Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq picked by New York Jets at No. 16 in NFL draft

The first Oregon Duck is off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft.

With the No. 16 pick on Thursday night, the New York Jets officially selected Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, sending him to the Big Apple to play alongside Geno Smith at QB.

Sadiq's selection on Thursday night continues the Ducks' streak of first-round selections in the draft, making it seven consecutive years that an Oregon player has been taken on the first night of the draft, dating back to Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL Draft.

While the Ducks have had a lot of transfer portal success over the years, Sadiq is a perfect example of a player who came to Oregon as a true freshman and blossomed into a superstar. As the No. 1-ranked player from the state of Idaho, Sadiq stayed close to home and learned behind the likes of Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert for two years before stepping into the starting role this past season.

In his three years, Sadiq caught 80 passes for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had a career season in 2025, hauling in 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns. While his career at Oregon may not be remembered for overwhelming production, given the abundance of mouths to feed on an electric offense, it will forever be heralded for the unending highlight reel of plays the TE brought to the table.

Whether it he was hurdling over defenders or laying out for a touchdown catch, completely horizontal, Sadiq made his presence felt during his time in Eugene. Now, as a member of the Jets Sadiq will catch passes from Geno Smith for the 2026 season. However, there is an expectation that New York takes a QB early in the 2027 draft, so there should be a change at that position in the near future.