Justin Joly is a tight end and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his final two collegiate seasons at North Carolina State after beginning his career at the University of Connecticut. A native of New Rochelle, New York, Joly was a two-star recruit who brought multi-positional versatility from his time at Iona Prep, where he accumulated 123 catches for 1,827 yards and 22 touchdowns as a multi-sport athlete. He signed with UConn and converted to tight end, immediately contributing as a freshman with 18 catches for 250 yards before breaking out as a sophomore with 56 receptions for 578 yards. After two seasons at Connecticut, he transferred to NC State for the 2024 season and made an immediate impact with 43 receptions for 661 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 15.4 yards per reception, fourth among all FBS tight ends. As a senior in 2025, Joly set career highs in receptions with 49 and touchdowns with seven, tying the NC State program record, while earning first-team All-ACC honors and being named MVP of the Senior Bowl to cement his standing among the draft's top tight end prospects.
Measuring approximately 6 feet 3 inches and 251 pounds, Joly is known for his excellent hands and contested-catch ability, operating as a smart mover who identifies coverage weaknesses, settles in soft spots, and creates after the catch with physicality and instincts. He has developed an impressive catch radius relative to his size, and his production across four seasons at two programs with multiple quarterbacks speaks to his reliability and football intelligence. The primary concern in his evaluation is his lack of functional strength as a blocker, as he struggles to anchor against power and will require a complementary inline tight end in an NFL system before he can be trusted to handle heavy blocking duties. His NFL projection falls in the late Day 2 to early Day 3 range as a move or H-back tight end capable of contributing immediately in the passing game while he continues developing the physicality needed to become an every-down player.
