Over the subsequent few months, we’ll be breaking down the entire rookies added by the Jets in the course of the draft and as undrafted free brokers. We proceed as we speak with tight finish Kenyon Sadiq.
The 21-year previous Sadiq is listed at 6’3” and 241 kilos and was the sixteenth total pick of Oregon. He was an all-Huge Ten first teamer final season, as he caught 51 passes, together with eight touchdowns.
Sadiq was a four-star highschool recruit who began off as a operating again earlier than changing to large receiver. He headed to Oregon to play tight finish, however didn’t play a lot in his first season as he had simply 5 catches for twenty-four yards and a landing.
In 2024, his function elevated and he had 24 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. By then finish of his second season, he solely had three profession touchdowns however it was notable that they have been all in huge video games as one was within the Fiesta Bowl and two have been within the Huge Ten title sport.
He broke out final season and ended the yr with 560 yards and eight touchdowns on 51 catches as he began 14 video games. He didn’t have a 100-yard sport in his profession, although.
Within the pre-draft course of, he boosted his possibilities of being drafted within the first spherical with an incredible efficiency on the mix.
The Jets chosen Sadiq with the sixteenth total choose, which was acquired from Indianapolis final season within the Sauce Gardner commerce.
Let’s transfer onto some extra in-depth evaluation of what Sadiq brings to the desk, based mostly on in-depth analysis and movie research.
Sadiq, who was a 205-pound large receiver when he was recruited by Oregon, is barely undersized and doesn’t have an enormous catch radius, though he has huge fingers. He weighed 241 on the mix, though apparently his weight bought as excessive as 255 whereas he was at Oregon so he may doubtlessly add to his body if it was felt needed.
As famous, he had a terrific exercise on the scouting mix, headlined by his 4.39 within the 40-yard sprint. Some contemplate this to be an all-time document, though some sources have Vernon Davis’ mix 40 time to be 4.38 whereas others have it down as 4.40. Both means, Sadiq is akin to some of the athletic tight ends in NFL historical past.
Sadiq didn’t simply run a quick 40-yard sprint. He additionally managed a 43.5-inch vertical leap and 133-inch broad leap. The vertical is tied for second-best amongst all mix athletes up to now three years and the broad leap is tied for the second-best amongst all tight ends on the mix up to now 9 seasons.
His energy is first rate too, as he confirmed when he posted 26 reps within the bench press. He has additionally posted glorious numbers for max bench (435 kilos) and power-clean (365).
Sadiq has been versatile, with reps as an in-line tight finish, within the slot, out large and within the backfield at numerous occasions. He has additionally lined up as an offensive lineman in unbalanced line formations.
In highschool, he additionally performed as a operating again, large receiver and on protection. He additionally carried the ball as a runner 9 occasions for 42 yards in his faculty profession.
Sadiq’s velocity may make him a matchup nightmare on the NFL degree, however he hasn’t essentially been used as an enormous play risk in faculty. He didn’t have a single 40-yard play in his profession.
However, he can stretch the sphere by getting down the seam and may get behind the protection on wheel routes.
5 of his eight touchdowns in 2025 truly got here on passes thrown greater than 20 yards previous the road of scrimmage.
Sadiq’s ran a various route tree in 2025 and did effectively inside that function, so that appears to be one thing he can construct on on the NFL degree.
He’s not very skilled by way of operating downfield routes, although. in actual fact, 21 of his 29 receptions in his first two seasons have been caught behind the road of scrimmage.
He’s clean and balanced as he seems to have a good basis on this space, with sharp breaks, good use of his body on his route stem and a few deception in his footwork.
Sadiq caught an eye-popping 93 p.c of his targets in 2024, however – as famous above – a excessive proportion of those have been dump-offs.
Nonetheless, his catch price was spectacular in a extra various function final season too – ending up at 76 p.c.
However, drops have been a little bit of a problem final season as he had six of them, a couple of of which have been focus drops.
He does show sturdy fingers and good focus in contested catch conditions, and has the physique management to regulate and provide you with powerful catches past his body.
As famous, the vast majority of Sadiq’s touchdowns final season got here on downfield throws. Nonetheless, he has a skill-set that may make him an excellent possibility down close to the objective line.
