Michigan tight end Marlin Klein didn’t have the most productive college career, but that was in large part due to being behind 2025 first-round pick Colston Loveland on the depth chart for much of it. With a larger share of the workload his senior year, Klein put together a solid season and has himself positioned to be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Here’s a look at everything you need to know about Klein as he prepares for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
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Quick Facts
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Size: 6-foot-6, 248 pounds
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40-Yard Dash: 4.61 seconds
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3-Cone Drill: 7.42 seconds
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Career Stats: 36 games played, 38 receptions, 364 yards (10.3 yards per reception), one touchdown
Strengths
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Speed, speed, and more speed. He might not be Kenyon Sadiq, but his speed for a tight end really stands out. This makes him a good threat to run after the catch.
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Overall athleticism is his biggest selling point, especially at his size.
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Great as a run blocker and has plenty of experience doing so in Michigan’s offensive scheme.
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Has solid hands, as he wasn’t responsible for many drops and doesn’t catch the ball with his body.
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Has experience lining up in-line, in the slot and as an H-back, making him valuable to different types of NFL offenses.
Weaknesses
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Production is extremely limited over a four-year sample.
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Not the smoothest route-runner, as he often struggled to find space over the middle and is most effective up the seams.
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Although experienced as an in-line tight end and H-back, he could be better in those roles by adding more weight.
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Struggles in contested catch situations and when breaking tackles in the open field despite his size.
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Could stand to improve his technique in pass protection and as a run blocker.
Summary
Born in Germany, Klein made it to Georgia for high school football before coming to Michigan as part of the 2022 class alongside fellow tight end Colston Loveland. While playing time was hard to come by his first two seasons, Klein got the attention of the coaching staff and those close to the program thanks to his impressive size and athleticism combination — something that was displayed at the NFL Combine when he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6, 248 pounds.
It wouldn’t be until his junior year in 2024 that we would see Klein get a bit more work as a receiver, albeit still in a limited sample size, with Loveland still stealing many of the targets. As a junior, Klein finished with just 13 receptions for 108 yards.
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As a senior, Klein served as Michigan’s No. 1 tight end and was one of the more productive pass-catchers on the team, registering 24 receptions for 248 yards and one touchdown.
Entering the NFL Draft, there are concerns about his prospects thanks to his limited college production, but fortunately for Klein, players like him aren’t strangers to finding success at the next level. It’s not uncommon to see players who don’t play their best football until they reach the pros, usually as a result of subpar conditions in college that don’t allow them to thrive. By needing the first two years of college to develop his game and then playing in below-average offenses his final two seasons, Klein is someone that might fit that profile.
Klein’s athleticism is something that should help him to get the attention of NFL teams, as organizations are always looking for guys that are physically ready for the demands of a 17-game season, even if their production in imperfect college systems isn’t top notch. He likely won’t be selected on either of the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft, but it’s a good bet a team will take a swing on Klein on Day 3.