The new draft buzz acronym is “BPA.” It stands for best player available, and that’s the philosophy general manager Dan Morgan has vowed to follow when the Carolina Panthers pick No. 19 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“We’re not going to pass up on good players, and if the best player on our board is a wideout that has run-after-catch ability, then so be it.”
That was the statement Morgan made at the NFL Scouting Combine when asked about the Panthers' first-round approach. And if he’s serious, fans should familiarize themselves with a name at pass catcher. Not a wideout, but a tight end.
Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq absolutely set the Combine on fire. He flashed rare athleticism, and he needed to.
Kenyon Sadiq should be high on Carolina Panthers' shortlist to bolster Bryce Young
At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds with 31½-inch arms and 10-inch hands, he’s considered undersized for the position. A popular comparison has been Vernon Davis because of their similar builds and explosive traits. But while the comparison made sense stylistically, no one expected Sadiq to test better.
It started with the vertical jump, where Sadiq briefly broke the Combine record at 43.5 inches, a mark that stood for about five minutes before Eli Stowers edged him out on the very next attempt. In the broad jump, he again finished second with a ridiculous 11-foot-1 leap, showcasing the same explosive lower-body power that pops on tape.
That’s the key — it wasn’t just testing hype. The numbers matched the film.
The hurdles. The broken tackles. The chunk plays after the catch. Scouts expected explosiveness. They just didn’t expect such explosive historical performance. Then came the 40-yard dash.
Sadiq clocked a blistering 4.39 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a tight end at the Combine. Let that sink in. A tight end moving like that.
You see it when he runs by linebackers in-line and occasionally dusts safeties and corners when flexed out wide. Sadiq's acceleration was just as impressive, posting a 1.54-second 10-yard split, .05 seconds faster than the next closest tight end. That’s not just speed. That’s stress for defensive coordinators.
Every metric is aligned with the player's on-field production at Oregon. He is a dynamic offensive weapon who can win at every level and from any alignment.
Sadiq can outjump defenders for contested catches, run away from linebackers underneath, and force missed tackles in space. And despite the undersized label, the prospect proved he can still block, putting up 26 bench press reps, which ranked second among tight ends.
If Morgan truly sticks to the BPA approach, it’s hard to imagine many players sitting higher on Carolina’s board at No. 19. Sadiq may even be gone by the time Carolina goes on the clock.
With a major decision looming regarding a potential extension for Bryce Young, the Panthers would be wise to surround him with as much offensive firepower as possible before making a franchise-defining commitment. Evaluating your quarterback is a lot easier when he has real weapons.
And make no mistake, Sadiq is a weapon.