The NFL Scouting Combine is where prospects can either see their stock take a hit, like Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., or watch it soar.

Fortunately for Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, he landed in the latter category, as his testing numbers made history.

His jaw-dropping 4.39-second 40-yard dash now stands as the best ever among tight ends since the combine began in 1982, while his 43.5-inch vertical jump is the second-best in combine history, and his 11.1-inch broad jump is the third-highest at the position in history.

Although the Jets selected a tight end in the top 45 of last year’s draft in Mason Taylor, who enjoyed a promising rookie season, given the circumstances, Gang Green should still have their eyes on Sadiq if he remains available when the team makes their second first-round selection at No. 16 overall.

Kenyon Sadiq should be an option

Sadiq enters this year’s draft as one of the most explosive tight end prospects in recent years. Not only does he have elite athletic tools, as evidenced by his performance on Friday in Indianapolis, but his collegiate production is eye-catching as well.

As a dangerous vertical threat, Sadiq finished the 2025 season with 560 yards on 51 receptions while leading FBS tight ends in touchdowns with eight.

Taking a tight end within the top 20 doesn’t particularly optimize positional value. However, there’s much more to this particular story…

Sadiq is more than just a traditional tight end.

With Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon constituting the consensus top three wide receivers in this year’s draft — and expected to be off the board by the time No. 16 rolls around — Sadiq could realistically be the top pass-catcher available on New York’s board.

If that is the case, he should be the pick.

BPA pass-catcher

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, Sadiq is more of a big-bodied pass-catcher than a typical tight end, profiling similarly to Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr., who was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft and finished the season ranked second among rookie tight ends in receiving yards (731).

Since the start of the combine and the Jeramine Johnson trade, the conversation surrounding the Jets’ No. 2 overall pick has also shifted toward a debate between David Bailey and Arvell Reese.

In that case, the odds of New York selecting a pass-catcher at No. 16 will increase drastically, making Sadiq an even more logical probability.

If the board falls the way that many expect, the New York Jets could have a very simple approach at 16: select the best available pass-catcher. In that instance, Kenyon Sadiq could very well fit that war-room mandate.