Kenyon Sadiq didn’t need the NFL Combine to prove he is the top tight end in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he sure used it to send a message that he may be one of the top prospects in the entire draft.
Already noted for his freakish athleticism as a tight end, Sadiq put on a show at the combine on Friday by posting a blazing 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, marking him as the fastest tight end ever (since the times started being recorded).
Standing at 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, Sadiq isn’t just speed on paper (or the field), but a tremendous playmaker who uses his size and athleticism in his route running ability and his ability to create after the catch. Prior to the NFL Combine, Sadiq was already a Day 1 prospect. Now, the question is how high has his draft stock soared? Could he be a top 10 pick is now a legitimate question as the pre-draft evaluations move forward.
How was Kenyon Sadiq's 40-time at the 2026 NFL Combine?
Sadiq sizzed at the NFL combine by recording a position best 4.39 seconds. This was the second consecutive year an Oregon prospect was the fastest tight end. In 2025, Terrence Ferguson posted a 4.63 40-time. Sadiq blows that away while making history in the process. Not only did he post the fastest time at this year’s combine, but he is also now in the books as the fastest tight end ever landing first on the list historically by beating Vernon Davis and Dorin Dickerson who were previously atop the list at 4.40.
Kenyon Sadiq had one of the best days ever by a TE at the Combine:
— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026
40-Yard Dash: 4.39 (best ever by a TE)
Vertical Jump: 43.5’’ (second-best ever by a TE)
Broad Jump: 11’1’’ (third-best ever by a TE)@Accenture | @oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/fxvABmsGrd
As far as this year’s tight ends, SMU’s RJ Maryland and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers posted 40 times of 4.51, Oklahoma’s Jaren Kanak came in at 4.52 and SMU’s Matthew Hibner rounded out the top 4 with a 4.57 40-time. Other notables included Wyoming’s John Michael Gyllenborg at 4.60 and Texas star Jack Endries posted a 4.62 40-time.
Here is how Sadiq’s 40 time compares to other 2026 tight end prospects
Player | Time |
|---|---|
Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) | 4.39 |
RJ Maryland (SMU) | 4.51 |
Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) | 4.51 |
Jaren Kanak (Oklahoma) | 4.52 |
Matthew Hibner (SMU) | 4.57 |
John Michael Gyllenborg (Wyoming) | 4.60 |
Marlin Klein (Michigan) | 4.61 |
Dallen Bentley (Utah) | 4.62 |
Jack Endries (Texas) | 4.62 |
Fastest 40-yard dash times for tight ends in NFL history:
Player | Time | Year |
|---|---|---|
Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) | 4.39 | 2026 |
Vernon Davis (Maryland) | 4.40 | 2006 |
Dorin Dickerson (Pitt) | 4.40 | 2010 |
Evan Engram (Ole Miss) | 4.42 | 2017 |
Fastest 40-yard dash times for linebackers in NFL history:
Davis is obviously the notable player on this list. In comparing Sadiq to Davis in a previous article, I noted the similarity in size and speed between the two pass-catching tight ends as Sadiq will enter the NFL exactly 20 years after the former NFL tight end. Davis, who was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, went on to showcase that speed at the NFL level for a long, impactful career. Can Sadiq follow suit?
The Speed and the athleticism are there do just that at the next level. The scary part about the Oregon product is that he still has room to grow. While his stellar NFL Combine performance will undoubtedly raise his draft stock, I don’t see him being selected as high as Davis, but he may be off the board in the top 15 at least or just inside the top 10 if he wowed the Kansas City Chiefs enough to pluck him at No. 9. Other teams to watch for Sadiq is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers who both select in the middle of the first round.