Oregon Tight End Kenyon Sadiq Has More to Prove

Oregon tight End Kenyon Sadiq is one of the best blocking tight ends I’ve ever evaluated.

The 10 pancake blocks that I charted are just the beginning.

Sadiq brings it.

He’s tenacious.

Sadiq knows how to achieve leverage.

The most impressive part ⎯

Consistency

Sadiq put on a blocking clinic.

While there is value in being a dominant blocker, that alone will not be enough to get Sadiq selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Not in a passing league.

Not in a league where 29/32 teams passed the ball more than 50% of the time in 2024 (teamrankings.com).

Can he catch the ball?

Yes.

He’s pretty darn good at it.

2024:

• 24 receptions
• 28 targets
• 85.7% catch rate

He’s more than “good at it.” That’s phenomenal.

Is he fast?

Per 247Sports, Sadiq posted an 11.04 100-meter time in high school.

And there’s no question he can run on his game film.

Sadiq has good short-area straight-line acceleration, and he plays football the way he ran track.

In a straight line.

What does that mean?

Sadiq ran a lot of short lateral bubble screens.

He ran a few straight-line intermediate routes (11-19 yards).

But, again, he ran a lot of short lateral bubble screens.

That’s what Sadiq excels at. He excels at getting out in space and picking up yardage after the catch. He’s competitive, and he’s not the easiest to bring down as he weaves in and out of traffic with raw determination.

What other routes did he run?

That’s the issue.

Sadiq is the most unpolished route-running tight end I’ve ever evaluated.

If I had to guess, 90% of the catches he made were little non-sophisticated screens and dump-off passes.

Jack of all trades

Sadiq has a little Tyler Warren feel to him on tape.

Warren was a tight end out of Penn State who went on to become the Colts’ first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. I had a first-round grade on Warren and had him as my No. 4-rated prospect on my Pre 2025 NFL Draft Value Board. Warren did just about everything for the Nittany Lions. He lined up all over the place. I had never seen a tight end like him before.

Sadiq has some of that to him.

Oregon motions him and moves him around. He had 155 inline tight end snaps, 124 snaps at slot, 45 at wide receiver, 14 at H-back, and 9 at other (247Sports).

Sadiq had five carries for 24 yards with a long of 16 yards. He ran a fake punt against Idaho. He also threw a 2-point conversion against UCLA.

Raw

This prospect didn’t exactly light the football field on fire last season while playing in the rotation along with fellow tight ends Terrance Ferguson (43 catches for 591 yards) and Patrick Herbert (10 catches for 97 yards).

Sadiq production:

• 308 receiving yards
• 2 touchdowns

How much was he on the field?

• 350 snaps
• 26.92 average snaps per game (13 games)

#18 Kenyon Sadiq 6-foot-3, 245 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of September 25, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Idaho, Boise State, Oregon State, UCLA, Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, Washington, Penn State, and Ohio State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Developmental prospect with a strong athletic frame. Thick and powerful thighs. Selfless. Catches with his hands. Reliable. Dependable. Fluid movements. Had trouble creating separation from defenders on routes that featured a breakpoint. Could get slightly impeded on straight-line routes downfield. Effective at sealing off the edge run blocking while lined up in-line or in the slot. Lined up at end on the field goal unit.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Production?

2. What does his route running look like?

3. How well does he create separation on his routes?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.