We have been spoiled with Rookie TEs lately, so much so that Jason has almost changed his tune when it comes to drafting them. IYKYK. But I am a realist. I know that as I settle down to watch this crop of wide-eyed young TEs just looking for a shot, I will be saying alot more of “what if they have success” than “when they have success.” Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is the assumed TE1 in this class, but that doesn’t mean his profile is without blemishes. In fact, there are tons to talk about.
In this rookie profile article, we will take a deep dive into Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq, examining his production profile and looking at the film to see if we can forecast what type of player the NFL is getting out of the man from Duck country.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of our Rookie Profile series going on until the 2026 NFL Draft. For more on each rookie, check out Andy, Mike, and Jason’s exclusive rookie rankings and production profiles found only in the Dynasty Pass, part of the UDK+ for 2026.
College Production Profile
Raised by a single mother with two of his siblings, Sadiq spent much of his youth in McCammon, Idaho, a tiny town in the Southeastern corner of the state. As a Sophomore, he moved to Idaho Falls to help his grandmother and enrolled at Skyline High School, where he led the school to three straight state championships. He was the number one recruit coming out of Idaho and a four-star recruit who committed to Oregon over Michigan, Iowa State, and Washington.
It was a slow start for Sadiq, who was battling with several future NFL players – during his first year, he was teammates with Bucky Irving, Tez Johnson, and Troy Franklin with Bo Nix as QB. He only had five catches for 24 yards during his first season. In 2024, Sadiq got more play, catching balls from Dillon Gabriel and boasting a 92% reception rate on 27 targets. Not tons of targets, but a step up from the year previous. During his final year in Eugene, Sadiq had yet another QB (Dante Moore), but managed to lead the team in receiving TDs with eight and receptions with 51. He finished with 560 yards receiving.
Sadiq has a long list of accolades, including second-team Associated Press All-American, Big Ten Conference TE of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and was a finalist for the John Mackey Award (nation’s top TE). Finally, he led FBS TEs with eight receiving TDs and set Oregon’s record for TEs with 51 receptions.
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||
| Games Played | Rec | Yds | Y/C | TD | Att | Yds | Y/A | TD | Fum | |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 4.8 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 13 | 24 | 308 | 12.8 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 4.8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 14 | 51 | 560 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
NFL Scouting Combine Measurements
| Height | Weight | Hands | Arm | Wing | 40-yd | 10 split | Vertical | Broad |
| 6’3″ | 241 | 10″ | 31.5″ | 78.25″ | 4.39 | 1.54 | 43.5″ | 11’1″ |
What’s On Tape
Games viewed: USC (2025), Indiana (2025), Penn State (2024)
1. Solid After the Catch
Using his strong athletic frame, Sadiq is able to push guys off of him and get those extra yards after the catch. He had 248 yards after the catch in 2025, which was the 11th highest in the class. His body control is fantastic, which helps him get those extra yards. There were multiple plays where he had to reach out to make those over-the-shoulder catches and still managed to push forward for either a few extra yards or to break the plane and score. His speed is also what unlocks this, too; he stretches the field with his ability to put his foot on the gas after catching the ball.
2. Versatile
One of the best things about Sadiq is his ability to line up all over the field. You can watch him on tape lined up in the slot, in motion, as the X receiver – literally wherever Oregon needed him, he went. Almost 20% of his routes were out of the slot, and just over 11% came from an outside WR spot. This flexibility will give him more opportunities to get on the field in the NFL. During his final year at Oregon, his target depth was also all over the place
- Behind the line of scrimmage: 23.9%
- Short (0-9 yds): 35.8%
- Medium (10-19 yds): 26.9%
- Deep (20+ yds): 13.4%
You can really see Sadiq’s seam-stretching ability in those deep targets – he scored five of his eight TDs on those. He was a matchup nightmare in college and could be the same in the NFL. If you want to see what Sadiq can do, check out the game against USC. He caught six of his seven targets for 72 and two TDs. He also had some solid blocks opening up running lanes for RB Noah Whittington and even blocking for his QB Dante Moore. Sadiq had a beautiful TD grab in the third quarter, sandwiched between two defenders, and managed to hold on through the hit. Chefs kiss.
