Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are almost fully expected to go defense with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, specifically front seven, General Manager Jason Licht has been known to go "best player available" as his strategy, which puts Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq in play.
Sadiq is the consensus No. 1 tight end prospect in the draft class despite being raw around the edges, as his insane athletic ability and YAC upside as a weapon in space, in addition to his versatility, make him an ideal weapon in modern day, explosive NFL offenses.
According to the Pewter Report, Sadiq was one of the top prospects the Buccaneers extended a formal interview to at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, where the Oregon speedster is expected to be one of the biggest standouts in all meaningul athletic testing and drills.
Buccaneers interview Oregon star Kenyon Sadiq
Most Buccaneers fans would like to see the team go defense in the first round of the draft, and Sadiq is almost certainly not going to last until Day 2. So the Bucs either have to take him at 15 if they fall in love with him or go for the more undervalued tight end prospects, such as Max Klare of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Since the Buccaneers need defensive help so badly with all their question marks in terms of edge rushers and even inside linebackers, especially with Lavonte David still contemplating retirement, it actually speaks volumes about Sadiq's raw talent and upside that he is indeed seen as a viable option in the first round by those within the walls of One Buc Place.
Sadiq has boom or bust to him, though, as his college football numbers were not outstanding, nor is he a polished up pass-catcher. But he can block in space and make things happen with the ball in his hands, and those are the traits NFL evaluators tend to fall in love with at the tight end position since everything is about hitting home runs for potential superstars.
It is far more prudent for the Buccaneers to pick up a guy like Sonny Styles at linebacker, but with Cashius Howell testing with small arms off the edge, if Licht cares about that sort of thing, Sadiq may become more appealling if the Bucs loved his interviews (and film) and end up not liking the other prospects available to them at No. 15 on draft day. You never know, maybe Styles and the other top front seven options will be gone.