TribLive is highlighting the top prospects leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The three-day event is April 23-25.

Kenyon Sadiq

Position: Tight end

Height/weight: 6-foot-3/241 pounds

College: Oregon

In the past three seasons, at least one tight end went in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Sadiq seems all but certain to extend that streak for another year. His elite speed rivals that of many wide receivers in this year’s draft and makes him a consensus first-day pick among experts.

His official time in the 40-yard dash — 4.39 seconds — was the fastest ever run by a tight end at the NFL Combine. By one-hundredth of a second, Sadiq broke an NFL Combine record that had stood for 20 years.

Future Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis had set the record at 4.40 seconds in 2006, leading the San Francisco 49ers to draft him sixth overall. Pitt’s Dorin Dickerson tied the record in 2010.

But beyond speed, draft analysts consider Sadiq to be a versatile player adept at both running routes and blocking. He was a finalist last season for the John Mackey Award, given annually to the most outstanding college tight end.

Sadiq finished last season with 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Sadiq had “too many easy would-be catches that were dropped” yet still considered the 21-year-old an “explosive weapon with toughness.”

Viewed as a potential high-volume target, his best game last season was an eight-catch, 96-yard, one-touchdown effort against Minnesota.

At the combine, Sadiq also posted a 43 1/2-inch vertical leap, an 11-foot-1 broad jump and 26 reps on the 225-pound bench press. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein favorably compared his overall athleticism to that of rising star Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals.

Key stat

51 — Catches by Sadiq in 2025 to break the Oregon single-season record for tight ends.

Did you know?

The tight end selected highest in NFL Draft history was Kyle Pitts, whom the Atlanta Falcons chose fourth overall in 2021.

On draft

Here is a look at where the top NFL Draft analysts rank Sadiq among players at his position and prospects overall:

Draft expert — TEs/Overall

Mel Kiper Jr. — first/12th

Daniel Jeremiah — first/13th

Todd McShay — first/18th

Field Yates — first/18th

Quotable

“He tested tremendously well. He interviewed amazingly well with the football IQ he showed. … He’s a guy you can move around as a tight end. You can put him anywhere.”

— ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

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