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, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek.
No. 89 WILL KACMAREK/TIGHT END, OHIO STATE (GRAD SENIOR) – 6054/261
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Will Kacmarek 6054/261 9 3/4 32 1/4 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.74 1.70 N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
9’11″ 36 N/A
THE GOOD
– Craves contact as a blocker
– Can block well in short-area situations
– Good technique as a blocker
– Good hand placement
– Strong grip strength on smaller defenders
– Good play strength
– Good awareness vs. zone coverage
– Confident hands
THE BAD
– Bad balance in space
– Will lunge and lose feet in space
– Struggles to finish off bigger defenders as a blocker
– Not a good route runner
– Gets affected by collisions when running routes
– Will struggle to beat man coverage
– Average athletic ability
– Slower vertical speed
– Makes good initial contact when blocking but can get swiped and brought to ground
– Does not displace defenders from gaps
– Bad spatial awareness
STATS
– Started 16 games across two seasons at Ohio State. Transferred from Ohio University, where he started 11 games across three seasons
– 2025: 15 receptions, 168 yards, and 2 touchdowns
– Career at Ohio State: 23 receptions, 254 yards, and 2 touchdowns
– Career at Ohio: 42 receptions, 507 yards, and 2 touchdowns
INJURY HISTORY
– 2025: missed some spring practices due to an undisclosed injury
– 2024: suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury against Oregon that caused him to miss four games
BACKGROUND
– Turned 23 in February
– 2025 All-Big Ten honorable mention pick
– 2024 college football national champion
– 2024 OSU Scholar Athlete
– 2023 All-MAC honorable mention pick at Ohio
– Was recruited as a defensive end out of high school
– Two-star recruit out of Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School in Missouri
– Finished his prep career with 162 tackles and 23 sacks as a defensive end
– Had 41 receptions for 510 yards in high school
– Kacmarek had a lot of Big Ten and SEC schools recruit him in the transfer portal; chose Ohio State because of the chance to work with tight ends coach Keenan Bailey and the way the Buckeyes used Cade Stover in 2023
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Will Kacmarek played a very particular role in Ohio State’s offense, and the Buckeyes had about four tight ends they rotated in. He was used mostly as a blocker, and I would have liked to see him in more of a receiving role throughout the 2025 season.
He will not win in the NFL against man coverage due to his average athleticism and change of direction, but I think he could be solid against zone because of his strong hands and feel for soft spots. On this play, he bends his route to give the quarterback a throwing window and goes airborne to make the catch.
While Kacmarek was used primarily as a blocker, he has a lot of problems that need to be fixed at the next level. The biggest problem I see is his balance. When he has to move across the formation or block in space he will put all of his weight on his toes, lunge forward, and lose sight of the defender he is supposed to be blocking and fall to the ground. He also lacks awareness and will run into teammates, which hurts his offense.
Here, he runs into the guard’s back instead of making his way to his assignment, leading to an easy play for the defense.
His feet are very out of control in space, and he does not break down to make good contact with the defender. I trust him when moving downhill to block smaller defenders, but his feet do not break down, which makes him prone to missing blocks.
Here, he is moves across the formation to kick out the defensive end and he whiffs.
When attacking bigger defenders, Kacmarek can look nervous. He will try to load up his lower body with power, but he is too slow to bring his hands with him. His weight is not distributed right, and his head is above his feet.
A smart edge defender will easily swipe his hands away, which is another problem that he has. He does not hand fight well enough to justify putting him in these tough blocking situations. Here, it is like Kacmarek is not even there, and the defender makes his way into the backfield.
While Kacmarek struggles in space and against quick defenders, when he is moving downhill, he does a good job of making contact and driving defenders downfield.
If his eyes are correct on what gap the defender will be in and he does not have to adjust post-snap, I trust him to be able to hold his own and create a gap for the running back. Here, he controls the defender with good grip strength and drives him downfield.
CONCLUSION
Will Kacmarek plays with high effort and shows that he knows what he is doing but lacks the awareness and athletic ability to do so. I trust him when moving downhill against static defenders, but when he must block in space or the defender quickly switches gaps, he has issues that need fixed.
While I am intrigued by his awareness against zone coverage, he has route running and athletic limitations that make me pessimistic about what he can be as a receiver.
NFL Projection: Mid-Day 3
Steelers Depot Grade: 6.3 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.1-6.7
Games Watched: vs Texas (2025), vs Penn State (2025), at Michigan (2025), vs Indiana (Big Ten Championship) (2025), vs Miami (Playoffs) (2025)
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