Tanner Koziol is a 6’7”, 220 lb Tight End from the University of Houston. Coming out of Mt. Vernon High School in Illinois, Koziol was a 2-star wide receiver recruit by 247 Sports. He initially committed to North Dakota before flipping to Ball State in 2021. While at Ball State, he earned All-MAC First, Second, and Third Team honors in his first three seasons. Following the 2024 season, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Houston over other Power 4 schools, including Wisconsin. Koziol was on the 2025 preseason watchlist for the Biletnikoff Award in 2025, and finished as a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award in 2024 and 2025.
Koziol uses his big frame to his advantage in the pass game, where he had 727 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns last season. His route running is marginal at best. He is not the quickest guy in the world, which causes his routes to take too long to develop. His best route is, by far, the go route up the middle, specifically against zone coverage. Any route that does not require him to be very shifty will be a successful route for Koziol. His footwork is very slow, and he struggles to create separation. For most guys, this would be a huge issue, but it is not much of a problem for Koziol, who has great hands and an innate ability to catch the ball in traffic. When he catches the ball in the open field, he fights through contact and will always push for the extra yard. His 6’7” frame combined with his great hands allows him to be a great goal-line and short-yardage situation target for the offense.
Koziol’s blocking ability is poor and definitely leaves a lot to be desired, especially for someone with such a large frame. He has solid hand placement, but that’s about the only positive. As soon as he makes contact with a defender, he buries his head into him and stops moving his feet. This allows the defenders to easily shed him, go around him, or bull rush him. He almost blocks like he is afraid of contact, yet, although he is good at pulling, he seemingly avoids defenders, which often allows the defense to blow up the play. He is also super slow off the ball, which makes it easy for defenders to get past him. I’m not expecting any tight end to be an elite blocker; if they were, they would be an offensive lineman. But there are countless plays where Koziol’s lack of blocking ability severely hinders the outcome.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit:
Koziol would fit best in a Todd Monken system that the Baltimore Ravens ran last season, utilizing their tight ends heavily in the pass game and in the red zone. The Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens would be a good fit for Koziol.
NFL Player Comp: Mike Gesicki
Both Koziol and Gesicki have a larger-than-average frame for tight ends and lack blocking ability, but can be successful in the pass game.
Projection: Backup/Role Player
I expect Koziol to be a consistent backup/role player on average teams throughout his career, given his struggles with blocking and route-running.
Grade and Round Projection: 3.2, 6th Round
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