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USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly projected the Philadelphia Eagles to draft tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No. 23 overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tight end Dallas Goedert is set to be an unrestricted free agent for the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Re-signing the veteran to a one-year deal would make a lot of sense. However, so would selecting a tight end such as Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq in the first round.
USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly predicted the Eagles to do the latter in his latest 2026 NFL mock draft released Saturday.
In the mock draft, Ostly slotted Sadiq to the Eagles at No. 23 overall.
“Dallas Goedert is hitting free agency and Sadiq could make sense as his heir in the Eagles offense,” Ostly wrote. “Sadiq is a vertical threat and a willing blocker with plenty of runway to improve. He’ll be a 21-year-old rookie.”
Sadiq posted a career-best 51 catches for 560 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games during 2025. He finished his college career with 80 receptions, 892 receiving yards and 11 scores in 42 contests.
The Eagles will face many roster questions this spring. One of the biggest, though, is how they potentially replace Goedert.
The 31-year-old tight end led the Eagles with 11 touchdowns in 2025.
Goedert has earned about $57.4 million during his eight-year NFL career.
TE Kenyon Sadiq Popular Mock Draft Choice for Eagles
Ostly wasn’t the first to project the Oregon tight end to the Eagles, and he likely won’t be the last. With Goedert potentially departing, it makes a lot of sense the Eagles try to get younger and cheaper at tight end.
Spending a premium selection on tight end also makes sense given how important Goedert was to the Philadelphia offense last season.
During the fall, CBS Sports’ Mike Renner slotted Sadiq to the Eagles in the first round in multiple mock drafts.
“This is consistently one of my favorite fits in the draft for a few reasons. Dallas Goedert turns 31 years old in January and is an impending free agent,” Renner wrote. “Even if he’s re-signed, the Eagles still play a good deal of two-tight end sets.”
Will the Eagles be Able to Select Sadiq?
With the conclusion of the college season and only three games left in the NFL, it’s a lot easier to project the upcoming NFL Draft.
Sadiq didn’t concluded his season on the highest of notes in the College Football Playoffs. But he contributed down the stretch and will enter the draft process healthy.
The Eagles hold the No. 23 overall pick in the first round. Of course, trades can still happen, but that’s around the range Sadiq should come off the board.
Still, there’s a long way to go in the NFL Draft process. If Sadiq performs this offseason, he could rise draft boards.
“Sadiq is expected to test well at the NFL Combine, as he’s 6-foot-3, 245 pounds and athletic enough that Oregon had designed run plays for him,” wrote ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “He ran the ball nine times for the Ducks in his career.”
The 2026 draft class is expected to be strong at tight end. That could help the Eagles land Sadiq.
Or, there could be a run on the position early in the first round. Sadiq could also be the first tight end off the board.
The first tight end taken in the past two drafts went at least in the top 13.
As always, the draft board will evolve in the coming months. But Sadiq is one of the early favorites to land with the Eagles in the first round.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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