Kenyon Sadiq pushes back on blocking critics at Oregon Pro Day
The Oregon Ducks expect to hear multiple names called on the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft next month. One of those names will be tight end Kenyon Sadiq , who will likely be selected in the mid-to-late first round.
The annual Oregon Pro Day took place at the Moshofsky Center on Tuesday, and Sadiq impressed again in front of scouts from 31 of 32 NFL teams. Only the Los Angeles Rams didn't show up in Eugene. They might not need a tight end like Sadiq, especially after drafting former Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson in last year's draft.
Sadiq's physical attributes have never been questioned, and that's why he is expected to be a slam-dunk first-round pick. He set an NFL Combine record by running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, and later displayed his great hands and route-running on the field. He did the same at the Oregon Pro Day, proving it wasn't a fluke performance.
The one area of Sadiq's game where he has received some criticism is as a blocker. At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, Sadiq is a bit small for a tight end in the NFL and has occasionally been profiled as a big-body receiver with speed. However, anyone who watched Sadiq play for the Ducks last season knows that couldn't be further from the truth, as he routinely put defenders on their backs as a lead blocker on stretch runs.
By no means is he a perfect blocker, which Sadiq admitted to the media at the Oregon Pro Day, but it's not an aspect of the game that he overlooks either.
"I mean, anyone that says I'm not a willing blocker obviously doesn't watch any film," Sadiq said. "There are a lot of people on Twitter and stuff like that. There are definitely parts that are lacking, you know, front side, outside zone, those kinds of things. Definitely jacking my head or getting swimmed. So it's definitely room for improvement. But no, I definitely still think I'm one, if not the best blocking tight end in the class."
Sadiq will have to prove that he can take on NFL defensive ends and linebackers as a blocker in the run game, but his physical nature and willingness to block shouldn't be cast aside. His work as a receiver alone has solidified him as a first-rounder, but any NFL team that takes a chance on him can expect even more.
We'll find out where Sadiq is playing next season when the 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq responds to blocking critics before NFL Draft
