Going into draft season, Kenyon Sadiq had a lot of talk about being one of the best pass catchers in this year’s class. So, after the combine, how did the Oregon tight end perform, and how does this help his draft stock?
Kenyon Sadiq Showcased His Athleticism at NFL Combine
Sadiq ran a 4.39 for the 40-yard dash, which would be a very impressive number for any position, but it is spectacular for a tight end. To put in perspective how truly amazing that is, tight end Trey McBride, who ranked second in PFSN’s Tight End Impact Metric this past season, had a time of between 4.53 and 4.56 for the 40-yard dash.
McBride is considered one of the league’s best tight ends, so the fact that Sadiq beat that number by such a wide margin is truly outstanding.
That is also faster than one of the league’s best wide receivers, Justin Jefferson. The Minnesota Vikings star ran a 4.43. NFL Network also showed video of Sadiq beating Atlanta Falcons star RB Bijan Robinson (4.46 seconds) and San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey (4.48 seconds) with his 40-yard dash.
.@oregonfootball TE Kenyon Sadiq against @Bijan5Robinson and @CMC_22.
Who wins? 😏
2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4a2DEO3ZDR— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026
Sadiq’s 10-yard split was 1.54, which is considered about normal for tight ends. The aforementioned McBride’s split was 1.56. George Kittle, one of the best tight ends in the NFL, had a 1.51. So here, Sadiq comes in the middle. Going outside of the position, Sadiq’s 10-yard split is one number higher than former wide receiver DeSean Jackson’s, who had a 1.50. Being higher than Jackson in any speed category is a big accomplishment.
Sadiq’s vertical jump was a 43’5″, which initially tied a combine record for a tight end, but was later broken by Eli Stovers. Even though Stover’s vertical jump took the NFL world by storm, Sadiq’s number is still very impressive.
Sadiq’s vertical jump is higher than PFSN’s best-ranked tight end, Tucker Kraft. Kraft, this past season, especially against the Pittsburgh Steelers, made so many incredible jump-ball catches. So the fact that Sadiq passed him just shows how much of a jump-ball threat he could be.
Sadiq’s broad jump was 11’1″, which is very good. A typical number for a tight end is around 9′. Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson had an 11-foot broad jump, so Sadiq beat the Houston Texans legend by one inch. The Oregon product’s number also tied David Njoku, who has had an impactful NFL career.
Kenyon Sadiq at the 2026 Combine…
▫️Faster than Odell Beckham Jr.
▫️Quicker than DeSean Jackson
▫️Jumps higher than Julio Jones
▫️More explosive than Andre Johnson@oregonfootball | @KenyonSadiq | @AroundTheNFL pic.twitter.com/cOthqHFj08— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) February 28, 2026
After an outstanding combine, there is a chance that Sadiq goes top 10. His draft stock is on the rise, and it seems he made himself a lot of money with his trip to Indianapolis.
There was a lot of excitement about Sadiq’s tape and route-running, but his excellent combine could land him with some offense-needy teams.
In conclusion, this April, be on the lookout for Sadiq going high in this draft and helping a team boost their offseason.
