Texans’ Hopes of Drafting Top TE Fade After Incredible Combine

One look at the stopwatch when Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq completed his 40-yard dash in only 4.39 seconds has almost certainly sent his draft stock soaring.

Just like everyone else, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was probably enamored with the blazing speed Sadiq displayed as he registered a blistering time in the 40. Then again, Sadiq's similarly outstanding broad jump and vertical leap results meant the Texans' hopes of landing him with their 28th overall pick just became a pipe dream.

After a very positive meeting with Sadiq at the combine, hope had sprung eternal that the Texans might have a seriously dynamic target at hand to help them re-energize their tight end room, but it will now most likely require trading up.

“It was good,” Sadiq told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. “That was one of them, you just really get to know each other. It was a super chill meeting. The staff’s awesome. So, just getting to sit down with them, getting to know them was great."

Texans Might Now Be Out of Reach for Kenyon Sadiq

When Sadiq was finally done with his workouts, you could hear the clicking of multiple keyboards reworking a plethora of mock drafts; we have a bona fide early climber for April.

Sadiq's 560 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns for the Ducks last season had already put him firmly in the frame to become a first-round selection, but the combine is seeing him add bonus dollars to the price tag.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (TE23) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The thing is, Sadiq came to the combine brimful of confidence that he would only do himself a massive favor, and so it's been proved.

“Athletic abilities, I think that’s there, and I think everyone will see that as well,” Sadiq declared prior to doing his thing at the combine. “So, just starting off there and then I think mentally as well, I have a very mature mindset coming into this league. Versatility is huge, being able to create explosive pass plays, but also being able to run the ball."

“It creates a lot of mismatches on the defensive side, whether they’re nickel or base or whatever it is. So, I think if you have a great tight end or a couple of great tight ends, it really helps out your offense as a whole. There’s more credit going to tight ends, and you see the market being reset by guys every year, so I think the value has definitely gone up."

Of course, if the Texans have really been blown away by Sadiq's sheer athletic ability and self-assurance, it's a fair bet that other teams feel exactly the same way. All of which means only giving up plenty of assets would facilitate the kind of trade that will be required to get in a spot where the Texans could draft Sadiq.

Pivoting away from falling in love with the high-profile shooting star in this draft class might not be easy, but it might be essential, especially when you factor in the glaring needs along the offensive line in Houston.