturday’s final day of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Browns select Carsen Ryan in 2026 NFL Draft
The NFL Draft was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from April 23–25. The event was televised on ESPN, ABC, and the NFL Network.
Ryan joins a Browns tight end room that includes newly signed Jack Stoll, re-signed Blake Whiteheart and a tender option for Brenden Bates.
Whiteheart led the group last year with four starts in 17 games, and Bates appeared in six games. In addition to returning tight end Harold Fannin Jr., the Browns also signed Sal Cannella and Caden Prieskorn to reserve/futures contracts, and added Cincinnati’s Joe Royer with the 170th overall pick of the draft.
With the 248th overall pick in the seventh round of the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns select former Utah & BYU tight end Carsen Ryan! 🏈 pic.twitter.com/CIth26K1gc
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 25, 2026
About Carsen Ryan
Ryan started his career at UCLA, but played sparingly in two seasons and opted to return closer to home ahead of his junior campaign.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound pass catcher initially caught 10 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown as a junior at Utah. But Ryan transferred the next year, when he broke out in Aaron Roderick’s offense at BYU.
Ryan immediately jumped into a starting role at BYU, catching 45 passes for 620 yards and seven touchdowns to help the Cougars to a 12-2 campaign that included a spot in the Big 12 championship game and a 25-21 win over then-No. 22 Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Carsen Ryan NFL Draft tape
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