The Los Angeles Rams are leaning all the way into 13 personnel based on their second-round pick in the draft on Friday night. They selected Ohio State tight end Max Klare at No. 61 overall, adding him to an already-deep position group that features Terrance Ferguson, Tyler Higbee and others.
Klare was the third-ranked tight end by most experts, so he was highly regarded in this year’s class. And though he didn’t test at the combine, he’s a terrific athlete.
Here are four things to know about the Rams’ new tight end.
He was a 2-time All-Big Ten selection
Klare wasn’t just a productive player at Ohio State. He was statistically even better at Purdue, catching 51 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns in 2024 – all being career-highs. He was a third-team All-Big Ten selection that year and was named first-team All-Big Ten last season at Ohio State, making him a two-time all-conference pick.
That’s not easy to do, especially in an Ohio State offense that features Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
He has college football bloodlines
As pointed out in “The Beast” by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Klare’s family is full of college athletes. His dad played defensive line at Boston College, his younger brother plays tight end at Purdue and his cousin also played wide receiver for the Boilermakers.
He’s in the 99.6th percentile for on-field athleticism
Klare didn’t do any athletic testing at the NFL combine or his pro day, but that’s not because he was afraid of testing poorly. He’s a terrific athlete and he pops off the screen when watching his tape.
According to Hayden Winks of Underdog, Klare was in the 99.6th percentile for on-field athleticism, based on Pro Football Focus’ grading. So despite not running a 40 or doing the vertical jump, he’s one of the most athletic tight ends in the class.
He had the 4th-highest receiving grade against Power 4 opponents
Klare played some high-level competition at Ohio State, which can help a player transition to the NFL. Not only that, but he excelled against those quality opponents. According to Joseph Bryan, Klare had the fourth-best receiving grade at PFF against Power 4 competition. Only Eli Stowers, Tanner Koziol and Justin Joly graded higher in receiving against Power 4 teams.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 4 things to know about new Rams TE Max Klare
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
