Kenyon Sadiq’s Combine week sharpens his first-round case
Kenyon Sadiq will use the NFL Scouting Combine to answer big questions about his speed and strength, starting with the 40-yard dash on Friday and a 225-pound bench press session scheduled for Saturday.
Kenyon Sadiq set to test speed and explosiveness
The Oregon tight end is expected to challenge Vernon Davis’ 20-year-old Scouting Combine record for fastest 40-yard dash by a tight end (4. 40) when he runs on Friday, and his vertical leap is projected to exceed 41 inches — a mark that would place him among the top five tight ends historically. Sadiq’s college teammate posted a 4. 63 in last year’s testing, a detail teams will note as Sadiq chases the long-standing benchmark and then faces the bench press on Saturday.
What the Broncos asked at the Combine
The Denver Broncos held a formal interview with the Oregon tight end at the Combine as they assess a position that has underperformed. The Broncos enter the draft with the 30th overall pick and a tight end room in transition: Evan Engram is entering the final year of his contract, Adam Trautman is a free agent, Nate Adkins is coming off an injury-filled season, and Caleb Lohner remains a project. Team decision-makers will fold Sadiq’s combine numbers and interview into their first-round planning.
Tape shows contested catches and heavy blocking against Rutgers, Minnesota
Scoutable film highlights Sadiq finishing contested catches in the end zone against Rutgers and Minnesota, driving linebackers from Wisconsin and Washington onto their backs and even hurdling defenders from Penn State and Montana State. Oregon offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer praised Sadiq as a "combo player" who became both a pass-catcher and a physical blocker; Mehringer also noted Sadiq’s work ethic, citing pre-practice warmups and time spent rehabbing hamstring and groin issues.
Still, the tape contains blemishes: Sadiq had six dropped passes in college, and scouts will watch his on-field drills closely at the Combine. Sadiq has said he wants to make a "statement" and believes he can become the first skill-position player with fewer than 1, 000 career scrimmage yards in college to be a first-round pick since Ben Watson in 2004.
Draft analysts see a high ceiling. Draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared Sadiq to Trey McBride and called him a potential high-volume target, noting route versatility, after-the-catch ability and contest-winning hands. Evaluators also describe Sadiq as adequate in-line and effective as a move blocker, traits that fit teams seeking a hybrid receiving blocker or a "Joker" archetype in their offense.
With his speed, explosiveness and physical tape already turning heads, Sadiq’s confirmed next events are the 40-yard dash on Friday and the 225-pound bench press on Saturday. Those workouts — paired with the Broncos’ formal interview and the league’s first-round evaluations — will shape where he lands in the 2026 draft.
