After the Los Angeles Rams selected Ty Simpson with their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they waited until their second round selection and 61st overall pick to go and grab Max Klare, tight end out of Purdue and Ohio State. Klare joins perhaps the deepest tight end room in the league along with Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkison and Terrance Ferguson.
Like many rookies, Klare’s playing time could be limited in Year 1, but he should have the chance to seriously compete and contribute along with Parkinson and Ferguson, and if the high draft pick spent on Klare is any indication, the Rams intend him to be a part of the offense now, and later as he’ll likely try to replace Higbee and or Parkinson who may no longer be on the team after 2026.
Parkinson is on the last year of his contract with the Rams, and Higbee is likely closer towards the end of his career than the beginning at 33 years of age, but unlike Parkinson, Higbee’s current contract runs through 2027.
A three-star recruit out of St. Xavier High School, Klare didn’t exactly have a prolific collegiate career, never topping 700 yards in a single year, but he did accrue 1,300+ receiving yards and six touchdowns over three college seasons. Klare spent 2023 and 2024 as a Boilermaker at Purde before becoming an Ohio State Buckeye in 2025. He has a career long reception of 62 yards.
For Klare, what should matter is that whatever he did in college, it was enough to catch the eyes of Sean McVay and Les Snead.
“…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.“
If the Rams feel that Klare showed improvement as a run blocker over his time in college, then they likely think they can help him improve with the right coaching and strength training at the NFL level. Add in the idea that he’s a matchup nightmare for defenses with size, speed and athleticism, and he’s a perfect fit for McVay.
Any drop concerns didn’t scare the Rams off, but there are reasons he was taken at 61 and not sooner.
I am not sure that anyone has associated Klare as a generational player at the tight end position the way Brock Bowers was touted when he entered the NFL a couple season ago. However, being touted as a top prospect isn’t everything, it’s what can you do at the NFL level?
There are some questions of Klare, will he have the speed and strength to stay relevant at the NFL level where every player is faster and stronger than in college? That’s a fair question for any player entering the NFL.
Another question that may be more specific to Klare is will he overcome some of the drop and ball security issues that NFL.com noted?
The Rams showed last year they are happy to deploy all of the tight ends available to them on gameday. Will Klare push the other tight ends on the roster for playing time right away? Could Parkinson be seen as a trade candidate with the addition of Klare, and the potential emergence of Ferguson in Year 2?
That’s something fans and the Rams will be watching for.
Whether it’s Higbee, Parkison, Ferguson and or Klare, this could be a monstrous TE group with any combination of the three or four.
Klare should be a boost for the tight end room for years to come, and whether or not he earns an extension past his rookie deal could have a lot to do with how he improves as a blocker and his ability to maintain catches and take care of the football.
He has the talent, now he gets the chance to refine his game at the next level, on a team who has a real shot to win a Super Bowl in 2026. Not a bad place to start for the former Purdue and Ohio State product as he begins his NFL journey.