Kenyon Sadiq Scores Top-10 Grade in the 2026 NFL Draft

It took me a while to begin to see the vision with Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

It actually took me a season and a half of watching his film…

“Sadiq is the most unpolished route-running tight end I’ve ever evaluated.” Those were my words in my previous evaluation of Sadiq based on his 2024 game film.

I walked away from that evaluation thinking, “He’s got a ways to go,” after watching him being targeted only 28 times and catching 24 of those passes. I didn’t think Sadiq was that big of a deal (played in all 13 of Oregon’s games in 2024), and apparently neither did Oregon’s offensive play-caller.

And honestly ⎯

I continued thinking that same thing through the first six games of Oregon’s 2025 schedule…

Then the Rutgers game happened this season, and I continued seeing down the stretch.

What changed?

His route running.

Sadiq went from looking like a raw specimen who specialized in running simple screens and picking up YAC (yardage after catch) to looking elite.

I literally chicken scratched 18 routes that changed my mind ⎯

That’s it.

That’s it?

Yep ⎯

That’s all it took for me.

Sadiq must have looked pretty special on those 18 routes?

Yeah, he did.

I feel like Sadiq was giving me a special private sneak preview of what he’s going to do in the NFL. Don’t get me wrong, he was good the rest of the time too, but on those 18 routes, he showed rare traits.

Can’t forget about his hands.

So, just how good are his hands?

Pretty darn good ⎯

Does he catch everything thrown in his direction?

Well, no, not everything, but almost everything.

2025:

• 51 receptions
• 71 targets
• 71.8% catch rate

A+ blocker

Not only does Sadiq check the box as a receiver, but he also checks the box as a blocker.

Sadiq is the best blocking tight-end I’ve ever evaluated.

I counted 14 pancake blocks total. Run blocking. Pass blocking. Blocking downfield. Doesn’t matter. Sadiq is like having a sixth offensive lineman on the field. He’s actually a better blocker than a lot of offensive tackles I’ve evaluated.

Biggest question?

Sadiq looks like a decoy on 80% of his routes.

Was that by design, or is Sadiq a lazy route runner?

That’s the proverbial million-dollar question that I’m leaving open-ended (which I hate to do; I hate unanswered questions on a final pre-draft evaluation). But I have no choice. This is really a lingering question from his 2024 evaluation, when he looked raw as a route runner (had trouble creating separation, could get impeded on routes, etc).

My best guess: some of it looked like he was an obvious decoy, and some of it looked like a lack of trust between him and his quarterback.

NFL projection

These are the eight previous tight-ends that I put first-round grades on since I jumped back into the evaluation game in the 2021 NFL Draft:

Kyle Pitts

Trey McBride

Michael Mayer

Luke Musgrave

Darnell Washington

Brock Bowers

Colston Loveland

Tyler Warren

Sadiq is the ninth.

Did I mention he’s built like a Greek god?

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

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of March 23, 2026

Oregon Tight End Kenyon Sadiq Has More to Prove (2024: 13 games evaluated)

2025 game film evaluated: Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Oregon State, Penn State, Indiana, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Minnesota, USC, Washington, James Madison, Texas Tech, and Indiana (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Complete tight end. Dynamic. Lines up in tight, out wide, or in the backfield. Fluid movements. Confident, strong hands. Thick thighs. Destroys zone coverage. Able to dominate physically and/or athletically at route breakpoints vs. man. Can sell blocking before leaking out into a route. Sometimes front faces for the ball too quickly. Can lose concentration and drop a pass when he turns upfield too soon. Nice catch radius. Gets fired up. Not the easiest to bring down after the catch. Good contact balance. Can hurdle defenders. Aggressive blocker. Excellent pulling. Above average sustaining.

Final words

Sadiq will be a match-up nightmare in the NFL.

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.