Sometimes in the NFL Draft, a run at one position near the top of the board forces teams in the middle of the first round to adjust on the fly. That exact scenario is being discussed with the New York Jets at No. 16, where a wide receiver run could change the shape of the pick.
Why Rich Cimini Says Kenyon Sadiq Could Be in Play for the Jets at No. 16
The Jets still need another dynamic pass catcher. If the top receivers are off the board by the time they pick, ESPN’s Rich Cimini believes Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq could come into play.
“I’ve heard some rumblings in the scouting community about the Jets and Kenyon Sadiq,” Cimini said on the “Jets Collective” podcast. “If the wide receivers are gone, like if Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon are gone, and you’re sitting there at 16, and Sadiq is there, which I think he probably will be, that’s gonna be an interesting one.”
Cimini also explained why the fit is at least plausible, even if it would not be the obvious answer to New York’s wide receiver need.
“He is off the charts athletically,” Cimini said. “You could run a lot of two tight end stuff. The Jets need dynamic weapons. They got Garrett Wilson, and pretty much that’s it on the perimeter.”
That is really the case for Sadiq. He would not fill the hole at receiver in the most traditional way, but he would still give the Jets another player defenses would have to account for immediately.
PFSN Views Kenyon Sadiq as the Top Tight End in the 2026 Class
Sadiq is not just an athletic projection. He is coming off a breakout season at Oregon, where he took over as the Ducks’ top tight end and turned himself into one of the most intriguing mismatch players in the class.
He finished with 51 catches for 560 yards and 8 receiving touchdowns, while also adding 3 more scores in red-zone packages. PFSN’s scouting profile is especially high on him. Sadiq carries a grade of 87.96, ranks No. 17 overall on PFSN’s board, and sits as the site’s TE1 in the 2026 class.
JUICY!
ESPN’s Rich Cimini told @JakeAsman & @BrandonTierney that he has ‘heard some rumblings in the scouting community about the #Jets & Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq.’ 👀
‘If the wide receivers are gone (Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, & Makai Lemon) & you’re sitting there at [pick]… pic.twitter.com/DucNl5n3Mq
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 25, 2026
That kind of valuation helps explain why a team picking in the middle of the first round could justify the selection. The profile points to more than just straight-line speed.
At 241 pounds, Sadiq is viewed as a legitimate two-phase tight end with the explosiveness to threaten seams, the quickness to separate at the stem, and the body control to finish through contact.
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His run-after-catch ability and blocking versatility are part of what make him such a complete projection. That matters for a team that might select a tight end that high.
If the Jets miss out on their preferred wide receiver targets, Sadiq would offer them another way to solve the same problem. He is not just an upside athlete. He is the kind of tight end who can change how a defense deploys its personnel.
