For a long time, there was a consistent mantra that TEs take time to grow into the NFL game. Very few have started their careers with a bang. Not everyone can be Mike Ditka, Antonio Gates, Rob Gronkowski, or Travis Kelce. Some pop as pros in Year 2. Some take 3-5 years to really get going. And fantasy football managers are always after the next big thing.
We’ve hit a recent wave of TEs who have made an immediate impact. (Just another reason why fantasy managers expect greatness early and often). Evan Engram in 2017 comes to mind. Then, in 2021, Kyle Pitts became the 1st rookie TE since Ditka in 1961 to top 1,000 receiving yards. Sam LaPorta, in 2023, a 2nd round pick, finished as the TE1 in fantasy football. The very next year, Brock Bowers reset the rookie TE expectation with the greatest rookie TE season in NFL history.
Even in 2025, we saw elite performances from rookies Colston Loveland (1st round), Tyler Warren (1st round), and Harold Fannin Jr. (3rd round).
So, you can imagine the type of hype that is now surrounding the 16th overall pick in the 2026 draft — TE Kenyon Sadiq. He was the only TE to be drafted in the 1st round this year, and he showed unreal athleticism by breaking the 40-yard dash record for a TE (4.39). Oh, and he did that while weighing 241 pounds. If you wanted to know what LeBron James might look like on a football field, you can make the case that it’s Kenyon Sadiq.
But, you know, he was drafted by the moribund Jets. So, you probably don’t want to waste your time drafting him in fantasy football this year… right?
Can Kenyon Sadiq Be Fantasy Relevant with the Jets?
Sadiq’s College Profile
Let’s start with the iffy and questionable parts of Kenyon Sadiq.
We all know Sadiq possesses ungodly athletic ability. But when you look at his college production, you don’t really see a 1st round NFL draft pick.
My good friend, Marvin Elequin from The Fantasy Footballers, joined us for an episode of No Punt Intended over the spring to discuss analytical profiles and advanced metrics we should be looking at when trying to identify and project production from rookies. One stat he mentioned with regard to the TE position is Receiving Yards Per Team Pass Attempt (RYPTPA).
Tight End Prospect Model
2026 ClassBelow are the pre-draft results of my TE prospect model, which uses production, athleticism & projected draft capital to evaluate the 2026 class
Breakdowns, hit rates, & comps in the thread below!
[1 of 7] pic.twitter.com/yaqYoxo8Ug
— Marvin Elequin (@FF_MarvinE) March 14, 2026
Sure, Marvin ranked him as his TE1 pre-draft, but it’s largely built on his outstanding athletic profile. His best season in RYPTPA was T-11th among TEs in this class. Marvin even stated that, based on his model, Sadiq would’ve been TE3 in the 2025 TE class. Does that feel like a slam dunk 1st round pick?
Some people also point out that he couldn’t overtake former 2nd-round pick Terrance Ferguson while the two played together. I bring this up because at the same time last year, people were using the same narrative about the Colts’ 2025 1st-round pick, Tyler Warren, when he couldn’t beat out former teammate Theo Johnson, a 3rd-round pick of the New York Giants.
Warren went on to become the TE4 in fantasy last season after being selected 14th overall. Which leads me directly into my next point–
Pro Scheme Changes Everything
If you’ve consumed any episodes of No Punt Intended, you have probably heard me talk about how important scheme and play-caller tendencies are in today’s NFL. So when we’re projecting rookies coming in, talent plays a role, but it’s not the only piece of the puzzle.
If a rookie lands with a team that is awful as an offensive unit or scheme, their talent level isn’t likely enough to make the kind of impact for which we hope. But if they land in a scheme that accentuates their position, then the talent level can take them to new heights of production, and likely the kind of outcome we expect.
We know how bad the New York Jets are. They finished tied for the worst record in the NFL and had three 1st round picks in 2026. They also brought in a new offensive coordinator, former Colts and Panthers head coach Frank Reich.
Did you see Frank’s reaction when the Jets drafted Sadiq? That’s a man with a plan. And it shouldn’t be a huge surprise.
