Kenyon Sadiq’s 4.39 Forty in Indianapolis Shifts Draft Calculus for Teams Tracking the 2026 Tight End Class

Who feels the impact first are NFL personnel departments and draft boards that had Kenyon Sadiq pegged as the class’s top tight end entering the combine. kenyon sadiq’s 4. 39-second 40-yard dash on Friday in Indianapolis — the fastest by a tight end at the combine since at least 2003 — changes how teams evaluate his athletic ceiling relative to scheme fits and to other prospects who turned heads over the same two days.

Kenyon Sadiq’s workout rewrites immediate evaluations and matchup thinking for clubs

Teams that value YAC speed or mismatches in open space will be forced to reframe Sadiq’s projection. At 6-foot-3 1/8 and 241 pounds, his blend of size and a sub-4. 4 40 shifts him into a rarified athletic profile for the position. Here’s the part that matters: those measurable traits amplify a player profile that already included a 2025 college season with 51 receptions, 560 yards (11. 0-yard average) and eight touchdown catches — the latter leading all FBS tight ends.

Combine details from Indianapolis and where Sadiq landed statistically

In Indianapolis on Friday, Sadiq posted an official 40-yard dash time of 4. 39 seconds. He began the workout night with a broad jump of 11-1 and followed with a vertical leap of 43 1/2 inches. Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers later posted a broad jump of 11-3 and a 45 1/2-inch vertical, the latter noted as the best mark by a tight end since at least 2003. Stowers’ official 40 was 4. 51 seconds; Sadiq’s 4. 39 finally outpaced Stowers in that event.

Historic comparisons, precedent and rankings

• Sadiq’s 4. 39 bested a previous combine tight end mark of 4. 40 seconds set by Vernon Davis in 2006 and tied by Dorin Dickerson in 2010.
• Sadiq carries the college resume of a second-team All-American and the Big Ten Conference Tight End of the Year; he lost the John Mackey Award to Eli Stowers.
• NFL evaluators had Sadiq listed by analyst Daniel Jeremiah as the No. 16 overall prospect entering the combine.

It’s easy to overlook, but Sadiq’s broad-jump and vertical numbers—while impressive—were momentarily topped by Stowers, demonstrating depth at the position this class-wide. Entering the combine, Sadiq was widely viewed as the top tight end in the class and as a likely first-round pick; these workout numbers are unlikely to slow that momentum.

Context from the rest of the weekend that matters for draft boards

Beyond the tight end group, several other notable moments from Indianapolis feed into how teams will compare athletic profiles across positions. After Ohio State’s Sonny Styles generated buzz on Thursday with historic speed and leaping ability, his brother and Buckeyes teammate Lorenzo showed similar upside on Friday. Other names and storylines that surfaced during the two days include questions about Toriano Pride’s 40 time, debate over whether Ty Simpson is ready to be a franchise quarterback, curiosity about David Bailey’s testing, and why Jermod McCoy skipped on-field drills in Indy. Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. had arms measured at 30 and 7/8 inches on Thursday; Bain said clubs didn’t appear overly focused on that measurement. Practical draft-angle pieces — such as which receivers might fit specific teams and which quarterback prospects are on the rise — were also part of the weekend’s narrative, including a set of takeaways from a major combine press conference.

Quick timeline of key combine and historical touchpoints

• 2006: Vernon Davis posted a 4. 40 40 at the combine.
• 2010: Dorin Dickerson recorded a 4. 40 40, tying that prior mark.
• 2025 season: Sadiq produced 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, leading FBS tight ends in TDs.
• 2026 combine (Friday in Indianapolis): Sadiq ran a 4. 39 40, broad jumped 11-1 and verticaled 43 1/2 inches; Eli Stowers later posted an 11-3 broad and a 45 1/2-inch vertical and ran a 4. 51 40.

• Kenyon Sadiq’s raw athletic leap means teams reassessing coverage matchups and roster fit.
• Multiple prospects across days—Sonny Styles, Lorenzo Styles, Stowers, Sadiq—created overlapping comparisons for single-team evaluations.
• Measurement quirks (like Bain’s arm length) remained conversation points, though not decisive on their own.
• Stock reports from Indianapolis will now fold Sadiq’s 4. 39 into positional gradebooks used ahead of draft meetings.

The real question now is how quickly teams translate these workout numbers into draft-day action: will Sadiq’s speed nudge him higher on boards that value athletic mismatch, or will schematic fits and comparative film study temper that push? Chad Reuter’s stock reports from Indianapolis and other draft-focused analysis over the weekend will fold these results into updated rankings and conversation. What’s easy to miss is how a single elite measurable can sharpen both hype and scrutiny at the same time.

Writer's aside: combining eye test with verified measurables is where evaluators win or lose; these numbers matter, but they will be weighed alongside on-field role and scheme projections.