Justin Joly\u2019s path to the NFL is exactly the kind scouts love to bet on. A New Rochelle, New York product, Joly wasn\u2019t a blue-chip recruit\u2014far from it. He arrived at UConn as a wide receiver and transitioned to tight end, developing into a legitimate offensive weapon before transferring to NC State<\/a>.<\/p>\n In Raleigh, everything clicked.<\/p>\n He became a featured part of the offense, earning First-Team All-ACC honors<\/a>, setting a tight end program record for touchdowns, and ultimately boosting his stock with a strong pre-draft process that included a great Senior Bowl performance.<\/p>\n This is a classic \u201clate bloomer meets real traits\u201d evaluation.<\/p>\n He may not be a burner, but he plays fast where it matters.<\/p>\n More 2026 NFL Draft Profiles<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n 1. Natural Pass Catcher<\/strong> 2. Versatility<\/strong> 3. Route Craft & Feel<\/strong> 4. Toughness & Competitiveness<\/strong> 5. Proven Production<\/strong> 1. Undersized for a True \u201cY\u201d Tight End<\/strong> 2. Run Blocking Consistency<\/strong> 3. Not an Elite Explosive Athlete<\/strong> 4. Route Detail Still Developing<\/strong> Justin Joly is exactly the type of player casual fans overlook, and NFL teams quietly value.<\/p>\n He\u2019s not going to wow you with testing. He\u2019s not the biggest or fastest. But he checks the boxes that actually matter: reliable hands, positional flexibility, competitive toughness, real production, and football intelligence. Most importantly, his game translates.<\/p>\n Joly projects best as a:<\/p>\n Ideal usage:<\/p>\n He\u2019s not your traditional inline hammer\u2014but that\u2019s not what today\u2019s NFL always needs.<\/p>\n If he lands in the right system, Joly has a very real path to becoming a quarterback-friendly safety valve and a reliable contributor who outplays his draft slot within a few years.<\/p>\n This is a \u201cknow the name before Sunday\u201d prospect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Justin Joly NFL Draft Profile highlighting his versatility, hands, and upside as a Day 3 tight end steal with real offensive value.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5698,"featured_media":271342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647,33760],"tags":[33533,34324,34210],"class_list":["post-271005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","category-profiles","tag-2026-nfl-draft","tag-2026-nfl-draft-combine","tag-justin-joly"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5698"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271005"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":271340,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271005\/revisions\/271340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Measurables & Athletic Profile<\/h3>\n
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<\/ul>\n
Strengths (What Translates Immediately)<\/h3>\n
\nJoly\u2019s hands are a separator. He consistently wins in contested situations and shows strong body control through contact. His catch radius and grip strength allow him to finish plays others can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\nHe lines up in the slot, out wide, and even in the backfield. That flexibility makes him valuable in 12 and 13-personnel packages, especially for creative coordinators.<\/p>\n
\nHe\u2019s not just running routes\u2014he understands coverage. He finds soft spots in the zone, uses tempo, and adjusts when plays break down. There\u2019s real football IQ here.<\/p>\n
\nTurn on the tape\u2014you\u2019ll see it immediately. He fights for extra yards, finishes through contact, and plays with an edge.<\/p>\n
\n166 career receptions, nearly 2,000 yards, and strong red zone production. This isn\u2019t projection\u2014he\u2019s done it.<\/p>\nWeaknesses (What Limits His Ceiling)<\/h3>\n
\nHe doesn\u2019t have the frame or length to consistently handle NFL edge defenders in-line.<\/p>\n
\nHigh pad level, limited drive power, and more of a positional blocker than a tone-setter.<\/p>\n
\nHe\u2019s smooth, not dynamic. You\u2019re not drafting him to be a top-tier mismatch freak.<\/p>\n
\nThere are reps where he drifts on breaks and gives defenders a chance to undercut routes.<\/p>\nFilm Traits Snapshot<\/h3>\n
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Draft Projection<\/h3>\n
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Medical & Durability<\/h3>\n
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Player Comparisons<\/h3>\n
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The Last Word on Justin Joly<\/h2>\n
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