When Reich was the OC in Philadelphia, they had a great TE by the name of Zach Ertz. Ertz had 106 and 110 targets in back-to-back seasons. Then Reich got the head coach job in Indianapolis after the Eagles won the Super Bowl. That offseason, one of the Colts big free agent targets was Lions TE Eric Ebron.
Ebron was an athletic phenom who never took off in Detroit. But his first season in IND, he set career highs in targets (110), receptions (66), receiving yards (750), and touchdowns (13). It was also the only Pro Bowl season of Ebron’s career. Sadly, injuries claimed the rest of Ebron’s career.
After that, Reich never had the kind of success with TEs he had with Ertz and Ebron. He has that chance now.
Sadiq is a more athletic version of Ebron. With veteran QB Geno Smith running the Jets offense now — who spent last year playing with Brock Bowers — there’s an expectation that Smith will get Sadiq the ball when his number is called. This is a big reason why I’m not heavily weighing Sadiq’s college profile when trying to prognosticate what Sadiq can do not only in 2026, but in his career.
Be sure to check our fantasy football preview of Kenyon Sadiq and the 2026 Jets!
2026 Fantasy Football Outlook
Look, it’s naive to think Kenyon Sadiq will become the best TE in the NFL in 2026, even if he’s arguably the most athletic TE to ever step on a football field. I mean, he plays for the goddamn Jets. But for a team that has only two big-time playmakers in RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson, there’s room for a third option. And the best part about bad teams? They tend to throw the ball. A LOT.
My current projections have Sadiq with a slash line of 57/608/4 on 79 targets. That’s me saying he’s the 2nd target in the passing game. And if that’s the case, there’s a reasonable argument that his targets could increase.
Is that stat line groundbreaking? Not in the slightest. But what it points to is that there’s room to outplay the expectation. And on draft day, we as fantasy managers should be targeting that with our late-round picks.
As of this writing, Sadiq is going off the board as the TE19 in best ball drafts. For a potential top-two target on his respective team, that’s a dart throw I want to take based on the potential for more, even on a suspect offense. Take advantage of people’s sour bias towards the Jets. It won’t cost you a damn thing.
Looking for your favorite team? This link will take you to the rest of our 2026 Look Inside team previews.
A Look Inside the New York Jets
Editor’s Note: While this article focused on Kenyon Sadiq in fantasy football, we don’t want to leave you hanging on the rest of the team. Here is a quick look at the other fantasy-relevant Jets from Ryan Weisse.
Geno Smith
He was bad with the Raiders last year, and there is no reason to think he’ll be better with the Jets. Outside of Garrett Wilson, it’s a pretty similar supporting cast. Do you want the QB24?
Breece Hall
While his RB19 finish last season is looked at as a disappointment, it wasn’t that bad when you consider how bad this offense performed. Hall still managed over 1,000 rushing yards, added 350 more through receiving, and scored five TDs. If he can add to that TD total, he’ll be in the top-15 conversation again pretty easily. Reich’s offenses feed the RB1, so if Hall can stay healthy, he could be a value in fantasy.
Braelon Allen
Allen was an exciting prospect a few years ago, but the NY landing spot was worrisome, and we’ve seen that play out in real time. Allen seems like a good back, but he can’t get past Breece Hall on the depth chart. That won’t change much in 2026, and Allen is no more than a handcuff for Hall managers.
Garrett Wilson
Much like Hall, Wilson is a slow-and-steady wins the race type of fantasy prospect. The Jets won’t allow him to be exciting, but Reich’s offense all but guarantees he will hit 150 targets. In PPR leagues, he could still push for a top-10 spot, even in this train wreck offense.
Omar Cooper / Adonai Mitchell
Reich’s offense feeds its stars. RB1, WR1, and TE1 should all be fine. But Omar Cooper is firmly behind Garrett Wilson and fighting Adonai Mitchell for the WR2 spot. Give the leg up to Cooper because of the first-round draft capital, but no matter who wins the job, fantasy relevance will be hard to come by.
Mason Taylor
And just like that, his career is over. Disagree? See: Mayer, Michael. Mayer was a decent player as a rookie, and then the Raiders drafted Brock Bowers in the first round. Now, Mayer has been in a fantasy void for two seasons. Sound familiar?
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You can also see where Kenyon Sadiq and the rest of the Jets fall in our 2026 Fantasy Rankings here!
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