The Opening Drive 4/17: The Best Value Blocking Tight End Resides in Columbus

If the Browns wait until Saturday for a "Y" TE option, Will Kacmarek is the answer.

Apr 17, 2026

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 06: Ohio State Buckeyes TE Will Kacmarek (89) during the Big Ten Championship football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes on December 6, 2025 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Will Kacmarek will not be the flashiest name next week, but his value to Ohio State’s offense, and an eventual NFL offense, is made in the dirty work. He didn’t arrive at Ohio State as a blue-chip recruit — he was a two-star prospect out of high school, wholly unranked by the composite rankings, with exactly one FBS scholarship offer to his name. He started his college career at Ohio, transferred to Ohio State, and spent two seasons in Columbus doing the kind of grinding that rarely shows up in highlight reels—unless you are a blocking guru—but absolutely shows up on winning teams. He is, by his own declaration, the best blocking tight end in the country. What makes Kacmarek interesting is that the film supports his case in multiple ways.

The blocking tape is the story, and it is a good one. Kacmarek is a physical in-line blocker who eliminates defenders when he gets out in space or moving defending to down the line in gap schemes or opening up running alleys in zone concepts. He takes pride in his blocking responsibilities, has the upper-body strength to stay engaged, and keeps his legs churning at contact to generate movement. There is no doubt he could step in on Day 1 and help a team’s rushing attack. He balances proper technique with creating violent collisions and looking to punish opponents using his competitive edge, a physicality he developed playing lacrosse that translates directly to his blocking. He’s as an old-school, big-bodied “Y” tight end with size, strength, and a field demeanor for run blocking — the kind of player offensive coordinators draw up their power running game around and the type Todd Monken needs in the future versions of his 12-personnel structure.

His path to Columbus is worth understanding because it shapes everything about his profile. After three seasons at Ohio University, where he totaled 42 receptions for 507 yards and two touchdowns, he jumped into the transfer portal and chose Ohio State specifically because of the chance to work with tight ends coach Keenan Bailey and the way the Buckeyes had used Cade Stover in 2023. He knew what he was signing up for — a program that rotates multiple tight ends and uses them primarily as blockers. He made that choice deliberately, and then won a national championship doing it. He was described as among the most underrated pieces of Ohio State’s offense during his two seasons there, which tells you something about the kind of selfless, team-first player he is.

See below for more specific scouting notes.

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