NFL teams are always on the lookout for the next great tight end.
Oregon star Kenyon Sadiq has a chance to become that kind of talent at the next level in the NFL. The 6-foot-3, 241-pound pass catcher shattered the all-time tight end record for the 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Combine. He also tested well in the vertical and broad jump.
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With his success, Sadiq is expected to become a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh.
Sadiq caught a career-best 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns for the Ducks during the 2026 season. He had 24 catches for 308 yards as a sophomore, playing as a backup to Terrance Ferguson beforehand.
Here’s what to know on Sadiq ahead of the NFL draft:
Who is Kenyon Sadiq?
Sadiq had already earned hype as a prospect ahead of the NFL draft combine. However, after running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, he broke the record for the fastest ever at the NFL Combine by a tight end. That mark was previously held by Vernon Davis (2006) and Dorin Dickerson (2010) of 4.40.
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Of course, he started drawing interest before that, as combine numbers alone never lead to you becoming a first-round pick. As a junior, he broke the Oregon tight end record for receptions with 51, while his eight touchdowns were the second most in program history by a tight end and the 560 yards were the fourth most.
The breakout performance was enough for the athletic tight end to jump up mock draft boards after he combined for 29 catches for 332 yards and three touchdowns in his first two seasons with the Ducks.
Before arriving at Oregon, Sadiq was a consensus four-star recruit after leading Skyline High School to three consecutive state championship titles from 2020 to 2022 in Idaho. As a senior, he finished with 62 catches, 1,303 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning MaxPreps Idaho High School Football Player of the Year 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year honors.
Kenyon Sadiq NFL draft projections
Sadiq is widely considered one of the top tight ends in this year’s NFL draft class in the class. Here’s where NFL draft analysts have Sadiq going in Thursday’s draft:
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Kenyon Sadiq NFL draft scouting report
Here’s a scouting report of Sadiq from USA TODAY Sports’ Ayrton Ostly:
“Like Love at running back, Sadiq is the runaway No. 1 tight end prospect in the class. The Ducks’ tight end is a young prospect with plenty of development potential. He’s an outstanding athlete at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds who can be a vertical threat in an NFL offense — shown by his outstanding combine performance. His willingness as a blocker should only improve his abilities in time to complete his game.”
Kenyon Sadiq stats
Here’s a look at Sadiq’s collegiate career stats at Oregon:
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2023: Five receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown
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2024: 24 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns
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2025: 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns
Kenyon Sadiq 247 recruiting ranking
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No. 79 overall in 2023 recruiting class
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Sadiq was a four-star recruit who was rated as the No. 4 athlete and the No. 79 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Kenyon Sadiq? Meet the Oregon tight end
