The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear headed toward a dream draft scenario in the 1st round of the NFL draft on Thursday.
ESPN’s Field Yates predicted the Buccaneers will land Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the No. 15 overall pick, adding a dynamic playmaker that has few comparisons in franchise history.
“Tight ends for the Buccaneers totaled only two touchdowns in 2025, and their top player at the position right now is a steady but not dynamic athlete in Cade Otton,” Yates wrote in his final mock draft. “Sadiq is one of the most physically-gifted prospects we’ve ever seen at the position, with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He would help quarterback Baker Mayfield and this passing attack get back on track.”
The 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST in Pittsburgh.
Kenyon Sadiq Could Replace Mike Evans in Lineup
Sadiq could very well be the answer for the Buccaneers in the wake of legendary wide receiver Mike Evans leaving for the San Francisco 49ers in free agency.
It’s also worth pointing out that bar isn’t very high right now. Evans wasn’t very good the last 2 years. He was hurt a lot, and missed 12 games due to injuries including a career-high 9 games in 2025, when he had career lows in receptions (30), receiving yards (368) and receiving touchdowns (3). He also seemed grossly unhappy by the end of the year as the Buccaneers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2019.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s post-free agency mock draft predicted the Buccaneers to land Sadiq as well.
“For the first time since he was drafted in 2014, Mike Evans won’t be suiting up for the Buccaneers,” Kiper Jr. wrote. “The veteran receiver signed with the 49ers, and though Tampa Bay still has Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan, it is going to miss Evans’ 6-foot-5 size downfield and in the red zone. Sadiq could fill some of that void. Defenses struggle to match up with him because of his big 6-3 frame and 4.39 speed, and he has the explosive traits to go up and get 50-50 balls. Sure, the Bucs re-signed tight end Cade Otton, but new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson ran 12 personnel (two tight ends) 38.2% of the time in Atlanta last season, second most in the NFL.”
Kenyon Sadiq Rarest of NFL Tight End Prospects
Sadiq, 6-foot-3 and 245 pound, left Oregon with one year of eligibility remaining after he was named Big Ten Tight End of the Year in 2025 with 51 receptions for 560 yards and 8 touchdowns.
The Idaho Falls, Idaho, native split time with Los Angeles Chargers tight end Terrance Ferguson his first 2 seasons, then came into his own in 2025 with 51 receptions for 560 yards and 8 touchdowns in 14 games on the way to being named Big Ten Tight End of the Year.
Sadiq cemented his draft stock as a pick who won’t last past the middle of the 1st round after turning in 1 of the most incredible performances in NFL scouting combine history — regardless of position — after he ran the 40-yard dash in a mind-melting 4.39 seconds to go with a 43.5-inch vertical leap, 11-foot-1 broad jump and knocking out 26 reps in the 225-pound bench press.
Bucs Predicted to Land Difference-Making Playmaker Ahead of 1st Round