Kenyon Sadiq
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Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq
The Carolina Panthers have proven to be serious this offseason about revamping their roster, giving out high-priced free agent deals to Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, as well as shoring up their offensive tackle position with Rasheed Walker.
Still, the Panthers have holes on their team they need to fill and more depth to add. With the NFL Draft on the horizon, this is a perfect opportunity for the Panthers to make improvements.
The Panthers currently own seven draft picks and sit at pick number 19 in the first round. Two ESPN analysts have the Panthers giving quarterback Bryce Young another weapon on offense.
Star TE
Last season, the Panthers got an offensive weapon for Bryce Young in the first round: wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The move was a resounding success, as Young would develop an immediate connection with McMillan on his way to becoming thePanthers’ leading receiver and theNFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Now, ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates believes the Panthers could add another highly touted receiving weapon in the form of Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Yatesisn’t alone in projecting Sadiq to the Panthers, as fellow ESPN NFL analystBen Solak has as well. In his March 24 NFL draft article forESPN.com, Yates made the case for Sadiq in Carolina.
“Sadiq would add an element of explosive run-after-catch ability for Carolina, which needs another dynamic option next to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan,”Yates wrote. “Sadiq had to bide his time at Oregon playing behind current Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson, but he led all FBS tight ends in receiving touchdowns in 2025 (eight). He more than holds his own as a blocker, too.”
In the 2025 season for Oregon, Sadiq had 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns. That type of production from the tight end position has been something that the Panthers have been missing since the days of Greg Olsen.
Getting More Production
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan knows the team needs to get more production out of the tight end position. That is why in back-to-back years, he drafted Ja’Tavion Sanders in the fourth round and Mitchell Evans in the fifth round.
Panthers tight ends racked up 62 receptions for 638 yards and five touchdowns as a unit in the 2025 season. Tommy Tremble led the group with 27 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns.
For head coach Dave Canales, the tight end position is an important component of the offense he wants to run. The Panthers deployed three tight ends on the field (13 personnel) at the sixth-highest rate in the league at 7.8 percent.
Kassidy Hill ofPanthers.com, in her February 12 article, wrote aboutCanales’ evaluation of the Panthers tight end group.
“A really tightly knitted group,”Canales said back in Novemberof the tight end room. “Tough — definitely detailed. (Tight ends coach) Pat McPherson does a great job with these guys —being prepared. Tight end is a very difficult position to play, as you know. Running routes, blocking in the run game,being part of the pass protection unit as well. So,there’s a lot of things we ask (of) them —they’re very smart guys, conscientious.”
The addition of Kenyon Sadiq could be exactly what the unit needs to put themselves over the top and turn themselves into one of the best units in the league.