For months now, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been an obvious pairing in the NFL Draft. The fit just makes sense. The Bucs need more weapons on offense, and the 21-year-old prospect is about as electric as they come.
But as the draft draws closer, it's beginning to look like the Buccaneers may not have the chance to draft Sadiq. Many insiders are projecting the tight end to come off the board before Tampa Bay is on the clock.
As painful as it would be, the Bucs may be forced to go in a different direction.
Buccaneers' Kenyon Sadiq draft dream may be fading away
It's hard to deny what a player like Sadiq could bring to the Buccaneers' offense. Sure, Tampa already has Cade Otton in the building, but the Oregon prospect is a much more dynamic player. His athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine shows just how much of a mismatch he would be for the Bucs. He's a physical nightmare for opposing defenses and brings a surprising level of impact as a run blocker. While he wasn't incredibly productive in college, posting just 51 catches in his final year at Oregon, it's easy to project a major step forward for the tight end in the NFL.
Unfortunately, he may be taking that step forward with a different team. Based on recent mock drafts, Sadiq could already be off the board before the 15th overall pick. The Buccaneers could have to turn to their backup plan.
NFL insider Peter Schrager paired the Oregon prospect with the Baltimore Ravens in his recent mock draft, just one pick before the Buccaneers selected. In that scenario, Tampa Bay picked Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy instead.
Nick Wright of Fox Sports took the tight end off the board even earlier in his mock draft, sending him to the Cincinnati Bengals in a shocking move. He had the Bucs taking Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk, an athletic but unproven defender with plenty of doubters.
Sadiq would be a great selection for the Buccaneers. If he's available at pick No. 15, general manager Jason Licht should strongly consider making him the next dynamic weapon for Baker Mayfield. But Tampa Bay needs to face the uncomfortable reality that it might not get the chance to pick him. The Bucs could be forced to go in a different, and potentially less exciting, direction.