Kenyon

Sadiq

Sadiq, 21, posted a 52/568/8 receiving line in his third and final season at Oregon before clocking a record-setting 4.39-second 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He should operate as the Jets’ primary receiving tight end in year one, while second-year TE Mason Taylor handles blocking duties. It could be tough for Sadiq to produce as a fantasy TE1 as a rookie if he is limited to playing in 12 personnel, but training camp reports should clarify his expected usage. Sadiq’s $22.3 million contract is fully guaranteed.

Per Fowler, Jets TE Kenyon Sadiq “was also believed to be part of the Rams’ first-round conversation at some point,” along with Cowboys S Caleb Downs. Both the former USC wide receiver and the former Oregon tight end were available when the Rams were on the clock. The former Ohio State safety was taken two picks earlier. The Rams are slated to pick 29th in Rounds 2 and 3 today. Given their interest in Lemon, a slot/Z-receiver, and Sadiq, a receiving tight end, it would be unsurprising to see them draft a pass catcher today.

Sadiq (6’3/241) backed up fellow NFL tight end Terrence Ferguson as an underclassman. Even then, it was clear he was going to be the Ducks’ next star. Sadiq posted 308 yards as a sophomore, but did so while averaging over 10 yards after the catch per reception. He then took over for an NFL-bound Ferguson and went for 568 yards and eight scores on 52 grabs as a true junior. Sadiq didn’t dominate his team’s targets, but he blew by unsuspecting defenders with ease almost every week. He finished second among all tight ends in gains of 20-plus yards, of which he had 13. Sadiq’s slot-only size could have been an issue for some NFL teams, but he silenced the doubters at the NFL Combine with a record-setting 40-yard dash of 4.39 seconds. Sadiq is a competent blocker but nothing more. We wouldn’t expect his NFL team to ask him to block that often anyway. Because of his game-breaking speed, Vernon Davis is the common NFL comparison for Sadiq. Though Davis entered the NFL with 13 pounds over Sadiq, it’s still one of the only applicable comps out there.

Person said the Panthers, who hold the 19th pick in the 2026 draft, could target two Oregon players: Sadiq, who had 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns in his final collegiate season, and safety Dillon Thieneman, one of the most sought-after secondary options in this year’s draft. The team would likely have to trade up to make sure they have a shot at Sadiq, who would join Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders in the Carolina tight end room if he lands with the Panthers. The Panthers in 2025 targeted the tight end position at a 21 percent clip, the seventh lowest mark in the NFL. “Could that change with Brad Idzik taking over the play calling and the addition of offensive specialist Darrell Bevell, who was in Seattle with Canales when the Seahawks traded for All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham?” Person said. “Possibly.” Sadiq, who ranks 11th in yards per route run among tight ends in the 2026 draft class, would probably be a rotational player in Carolina.

Ravens team reporter Ryan Mink adds that although TE Mark Andrews posted a career-low 422 receiving yards last season, “the Ravens see a rebound in 2026.” DeCosta’s comments could indicate otherwise, though the team lost TEs Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in free agency. Mink also notes that the Ravens have picked two tight ends in the same draft four times in franchise history: 2022, 2018, 2015 and 2010. DeCosta has been with the Ravens for his whole career, dating back to 1996, and the strategy has worked well for the organization. Mink believes replacing Likely with a receiving tight end could be viewed as a need in the short term. He lists 10 potential draftees, including Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, Ohio State TE Max Klare, Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers, Baylor TE Michael Trigg and NC State TE Justin Joly.

Stowers, who won the Mackey Award in 2025 after catching 62 balls for 769 yards and four touchdowns at Vanderbilt, has gained a little bit of steam ahead of the 2026 draft. He’s widely expected to be the second tight end off the draft board after Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq. Evan Engram’s role in the Denver offense would become an uncertain one if the Broncos invest significant draft capital in Stowers, whose statistical and efficiency profiles are far superior to the hyper-athletic Sadiq. Stowers has also made pre-draft visits with the Cowboys, Rams, and Titans.

The Buccaneers have reportedly “keyed in” on tight end and defensive end as positional options in the first round. The Buccaneers re-signed TE Cade Otton to a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason. He is not a high-end receiving tight end, but he could eat into Sadiq’s snap share as a blocker. The receiving corps is currently in flux, though. There are worse landing spots for Sadiq.

Sadiq will potentially be the top tight end off the board in this year’s draft; he is a candidate to go at any point in the first round. The athletic 21-year-old would fit in as a key pass-catcher for a Browns team that could use help anywhere on offense, but Harold Fannin Jr. is the current incumbent at the position. A dual-TE offense with Sadiq and Fannin is possible and the Browns are at least doing their due diligence on the matter. Cleveland holds picks No. 6 and No. 24 in the draft.

Sadiq out of Oregon is widely expected to be a first round pick after setting record at the NFL Combine. Bowen believes the hyper-athletic tight end could be a situation matchup player for Sean McVay, who used three tight end sets at the NFL’s highest rate in 2025. “With his frame and 4.39 speed, Sadiq could be a seam stretcher for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Plus, McVay could use Sadiq as a backside X receiver/power slot to draw favorable man matchups.” Sadiq, who had 80 receptions over three seasons at Oregon, could fit the LA offense “as a catch-and-run target on boot action concepts,” Bowen said. Stafford last season led the NFL with 75 pass attempts on designed rollouts. It’s a crowded tight end room in LA, with Colby Parikson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen on the roster. Sadiq would likely function as a rotational player if he lands with the Rams, who have the 13th pick in the 2026 draft.

Sadiq is declaring for the draft early and immediately becomes one of the top tight end prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 20-year-old tallied 24 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore for an Oregon team that won the Big Ten Championship. He followed that up with a 51/560/8 line as a junior, leading all college tight ends in touchdown catches. Sadiq will get buzz as potentially the first tight end off the board and is a candidate to be selected in the top half of the first round.