Former Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek should not be forgotten about on draft night next week.
The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh next weekend is going to be a Buckeye party. From the start to the end, former Ohio State Buckeyes will be hearing their name called all night long.
We have spent plenty of time talking about the first four or five rounders, but some of the "other guys" are going to make NFL franchises very happy when they get there.
One of those players is tight end Will Kacmarek.
Kacmarek's college career has been a very good one and one of the very few positive transfer portal stories out there.
Kacmarek comes from St. Louis, Missouri, and enrolled at Ohio University as a freshman. He was very solid for the Bobcats, so much so that he got the offer to come to Ohio State, and he made the jump.
In his first year as a Buckeye, he statistically didn't make much of an impact on Ohio State's National Championship run. He had just eight catches for 86 yards, but proved to be a very important piece in the Buckeyes' run game as an extension of the offensive line.
Year two in Columbus, he was stellar. In the pass game, he hauled in 15 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Yet again, that wasn't even half of the story. He graduated from being a "good" blocker to a great one who made himself a lot of money heading into the NFL next year.
Kacmarek is definitely going to be a Day Three selection who will absolutely have to earn his spot on a roster. With that said, he is going to fill a very specific yet valuable role.
Tight ends have become a matchup nightmare for defenses at every level. Whether it is high school, college, or the NFL, having a great tight end changes the outlook of an offense and creates major problems for a defense.
When Kacmarek is on the field, the threat of the run is immense. He has some development left to do in the pass game, but he has shown the ability to be servicable and does enough to be a threat.
In some cases, that is just enough.
Expect Kacmarek to be a selection in the fifth round or beyond. Whoever does end up selecting him is getting a player who is a road grader on the offensive line and a guy who will improve two of the three phases of a team.
Buckeye Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Ohio State Buckeyes. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.