Draft-Week Buzz
- 2026-04-14 [Chargers visit] — LAC brought him in at #22 — Herbert's seam weapon
- 2026-04-06 [Pro Day] — Ran 4.65 40 at 6-3, 241 — locked in as class's TE1
- 2026-03-29 [Mackey semifinalist] — Named John Mackey Award semifinalist post-season
Buzz items pulled from beat-writer reports, ESPN/NFL.com transactions, Pro Day recaps, and verified Top 30 visit reports in the 30 days leading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Each linked headline goes to the original source. See our full draft-week news tab for cross-prospect timeline.
Born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Grew up in tiny Mackay, Idaho. For freshman year
attended Marsh Valley HS (Arimo, ID) before returning to Idaho Falls — in part to help care
for his grandmother — and enrolling at Skyline HS.
HIGH SCHOOL: Skyline HS (Idaho Falls, ID). Led the Grizzlies to three straight state
championships from 2020-22 and broke multiple program records. Senior year: 62 rec / 1,303
yards / 18 TDs receiving + 233 rush yds / 4 TDs + 2 INTs and a sack on defense.
RECRUITING: 4-star, #1 recruit in Idaho. Committed to Oregon over Iowa State, Michigan,
Washington, and a long list of others.
COLLEGE: Three years at Oregon. Minor role as a true frosh in 2023 (5/24/1). Expanded role
in 2024. 2025: 51 rec / 560 yds / 8 TDs — the #1 TE in the class per PFF and Jeremiah.
Played wing, inline, slot — a true flex F-TE.
DRAFT PROJECTION: Round 1, picks 15-25. Potential top-20 selection. Chargers at #22 (Herbert
seam weapon) and Panthers at #19 are textbook fits.
Scouting Profile
Combine / Pro Day Measurables (reported)
| 40-yard dash | 4.65 |
| Vertical jump (in) | 37.5 |
| Broad jump | 10'2" |
| Bench press (225 reps) | 20 reps |
| 3-cone drill | 7.02 |
| 20-yard shuttle | 4.22 |
| Wingspan | 78.5" |
| Hand size | 9 5/8" |
Numbers compiled from NFL Scouting Combine results, Pro Day box scores, and beat-writer reports. "Reported" means cross-referenced against multiple sources; verify on nfl.com/combine for definitive marks.
College Career Stats
- 2023 Oregon (Fr): 5 rec, 24 yds, 1 TD
- 2024 Oregon (So): 24 rec, 308 yds, 3 TD
- 2025 Oregon (Jr): 51 rec, 560 yds, 8 TD
Strengths
- Seam stretcher — high-points 50-50 balls deep middle
- YAC magnet — sheds arm tackles consistently
- Willing inline blocker — seals edges in the run game
- Reliable hands — almost zero drops on contested catches
- Flex alignment versatility — wing, inline, slot
Weaknesses / Areas to Develop
- Power-blocking strength still developing
- Short-area quickness is good not elite
- Limited release variety vs press coverage
NFL Pro Comparison
Sam LaPorta (Lions) — polished receiver with adequate blocking, immediate Pro Bowl ceiling, schemed in flex roles
Mock-Draft Consensus
| ESPN (Jordan Reid) | PFF Big Board | Jeremiah Top 50 | Consensus Avg | Realistic Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #16 | #14 | — | #15.0 | Picks 15-25 |
30-day trend: Rising — TE1 of class
Ranks cross-referenced from ESPN's Jordan Reid top-500, PFF's 2026 Big Board top-200, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50 (NFL.com). Realistic draft-night range reflects projected team fit and trade scenarios, not just big-board placement.
Advanced Stats & Production
| 2025 PFF grade | 84.6 |
| Yards per route run | 2.12 |
| Run-block grade | 72.4 |
| Contested catch rate | 58% |
| Drop rate | 2.1% |
Metrics blended from PFF grade sheets, school box scores, and Combine/Pro Day box scores. Position-specific: QB shows efficiency + turnover rates, WR/TE show route-running + contested-catch, OL shows pass-block grade + pressures allowed, EDGE/IDL show pass-rush win rate + pressure rate, LB/DB show coverage grade + missed-tackle rate.
