Losing a franchise icon in free agency is never an easy situation to accept, especially when that player leaves for a lower-value deal. That was the case with Mike Evans, who chose to sign with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason and left the Buccaneers after 12 seasons.
Beyond the departure of the icon, there is now a clear gap in Tampa Bay’s offense, which almost entirely relies on the talents of Emeka Egbuka and Bucky Irving. However, the team is projected to target Kenyon Sadiq, a tight end, in the draft to add a new element for Baker Mayfield to work with.
Why Kenyon Sadiq Is a Strong First-Round Target for the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers’ offense in 2025 left a lot to be desired, especially in the second half of the season. Ranking just 21st in the PFSN Offense Impact Meter, the team’s collapse was driven by poor offensive performance, which lost its dynamism and became predictable under Josh Grizzard.
Now with Zac Robinson arriving as the new offensive coordinator, expectations for the 2026 season hinge on the team finding a way to reshape the offense, especially with Evans no longer on the roster to serve as the primary offensive reference, particularly in the red zone.
The answer may lie in the draft, with the top tight end in the class within reach. Kenyon Sadiq is the only elite talent among tight ends in this draft and is projected to fall to the Buccaneers at the 15th overall pick in Reese Decker’s three-round mock draft for PFSN.
“Kenyon Sadiq is a genuine receiving threat who can command the middle of the field. He has a huge catch radius, strong hands, and true run-after-the-catch ability. He’s an instant-impact player at a position of need, and one of the best players available at this point in the draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use a talented catcher in the squad,” Decker wrote.
That would make the Buccaneers’ primary receiving trio consist of Emeka Egbuka, veteran Chris Godwin, and Kenyon Sadiq, with Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson serving as promising complementary pieces. It is a plan that could work and allow the Buccaneers to use more heavy personnel packages, with Sadiq and Cade Otton on the field at the same time.
In 2025, Tampa Bay ranked 20th in usage of 12 personnel, with just 18.6% of its plays. The trend across the league has increasingly leaned toward putting tight ends on the field to force safeties to come down and defend the run, countering the two-high shell looks defenses have been showing pre-snap.
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Kenyon Sadiq would allow Tampa Bay to use those heavy packages while still maintaining a passing threat. In turn, this could also elevate Bucky Irving’s effectiveness as a runner, as the offense would become more complex. The Oregon tight end is a perfect fit for a team that needs playmakers to bounce back in 2026.