As famous, Sadiq was primarily used on dump-off passes in his first two seasons and generated loads of yards after the catch along with his potential to interrupt tackles and run over individuals.
He has additionally proven that he can create good yardage after the catch on downfield passes, with a selected knack for hurdling tacklers.
Sadiq had one fumble in his faculty profession, on a play the place the ball was punched out from behind in a deal with, however he landed on the ball and recovered it instantly.
Sadiq is an efficient blocker, who has usually graded out effectively on analytical websites and contributes each in-line and in area. The hassle you see from him tends to be constant.
Not like many different cross catching tight finish prospects, he’s somebody that’s usually employed as a lead blocker, typically pulling throughout the formation or trapping, and Oregon additionally used him quite a bit as the first blocker on receiver screens to the surface.
He will get his angles improper typically, although, and does tend to lunge into his blocks, so there’s some work to be carried out on refining his footwork and method.
As a cross blocker, he noticed extra work in 2025 and that was maybe indicative of the Geese coaches having extra religion in him to deal with these assignments. He didn’t truly quit any pressures in 59 cross blocking snaps in his profession, however he let his man get a clear get-off a couple of occasions.
Sadiq seems like somebody who may nonetheless develop into his physique as he has an excellent base with glorious decrease physique energy however is usually outmuscled by way of his higher physique energy.
When operating routes he has good physique management to compete on the catch-point or field out his man, resulting in a contested catch price of over 50 p.c in his profession.
He solely had 4 penalties throughout his faculty profession.
Sadiq has some expertise on particular groups, the place he had three tackles in kick protection throughout his profession. He has additionally blocked on the kickoff return unit and in cross professional.
In his freshman season, he blocked this punt.
Instincts and Intelligence
Sadiq has an excellent knack for locating the open space in zone coverages or coming again to the soccer when performs get prolonged, maybe benefiting from having performed another positions whereas he was in highschool by way of how effectively he can learn coverages.
As a runner, he shows sufficient imaginative and prescient and a really feel for find out how to maximize yards after the catch and he doesn’t appear to make any apparent errors in his blocking assignments.
Regardless of solely being 20 on the time, Sadiq grew to become extra of a pacesetter final season following the departure of Terrance Ferguson to the NFL. He leads by instance with an excellent work ethic and was beginning to grow to be extra of a vocal presence.
Off-field points and on-field self-discipline haven’t been a problem with Sadiq both.
Sadiq was troubled by an ankle harm final season, which he suffered in week 5 and it noticeably restricted him in a sport two weeks later. He then sat for one sport. Previous to this, he hadn’t missed any time throughout his profession.
There’s been loads of dialogue this week about how 13 private packages (one again, three tight ends) seems set to grow to be more and more in style across the league and Sadiq may facilitate the Jets’ potential to function these alongside Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert.
He’ll additionally line up within the slot from time-to-time, giving the Jets an opportunity to function with two tight ends after which align themselves with three receivers as an alternative. Whereas he’s greatest identified for his athleticism and anticipated to contribute as a cross catcher, Sadiq just isn’t as one-dimensional as somebody like Mike Gesicki would have been as they entered the league.
Sadiq hasn’t been a teammate of any present Jets gamers however it’s not out of the query he may very well be reunited with Dante Moore subsequent season. Moore, Oregon’s beginning quarterback, is among the quarterbacks the Jets may doubtlessly draft subsequent season and would after all have good chemistry with Sadiq.
The Jets’ offense ought to have some added dimensions subsequent yr with Sadiq and Omar Cooper every bringing issues to the desk that the Jets’ beginning cross catchers beforehand didn’t.
Taking a look at them as a pairing, it’s notable that each had modest manufacturing in 2024 earlier than breaking out to a level final season.
Nonetheless, whereas Cooper was already exhibiting promise as a downfield receiver whose manufacturing soared when he bought extra dump-offs final season, Sadiq was a participant who had primarily produced on dump-offs beforehand however expanded his sport final season and constructed his manufacturing round being a extra versatile weapon.
He maybe has some work to do by way of his upper-body energy, route operating and blocking method, however Sadiq brings the Jets an athletic mismatch-creator, who New York will probably be seeking to function closely within the years forward.
