The next Utah player who could follow Dallen Bentley to the NFL

The Utes might have another pro-caliber tight end on their hands

Utah Utes tight end Dallen Bentley (88). | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Utah tight end Dallen Bentley was selected by the Denver Broncos with the No. 256 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday.

Bentley, a former Snow College product who spent the final three years of his collegiate career with the Utes, became the third Utah player picked in 2026 draft. His offensive teammates, Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, were snagged during Thursday's first round.

Unlike Utah's highly-touted tackles, Bentley went into the 2025 season as a largely unknown prospect, with only three catches for 20 yards in his previous two Division I seasons to show for and not much draft buzz to his name as a former junior college player.

The Taylorsville, Utah, native had to overcome injuries and limited opportunities early on in his Utah career to enjoy a breakout senior year, in which he finished No. 2 on the team with 620 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 48 catches. He also played a pivotal role as an extra blocker in the Utes' dominant run game, which finished No. 2 in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 266.3 rush yards per game while recording 41 rushing touchdowns.

While toughness and reliable hands certainly helped make Bentley one of Devon Dampier's top targets, his role in the passing game was also expanded due to the injury Utah's H-back/tight end hybrid, Hunter Andrews, sustained at the start of conference play. The former three-star recruit showed promise early on as a freshman until he was ruled out for the season following the Utes' loss to Texas Tech in late September.

The potential Andrews displayed in just four games is why the Magnolia, Texas, native could follow Bentley to the pro ranks in 2028.

Hunter Andrews Due for Big Sophomore Year

In several other cases, losing a starting-caliber tight end who wound up with the second-most receiving yards and tied for the most receiving touchdowns on the team would create quite a hole to fill. It wouldn't help if the first-year tight end/receiver hybrid who flashed a lot of potential in his own right up and left via the transfer portal, either.

Utah finds itself in that exact position going into the 2026 season; Bentley is headed off to the NFL and JJ Buchanan dipped to follow Kyle Whittingham to Michigan, forcing the Utes to replenish some of their tight end depth via the transfer portal. So, they nabbed Oklahoma State transfer Will Monney and former Weber State tight end Noah Bennee to compete for playing time with redshirt sophomore Kana'i Lopes, sophomore Broderick Redden and freshman Bear Fisher.

The roles of every newcomer and returner are hardly set in stone, though based on past production and the varying skillsets that define the tight end room, Andrews should be in position to be the most-involved in the passing game. His athleticism at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds isn't all that common in college, and he's already proven just how effective he can be when the ball is in his hands.

In the four games Andrews played in last season, he recorded 13 rush attempts for 113 yards and one touchdown, plus 10 receptions for another 65 yards, while logging snaps at the natural tight end spot and in the backfield next to the quarterback.

If first-year offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven plans on moving Andrews around like Jason Beck did last season, then someone else will likely have to play more of the traditional tight end role as an extra blocker. But when it comes to having an extra receiver and sometimes even another tailback on the field, Andrews is the guy for the job.

Given he won't be eligible until 2028, Andrews has a couple more seasons to go before his chance to join Bentley in the NFL arrives. Until then, getting stronger and bigger to withstand the physical punishment that comes with playing the tight end position — even if it's not his natural position at Utah — should be one of his top priorities. He could move to full-time receiver at some point, but based on the fact he went from a running back in high school, to an H-back/tight end in his first year of college, it doesn't appear the Utes plan on using him as a true receiver.