Sadiq is also a ready, willing, and able blocker. His technique can use some work, but he always seems 100% committed to his assignment. He actually had a PFF pass block rating of 76.2, which is first in the class. We know those NFL teams love themselves a TE who can block.
3. He is an Athletic Freak
Kenyon Sadiq 4.40 40-yard dash
fastest for any TE since 2006
at 6'3 and 245 pounds
absolute freak
pic.twitter.com/RTtlwIMkw8— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) February 28, 2026
What else is there to say about this man’s pure unadultuarated athleticism? Before the Combine, Sadiq was on the 2025 Feldman Freaks list, power cleaning 365 pounds and benching 435. Light weight, baby. And then came the Combine. The man ran a 4.39 40 with a 1.54 split, and had a 11″1′ broad jump and 43.5″ vertical jump as the cherry on his sundae. This speed was as a 241-pound man. Good golly. Sadiq is the fastest TE to ever test in Indy, and clearly one of the most explosive athletes, regardless of the position. Only WR DK Metcalf and S Nick Emmanwori have also boasted the combination of a 40 faster than 4.4, a 40+ vertical, and an 11+ broad jump at 220 pounds or heavier.
Sadiq is imposing on the field, and he has the speed to go with the physicality.
this is an insane combine stat:
40-yard dash top speed:
23.2 mph for TE Kenyon Sadiq
23.2 mph for RB Jahmyr GibbsGibbs at 199 lbs vs Sadiq at 241 lbs
both hit the SAME top speed in the 40
via NextGenStats
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) February 28, 2026
What’s Not on Tape
1. The Underwhelming Production Profile
This is the elephant in the room and the big conversation when it comes to Sadiq. Why does such an athletic specimen not have numbers that wow us more? Looking at the NFL TE1 college average in several statistics, Sadiq is severely disappointing. He managed 17% of his team’s receptions per game – close enough to the average of 19%, but the numbers are shocking everywhere else. Only 16% of the teams receiving yards (he finished with 560 in 2025, which is seventh in his draft class) and a 28% TD share. He had a 21% dominator rating, which is not great on a team that had almost 3800 yards of passing offense in 2025. We are looking for prospects to hit 26% or higher.
What does this mean? Well, the only first-round TEs with a lower dominator rating than Sadiq over the last decade were OJ Howard and Hayden Hurst (2017 and 2018). As the question was posed on the main show, is Kenyon Sadiq more of an athlete who happens to play TE or an actual difference-making TE?
He was surrounded by other talented offensive weapons at Oregon, but TE Terrance Ferguson and others were not prolific enough to be the reason why Sadiq didn’t get the lion’s share of the work. Sadiq was targeted on just over 19% of his routes, which was the 11th-highest in his class. He just wasn’t the focus of the offense, and it is tough to see why.
There is some potential explanation for the lack of production, especially as his final year at Oregon progressed. Sadiq dealt with various injuries during the season that were never fully disclosed, but they looked to impact him following the Ducks Week 8 matchup against Rutgers. Sadiq missed the game against Iowa, and HC Dan Lanning said it was precautionary due to “lingering injuries.” He had two great games against Minnesota and USC, but he went from averaging 14.5 yards per reception before missing time down to 8.5 yards per catch to finish the season. His yards per target and depth of target also went down. In true Jason form, don’t hear what I’m not saying – I am not making an excuse for Sadiq’s production, I am just considering injuries may have impacted him.
