Former Oklahoma TE Jaren Kanak Taken in the Seventh Round of the NFL Draft

Despite having only one year of offensive experience at the collegiate level, former Oklahoma tight end Jaren Kanak will have the chance to play on Sundays.

The Tennessee Titans chose Kanak, who converted from linebacker to tight end before the 2025 season, in the seventh round with the 225th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Kanak was one of the most reliable targets for quarterback John Mateer early in 2025. He caught 18 passes for 307 yards during OU’s first four contests, helping the Sooners start the season 4-0.

The tight end’s production, though, dipped later in the season. Kanak logged more than 50 yards in only one of the Sooners’ final nine games of the season.

But it’s hard to fault Kanak entirely for his less flashy stat lines, as Oklahoma’s offense sputtered in the back half of the season after Mateer suffered a hand injury in late September.

Prior to switching to the offensive side of the ball, Kanak was a disruptive piece to OU’s defense during his first three seasons in Norman. He totaled 103 total tackles, 39 solo tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups while playing linebacker from 2022 to 2024.

Kanak was one of 10 players from the Sooners’ 2025 team who earned an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in February. There, Kanak ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and logged a 36” vertical jump while also recording 24 reps on the bench press.

Kanak’s selection made him the sixth player from OU’s 2025 squad selected in the NFL Draft.

Safety Robert Spears-Jennings was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the pick right before Kanak.

Interior offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu was the first Sooner of the board on Saturday, as he was taken by the Houston Texans. Nwaiwu was followed by defensive tackle Gracen Halton, who was taken by the San Francisco 49ers, and linebacker Kendal Daniels, who was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.

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The Sooners have surpassed their total number of players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Last year, linebacker Danny Stutsman and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. were the only former OU players picked, and both of them went in the fourth round.

The Titans hired former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh over the offseason to take control of the organization.

Tennesse drafted former Ben Arbuckle pupil Cam Ward as its franchise quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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