New York Jets select Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq in first Round of 2026 NFL Draft

The New York Jets have selected Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq in the 2026 NFL Draft. Sadiq comes off the board in the first round, with the No. 16 overall pick. Oregon has now had tight ends selected in back-to-back NFL Draft’s (Terrance Ferguson in 2025) for the first time since 2002/2003.

Across three seasons at Oregon, Sadiq recorded 80 receptions for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. He truly emerged as one of the best tight ends in all of college football last season, as he recorded career-highs in yards (560) and touchdowns (eight). He was named a Second Team All-American, and was voted the Big Ten Tight End of the Year.

Sadiq was vital to Oregon‘s run to the College Football Playoff last season. The Ducks compiled a 13-2 record and knocked off James Madison and Texas Tech to advance to the Semifinals of the CFP, where it fell to eventual National Champion Indiana. He looks to join Super Bowl XLVII Champion Ed Dickson and three-time Pro Bowler Russ Francis as the next great Oregon TE in the NFL.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Kenyon Sadiq

A scouting report was provided on Sadiq ahead of the Draft by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Sadiq was graded as a player who ‘will become good starter within two years’, with a prospect score of 6.46. He compared the Oregon product to Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride.

McBride has emerged as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Across four NFL seasons (all with Cardinals), McBride has hauled in 347 receptions for 3,475 yards and 17 touchdowns. He broke the tight end record for catches in a single-season in 2025 (126), and is a reigning First Team All-Pro selection.

“A versatile tight end with a shredded physique and alluring potential as a volume target, Sadiq’s route tree will be full of branches,” Zierlein wrote. “His athleticism and break quickness should allow him to uncover against man coverage on all three levels. He’s talented after the catch, with the ability to make things easier for play-callers and quarterbacks looking to move the sticks.

“He has the body control and hand strength to win contested catches but will occasionally allow balls to hit the ground on lower-difficulty plays. He’s adequate as a blocker, giving good effort in-line and locating and landing on linebackers as a move blocker. Teams looking to diversify their passing game options with a talented pass-catching tight end could make Sadiq a priority.”