Best collegiate target share season among TEs in the last three classes:
Harold Fannin 37.3%
Tyler Warren 31.4%
*Tanner Koziol 29.3%
Colston Loveland 27.9%
Oronde Gadsden 25.7%
*Eli Stowers 25%
*Max Klare 24.7%
*Sam Roush 21.5%
Brock Bowers 20%
*Kenyon Sadiq 16.3%— John Daigle (@notJDaigle) March 3, 2026
Sadiq lacks the dominance that we were so wowed with from Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland, and Tyler Warren. At this point in the draft cycle, those prospects seemed to be guys that just couldn’t miss – and they paid off. It becomes more of a gamble with Sadiq.
2. Questionable Hands
The case of the dropsies is concerning, especially when combined with the disappointing production profile. Sadiq had the second-most drops in the class with six, which is TE23 in the class. It’s odd, too. During the previous season, he only dropped one of his 27 targets. The other thing that is perplexing is that Sadiq’s drops were not of the contested catch-crazy move variety. According to PFF, he had a 10.5% drop rate with on-target passes. It sometimes seemed that Sadiq would lose his focus or turn his head before he had the football locked in.
3. Route Running Needs Work
Having the athletic profile Sadiq does, there are times when his route running is jerky, and I wonder if he has the thought in his head that his strength will just be there for him to compensate. That can work in college, but in the pros, when he is going up against grown men, Sadiq will have to have more fluid routes if he is going to beat the defense and get open.
2026 Fantasy Outlook
There are plenty of teams looking for a TE who have the draft capital where Sadiq becomes an option. The Dolphins have pick 11 and pick 30 (long live the Wallerus), Tampa Bay has pick 15, Carolina has pick 19, and the Eagles have pick 23. Sadiq should be the first TE off the board this year – the athletic profile all but solidifies it, and we could see him drafted in the top 20. Alot of mock drafts have him going to Carolina at 19, a team currently boasting Tommy Tremble as their TE1. Carolina would put him to work almost immediately, and Bryce Young could have two young pass catchers (Tetairoa McMillan) to use to start building something.
We are also seeing alot of chatter about Sadiq heading to the Bucs at 15. This one would take a little wind out of my sails. If Sadiq lands in Carolina, it is easy to see him as the number two in targets, behind McMillan, and we know that TEs that are second on their teams with targets are potential fantasy football gold. Tampa has Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka (Egbigboo), and Jalen McMillan in the WR room, not to mention pass-catching Bucky Irving and new addition Kenneth Gainwell. It will take more effort to climb that depth chart.
Sadiq’s size may also be a bit of a concern when looking for a home with a chance to perform. He is a little short and light for the average successful NFL TE, so I would be even higher on him if he rolled up to the NFL Draft with an additional ten or so pounds on him. The extra weight would make Sadiq more impactful as a blocker, which would get him on the field more often.
Sadiq definitely has the chance to become a TE1 if he can get on the field and if he goes to a team that can use him creatively. I have sometimes seen him compared to George Kittle, and I have seen chatter about the Niners targeting Sadiq, knowing that the best years may be past for Kittle. San Francisco picks at 27, and there are several TE-needy teams ahead of them, so they would have to trade up if they stand a chance. I don’t know if I can see that happening.
Dynasty Value: Sadiq is certainly talented enough to get on the field immediately, but we all know there is no guarantee. If he lands somewhere where he can immediately step up as the TE1, I will be more bullish on him. It is also not lost on me that we might not have immediate fireworks from him, even with the insane athletic profile. He is a great addition to your dynasty team, especially if you are ending your journey with the likes of Travis Kelce or George Kittle and are looking to lay the groundwork for the next generation.
Rookie Dynasty Draft Recommendation: Sadiq seems to be the name that most drafters are whispering after the big three WRs and perhaps Fernando Mendoza go off the board. I would temper my expectations slightly, as I think there are a few other WRs to consider before pulling the trigger on Sadiq. He should go in the late first round. I actually think there may be more value for Dynasty drafters who need a TE to wait a little longer and consider Eli Stowers from Vanderbilt, who also has an insane athletic profile.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/1PqAb2H
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