Justin Joly Fantasy Stats

Tight end Justin Joly has been claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins from the Denver Broncos, according to Mike Klis. Denver traded up to select Joly 152nd overall in April, but the fifth-round rookie was waived Sunday during final cuts. He did leave the Broncos with one big preseason highlight, catching an 88-yard touchdown against Minnesota in the finale. Joly finished August with five receptions for 105 yards and one score. The 22-year-old caught 49 passes for 489 yards and seven touchdowns at NC State last season and was viewed coming out of college as a movable receiving tight end who could work from several alignments. Miami initially kept Greg Dulcich, Will Kacmarek, Ben Sims and Seydou Traore at the position, so Joly joins another crowded group. Dulcich remains the most established receiving option, leaving Joly without an obvious immediate fantasy role, but Miami gives the rookie another developmental opportunity after his brief stay in Denver.

Denver Broncos rookie tight end Justin Joly was "just a little bit behind" throughout the offseason and training camp, general manager George Paton said during an appearance on Orange and Blue Today. "We knew when we drafted him -- we knew he was raw, and we still liked the player," Paton said. "We still like the player. We think he's going to have a nice career. You just gotta make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make." He added that Joly had been improving lately, and he scored an 88-yard touchdown in Saturday's preseason finale, albeit on a play where the defense broke down. Paton hinted that if the preseason were one or two games longer, the outcome may have been different. Presumably, Denver will look to get Joly back on the practice squad so that he can continue to develop. However, with fifth-round draft capital, we wouldn't be surprised if any of the other 31 teams try to claim him off waivers.

Denver Broncos tight end Justin Joly has been waived as the team trims its roster to 53 players, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. As Klis noted, the fifth-round rookie had struggled early in training camp, but it seemed like he had turned a corner when he scored an 88-yard touchdown in the Broncos' preseason finale on Saturday. Nevertheless, he'll now be subject to waivers, allowing any of the other 31 teams to claim him. If he clears waivers, he'd be a candidate to return to the Broncos' practice squad, where he can continue to develop without counting toward the 53-man roster. This move would seem to indicate that Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, and Nate Adkins will round out Denver's tight end room for Week 1, barring any unforeseen moves.

Denver Broncos rookie tight end Justin Joly had a big game in his team's 34-6 preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, hauling in both of his targets for 95 yards and a touchdown. Joly showed off his ability to make plays down the field late in the game, scoring an 88-yard touchdown on a broken play. A fifth-round pick out of North Carolina State, Joly recorded 49 catches for 489 yards and seven touchdowns across 12 games in his final collegiate season. Entering 2026, the 22-year-old will likely begin the year behind veterans Evan Engram and Adam Trautman on Denver's tight end depth chart. However, Trautman profiles more as a blocking tight end, and Engram is entering his age-32 season while coming off a down year. As a stash candidate in dynasty formats, Joly could be worth a look for fantasy managers.

The Denver Broncos have selected North Carolina State tight end prospect Justin Joly with the 152nd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Joly was a four-year contributor in college, splitting his NCAA career at UConn and NC State. Over his last two seasons, he caught 92 passes for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns, mostly against ACC competition. Tight end Evan Engram had an underwhelming 2025 season from a fantasy football perspective, and now that he's headed into a contract year, it's time for the Broncos to begin looking for his replacement. Despite being a Day 3 pick, Joly could be the Broncos' eventual successor to Engram. He'll use 2026 as a developmental campaign before perhaps ascending into a larger role in 2027. He's not on the redraft radar at the moment, but there could be some dynasty appeal in deeper leagues.

NC State tight end Justin Joly has been one of the most productive players at the position over the last three college football seasons. The 21-year-old New York native began his career at UConn before spending his junior and senior seasons with the Wolfpack, hauling in 92 receptions for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns. He enjoyed great success at NC State, but his breakout campaign came as a sophomore with the Huskies in 2023, when he tallied 56 catches for 578 yards and two scores. The 2025 first-team All-ACC selection is viewed as one of the top five tight ends in the 2026 NFL Draft class, and he's currently projected to be a third-round selection in April. Joly thrives running intermediate and deep routes, making him a strong TE2 and second tight end in 12-personnel at the next level. His landing spot will determine his upside and placement in dynasty rookie drafts as part of a shallow incoming rookie tight end class.