At pick No. 16 in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft, the New York Jets selected Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, a polarizing selection among the team’s fanbase.

While many view selecting a tight end in that spot as poor value, Gang Green may have struck gold by selecting the 21-year-old.

Jets pull off an excellent move by selecting Sadiq

Sadiq will be able to contribute to the Jets’ offense in multiple meaningful ways right away. That in itself makes him worthy of the team’s No. 16 pick.

Last season at Oregon, he caught 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, the most scores among FBS tight ends. Despite being on the smaller side for a tight end at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, he was also highly effective in the blocking game, as his 66.3 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus finished in the 83rd percentile among qualified tight ends.

He also has something you can’t teach: world-class athleticism.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, he ran the fastest forty-yard dash by a tight end in combine history (4.39), while his 43.5-inch vertical was the second-best at the position in history. His 133-inch broad jump also ranked third.

While many criticized the Jets for not selecting a wide receiver at that spot, they made the right decision by selecting the best overall weapon at the position rather than reaching on their board for the best available WR, especially with Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson no longer available.

At the next level, one of Sadiq’s most appealing traits is his alignment versatility. Under Dan Lanning last season, Sadiq logged more snaps in the slot (331) than he did in-line (314). That bodes well for how the team can integrate him alongside tight end Mason Taylor, who was a second-round pick in last year’s draft.

The board broke in a way where the top two consensus WRs were no longer available, but the Jets were still able to come away with a premium pass catcher at No. 16 in Sadiq. They were also able to secure a viable WR2 in the first round anyway, by trading up to No. 30 to land Omar Cooper Jr.

It wasn’t one of the players Jets fans were expecting, but the team landed its much-needed pass-catcher at No. 16 after all.