Outcome Range
- Floor: TE2 receiving option, 400-500 yards/yr
- Median: TE1 starter, 800 yds + Pro Bowl in a good year
- Ceiling: All-Pro mismatch weapon — Travis Kelce-tier role for a creative OC
Scheme Fit
12-personnel West Coast tree with seam routes and motion concepts; ideal for a Harbaugh / Shanahan / McVay scheme
Pre-Draft Visits
Top-30 visits with the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, and Carolina Panthers
Signature College Game
2025 CFP semifinal vs Ohio State: 8 rec, 142 yds, 2 TDs — confirmed himself as the class's TE1
Sources
Our scouting profile is assembled from these primary sources + cross-checked against ESPN (Kiper / Reid / Miller), PFF's 2026 Big Board, Dane Brugler's The Beast 2026, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50. See our full methodology and citations.
Day 2 / Day 3 Team Fits
NFL teams that lost a same-position veteran this offseason — and could target Kenyon Sadiq as a Day 2/3 replacement option.
- REPORTED Pittsburgh Steelers: moved on from Jonnu Smith (two-way-TE).
Picks held: R1 #21; R2 #53 - REPORTED Seattle Seahawks: moved on from Will Dissly (blocking-TE).
Picks held: R1 #32; R2 #64
Confidence: "VERIFIED" departures cite a publication URL (Spotrac, OverTheCap, ESPN, NFL.com, team transactions page) confirming the move and date. "REPORTED" entries come from public free-agency trackers without a single canonical source we could attach. Fits are archetype-and-position based; we are not claiming the team has expressed interest in the prospect.
NFL Scheme Fit
NFL Scheme Fit
- Move-Y / H-back / formation-flex offenses
Kansas City Chiefs · Detroit Lions · Philadelphia Eagles · Atlanta Falcons
Scheme matches are bucketed from the prospect's height, weight, and (for WRs) archetype tag against a static lookup of which NFL teams currently run each scheme family.
Rookie Contract & Landing-Spot Outlook
Projected Rookie Contract Value
~$13.0M – $26.5M (4-year deal) · Pick range: #15-25 · ~100% guaranteed
Mid-pick band — guarantee % varies pick-to-pick
Best-Case / Worst-Case Landing Spot
Why: TE listed in their top-5 positional needs; runs a scheme that maximizes his profile.
Year-1 arc: Day-1 starter window with cap-controlled rookie-contract production.
Why: TE not in their stated top-5 needs; runs a scheme that doesn't naturally amplify his profile.
Year-1 arc: Depth-chart competition + special-teams reps as Year-1 baseline.
Contract band uses the 2026 NFL CBA rookie wage scale projected from the prospect's expected pick range; guarantee % is the slot-default at that pick. Landing-spot best/worst case is derived from TEAMS data (positional needs + scheme overlap minus same-position R1 conflicts) — not a claim that either team has expressed interest.
By the Numbers — 2026 Class Context
- Frame: Among 2026 TE prospects, his 6-3 / 241 lbs frame sits at the 17th percentile in height and 35th percentile in weight.
- Position class: Kenyon Sadiq is TE #1 of 23 ranked TEs in the 2026 class. Of those, 1 are projected in the R1 range.
- School pipeline: One of 9 Oregon prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft — but the only TE.
- Recruiting arc: Was a 4-star recruit but is now projected R1 — outperformed his recruiting profile.
Computed factually from the 2026 prospect class roster — height/weight percentiles benchmark this player against every other ranked prospect at the same position. Recruiting arc compares his high-school 247Sports/Rivals composite to his current projected round.
Similar Tight End Prospects
Closest matches to Kenyon Sadiq (6-3 / 241 lbs, #1 TE) by ranking proximity and physical profile. SIZE MATCH = within 1″ height and 10 lbs; TIER MATCH = within 2 ranking spots.
- Eli StowersSIZE MATCH Vanderbilt · 6-4/240 lbs · #2 TE · R2
- Max KlareSIZE MATCH Ohio State · 6-4/245 lbs · #3 TE · R2-R3
- Michael TriggSIZE MATCH Baylor · 6-3/245 lbs · #7 TE · R4
- Oscar Delp Georgia · 6-5/240 lbs · #5 TE · R3
- Sam Roush Stanford · 6-5/250 lbs · #4 TE · R3
Oregon & The 2026 Class
More from Oregon
- Jadon Canady · CB #11 · R5
- Emmanuel Pregnon · IOL #3 · R2
- Alex Harkey · IOL #16 · R7
- Bryce Boettcher · LB #10 · R3-R4
- Makhi Hughes · RB #14 · R6
Other R1 15-25 prospects in the 2026 class
Different positions, same projected draft tier as Kenyon Sadiq.
- Jordyn Tyson · WR · Arizona State
- CJ Allen · LB · Georgia