Prominent mock draft has Vikings taking 'freaky athlete' Oregon TE

The Vikings' pick at No. 18 in a new mock draft from The Athletic's Dane Brugler is Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who recently declared for the draft after a strong junior season.

If you're thinking 'Wait, don't the Vikings already have a tight end?' that's an understandable response. But with Minnesota needing salary cap relief this offseason, there's no guarantee that T.J. Hockenson is on the roster in 2026. He's got a $21.3 million cap hit this year, which is very high for a player who had a mediocre 51-438-3 receiving line this past season (not that his limited pass-game production was entirely his fault).

Hockenson's deal could be restructured to free up cap space, but he could also be a simple cap casualty or trade candidate. If he's cut or traded prior to June 1, the Vikings would free up nearly $9 million in cap space but would have to eat over $12 million in dead money. If he was designated as a post-June 1 release or traded after that date, it would be $16 million in cap savings with just $5.3 million in dead money.

If Hockenson is in the Vikings' 2026 plans, drafting a tight end in the first round would make little sense. But if he isn't, it might just be a sneaky option. And in the event that Sadiq is on the board at 18, he could be awfully tempting for Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings, given his versatility and upside.

"If T.J. Hockenson is a cap casualty this offseason, tight end would move up the Vikings’ needs list," Brugler wrote. "Sadiq is a big, freaky athlete with the adjustment skills to make difficult catches look routine and the mentality to be an asset as a blocker. NFL teams believe he has the talent to be a top-10 pick."

The first thing that stands out about Sadiq is that at 6'3" and 245 pounds, the Idaho native is built like an action figure. He is a remarkable athlete who figures to test quite well at the combine.

Oregon Tight End Kenyon Sadiq has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, per @PeteThamel

🦆 #1 Ranked TE on the PFF Big Board pic.twitter.com/7A5PatGkyS
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 13, 2026

Sadiq saw his role and production grow in each of his three seasons at Oregon. He hardly played as a true freshman, got more involved as a sophomore, and then became a central piece of the Ducks' offense as a junior. Last season, he played 747 offensive snaps and caught 51 passes for 560 yards and 8 touchdowns, which led all tight ends in college football. He's a walking mismatch as a receiver who also earned solid grades as a run blocker.

Dante Moore to Kenyon Sadiq for a 30-yard @oregonfootball TD 🦆 pic.twitter.com/x5w3g0Is6I
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025

Sadiq isn't a perfect prospect. His run blocking can be a little inconsistent and he averaged just 1.62 yards per route run this past season, which is an unremarkable number. He also wasn't a major factor in Oregon's three playoff games, where he caught 11 total passes for 70 yards. There's also the question of positional value when taking a tight end in the first round. Those are likely among the reasons why Vikings fans had a lot of thoughts when I asked how they'd feel about replacing Hockenson with Sadiq.

Vikings fans, I'm curious. How would you feel if T.J. Hockenson is cut this offseason and Kenyon Sadiq is the pick at 18? https://t.co/XDmrZ2NOEO
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) January 14, 2026

Given all the "ifs" involved — Hockenson is gone, Sadiq makes it to 18, the Vikings like him enough to take him there — it's not a particularly likely outcome. But his potential upside in O'Connell's offense makes it worth thinking about, at the very least.

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