Michigan football has had a solid history of putting its tight ends into the NFL, and doing so at a high level. Even so, very few would have predicted that Marlin Klein was going to be a day two pick.

Expected to go on day three, likely in the fourth or fifth round, one of the big surprises of the 2026 NFL draft was that the Houston Texans opted to take the athletic tight end much earlier than nearly anyone had anticipated. Klein ended up being the third tight end selected in the draft, going just a few picks behind Vanderbilt and Texas A&M's star tight ends, and ahead of the Ohio State duo.

While it's a solid moment for Michigan and a testament to its development of the position, it's certainly a more meaningful moment for Klein himself. Here is the moment he learned that he is Houston-bound:

Klein battled some injury issues over the past year, but still was a solid option in the pass game, while also being an adept run blocker. Often noted by now-Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland as having been the fastest tight end in the room, the German-born athlete was a three-star recruit out of the state of Georgia before making his way to Ann Arbor -- and now Houston.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: The moment Michigan football TE Marlin Klein got NFL draft call