From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Michigan FB Max Bredeson.
No. 44 Max Bredeson/FB-TE Michigan – 6020, 252 pounds
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Max Bredeson 6020/252 10 30 1/8 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
THE GOOD
– Thick with an old-school build
– Intense and aggressive blocker
– Drives feet and plays through the whistle, routinely dumping and buying defenders at the end
– Able to set his hips to turn players back inside
– Great play strength and able to displace defenders as a lead blocker
– “Glue guy” who’s regarded as a team leader and a selfless personality
– In rare moments of involvement, showed soft hands as a receiver
– Experience aligning at running back as a third-down blocker
– Athletic bloodlines
The Bad
– Hardly any offensive production throughout entire career
– Limited athlete and functions only in the box
– Can play over toes and fall off blocks, with a lack of length compounding the issue
– Limited special teams experience hurts roster value
– Played mostly in big packages and not passing situations
– Rarely from a three-point stance despite tight end alignment
Stats
– Career: 12 receptions for 132 yards (11.0 YPR), and 0 TDs; zero career carries and one career tackle across 54 games
– 2025: 2 receptions for 11 yards across 11 games
– Career: 1,138 offensive snaps (590 inline, 283 backfield)
– 310 offensive snaps in 2025 (188 inline, 52 backfield)
– PFF’s No. 1 run blocking TE in 2025 among 278 qualifiers (No. 2 pass blocker)
– 146 career special teams snaps (mostly on kick coverage/return and punt coverage)
– Played QB in HS, threw five touchdowns senior season with nine rushing scores
Injury History
– High school: suffered multiple injuries that severely limited his career (broken collarbone, broken kneecap)
– 2025: Suffered right leg injury in November against Maryland, leaving him in a boot and on crutches, missing the final two games
Bio
– Turns 23 in October, 2026
– Zero-star recruit from Hartland, Wisconsin
– Walked onto Michigan, earning a scholarship in 2023 and calling it one of the bigger “achievements of my life;’ chose Wolverines’ preferred walk-on over Ole Miss’s identical offer
– Light football recruit due to limited time playing HS football (once said he played “like six games” in high school)
– Two-time team captain
– Third-team All-Big Ten selection (coaches) in 2025
– Has two older brothers; Ben played OL for Michigan and is entering his 8th NFL season, while Jack pitched for the Wolverines (and now works in the Mets front office)
– Says he “takes pride” in his blocking and loved holding his college role; calls playing fullback a “guard in the backfield”
– Won Michigan’s Toughest Player and Blue Collar Awards in 2025
– Played OF on HS baseball team
– Has a note reading “I’d Die For Ann Arbor” on the wall of his house
Tape Breakdown
Max Bredeson is an easy player to root for in the 2026 NFL Draft. A former walk-on who followed his older brother’s path to Michigan, he became a captain, fan favorite, and key cog in the Wolverines’ offense.
Though his statistical production is almost invisible, Bredeson’s impact on tape is obvious. An excellent and aggressive blocker, he plays angrily and finishes his blocks with authority. Blocking can be fun, and Bredeson enjoys it to the fullest.
Despite few receiving chances, his tape as a receiver is positive. Bredeson displays soft hands and plucks passes away from his body. You have to hunt for it, even going back to his 2022 tape for a big catch-and-run against Hawaii (where he wore No. 82 before switching to No. 44), but the guy can catch.
He was also sometimes used as a third-down blocking back, in a role similar to how some NFL teams use tight ends or H-Backs.
Negatively, a lack of length can cause Bredeson to fall off his blocks too quickly.
His lack of special teams value is surprising. His mentality seems made for it, and to occupy a roster spot, he’s going to need to tackle. This is something he hasn’t done much, if any, of. He played quarterback in high school (and barely played, at that, due to repeated injuries).
Conclusion
Overall, Max Bredeson is a top-notch blocker who could carve out a fullback role. Though the position isn’t as popular in the NFL today as it was 25 years ago, it’s making a comeback. Offenses are cycling back to being big and physical to counter smaller and faster defenses from the 2010s.
Bredeson, however, must show value on special teams to stick. He feels like a lock to end up on the Los Angeles Chargers’ roster with Jim Harbaugh. Or perhaps with John Harbaugh and the New York Giants to become Patrick Ricard’s understudy.
My NFL comp is Owen Schmitt.
NFL Projection: Late Day Three-Undrafted
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 7.6 (Spot Starter)
Grade Range: 6.8-7.8
Games Watched: at Maryland (2025), at USC (2025), vs Washington (2025), at Northwestern (2025), Catching Cutups
Recommended for you