A Kölsche Jung in the NFL? Marlin Klein has done a lot in recent years to make this dream come true in just a few weeks. The story of a talent who left his homeland behind at the age of 15 to conquer the best league in the world.
Cologne is a center for many things: football, media, carnival, of course. However, Cologne is an unusual starting point for becoming an NFL professional. Marlin Klein proves just the opposite.
In the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, the league’s talent exchange, he is considered a promising candidate for one of rounds three to seven. In short: The tight end is the next big draft hope from Germany.
NITRO and RTL+ will show all rounds of the mega event from April 24th to 25th and will once again turn the largest talent fair in professional sports into an interactive community event.
The 23-year-old has worked hard to achieve this status. Like so many young children in Germany, he began his sporting career with a ball, not with leather. Football, basketball, and only then did I switch to American football. He took his first steps with the Cologne Crocodiles.
Ice-cold jump to the USA
At the age of 15, he took the giant leap across the Atlantic. Through a sponsorship program, he received a place at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School in Georgia. The starting signal for Klein’s big USA adventure. New language, new environment, not everyone dares to take this step. Klein did one after another.
A diamond in the rough, he attracted the attention of many colleges. Klein chose the renowned University of Michigan. The German is becoming a prime example of how to climb the career ladder as a young athlete. From no-name and bench warmer to team captain. Klein reeled off the entire program. For a year he also sat on the university and gym bench with today’s NFL professional Julius Welschof and shared the football field.
The Steelers player (Practice Squad) highlights Klein’s humility and work ethic. “He didn’t go in with his chest held high, but more calmly – as you would want in college,” says Welschof RTL/ntv and sport.de. “He learned a lot from [Tight End] Luke Schoonmaker and earned his spot through hard work and was also team captain last year.”
Klein’s approach was “actually exactly right” and “the way it should be done,” explains Welschof. “You get a lot of respect from the coaches and the team.”
And with exactly this attitude, Klein earned more and more respect, reputation and playing time. The breakthrough came in the 2025 season as Michigan’s number one tight end.
| season | games | Starts | Receptions | yards | Ø Yards/Rec | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 108 | 8.3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 6 | 24 | 248 | 10.3 | 1 |
| Total | 36 | 12 | 38 | 364 | 9.6 | 1 |
With the Wolverines he developed into a regular player, from a diamond in the rough to an all-round tight end. This doesn’t go unnoticed by NFL scouts either.
NFL Draft 2026: Experts are convinced of Marlin Klein
Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah publicly singled him out in February. He explained what makes the youngster so special. “Klein has the ideal build for a tight end. He gets away from the line of scrimmage quickly and can catch the ball cleanly away from his body.”
This is particularly noticeable when he is on the move, said the draft expert. “He is at his best when he can work with speed – for example on a wheel route, where he also scored a touchdown last season.”
At 1.98 meters tall and weighing around 113 kg, he is a model athlete with a lot of speed. His role models? Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski.
The only point of criticism, according to Jeremiah, is when Klein “has to work back to quarterback.” But the conclusion is more than positive. “I think there’s more to come,” says the expert.
In the draft preview, Klein lands late on Day 2 or a solid Day 3. Jeremiah even believes he can be picked in the third round. Other draft analysts see him a little further back.
Klein is not someone who makes big speeches or creates the biggest hype, but someone who impresses with performance, who “gets things done”. Works. Coaches love exactly these kinds of players. It somehow fits into the picture that he doesn’t have an official nickname.
His willingness to do the “dirty work” makes him a favorite of coaches. Klein’s strength is blocking. But: “There’s probably nothing on the football field that he can’t do,” said his tight ends coach Steve Casula. His former high school coach praised him as a “unique boy, unique player and very well-rounded athlete.”
He also did a lot for his ranking at the NFL Combine at the end of February. Among other things, Klein ran 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which is very good for his stature. His Relative Athletic Score is considered extraordinary for a tight end.
Video: Cologne tight end impresses at the NFL Combine
At the Combine, the Rhinelander also had many conversations with the teams. He described this hustle and bustle as the “longest job interview in the world.” According to his own statement, the talks with the Eagles, the Bengals, the Lions, the Texans and the Cardinals went best.
Klein emphasizes his strengths
Klein cannot influence which team ultimately chooses him. What is certain for him is that this team will make a good catch. “I would say I’m more physical than the others. I’m not afraid, no matter who’s standing in front of me. I always think: ‘I’ll take you where you don’t want to go and I’m stronger than you, faster than you think,'” said Klein, describing his strengths.
His path, which was not always easy, made him stronger. He draws strength from this. “I came to college as a receiver and had to get stronger, get faster and get smarter because I didn’t know football from Germany the way Americans do. I had to work harder. But in the end it all worked out well,” he remembers.
In general, starting college was “not an easy time.” “I grew up and was always the biggest, the fastest, the top student, the top athlete and then you’re behind,” he summarizes. “It wasn’t easy in the first two years. But I fought through it and learned from the guys. I always say: ‘Trust the process’ and after all, I’ve never sat behind someone who didn’t become a starter in the NFL.”
That remains his goal. Now it’s his turn. He now has to be patient for a good four weeks before he will know how his US adventure will continue. It smells heavily of a happy ending.
It all started in Cologne. On April 24th and 25th he looks to Pittsburgh. He is closer to the dream than ever before.
