Texas tight end Jack Endries was selected on Apr. 25 in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, being chosen with the 221st overall pick.
Endries’ selection marks three consecutive years that a Texas tight end has been drafted, setting a program record for the Longhorns in the Common Draft era since 1967. The previous two years saw Gunnar Helm picked by the Tennessee Titans and Ja’Tavion Sanders by the Carolina Panthers, both in the fourth round. Before this streak, no Texas tight end had been drafted since Geoff Swaim was chosen by Dallas in 2015.
The Longhorns have now had at least six players drafted each of the last three years, which is their longest such streak since at least 1994 when drafts were reduced to seven rounds. This year also makes it seven times Texas has achieved this milestone under those draft rules.
Endries becomes not only the first Longhorn selected by Cincinnati since Joseph Ossai in 2021 but also marks him as their first ever tight end from Texas and their first offensive player from UT since Jordan Shipley in 2010. Head coach Steve Sarkisian said, “I’m really excited to see what Jack does at the NFL level… Jack has a real skill set as a pass receiving tight end. He’s a very intelligent player, has a good feel for getting open, and he’s got great ball skills. Cincinnati added a talented young player to their roster.”
Reflecting on his selection, Endries said: “I was pumped up. I’m just really glad that they took me… But it was just a happy moment for all of us here, and we’re all Bengals fans now.” He credited his time at Texas with preparing him well: “Yeah, I feel like I could do it all… I feel very prepared going into this, and I know my game’s only going to keep elevating from an NFL standpoint.” He also described joining other former Longhorns across NFL teams as part of “a brotherhood” he looks forward to competing alongside or against.
