We may want to pump the brakes on the Panthers-Kenyon Sadiq speculation
· Yahoo Sports
We may need to establish a new favorite for the Carolina Panthers' first-round pick.
University of Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq has been projected, mocked and linked to the Panthers seemingly more than any other 2026 draft prospect. And given Carolina's longtime lack of production at the position, that connection makes quite a bit of sense.
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But some comments from president of football operations general manager Dan Morgan about the current state of the team's tight end room might have you second-guessing that match.
"I think we have some guys on our roster that are big targets," Morgan stated during his pre-draft presser on Tuesday morning. "In general, we have guys in our tight end room that we feel are good players and guys that have the skill set to be able to do that.
"Whether it's opportunity or whether guys are still developing, I think we have the pieces in that room to be able to do that."
The guys in that room include 2021 third-round pick Tommy Tremble, 2024 fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders and 2025 fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans. Tremble led the group with 37 receptions for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns this past season.
Despite the optimism from Morgan, however, the offense hasn't gotten much from that spot in the receiving department. The last Panthers tight end to amass at least 500 yards was Greg Olsen, who did it during his final season with the organization in 2019.
Sadiq, the top tight end of the 2026 class, may be able to provide a spark for Carolina. The ultra-athletic 6-foot-3, 240-pounder reeled in 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns for the Ducks in 2025.
So, is Morgan just blowing smoke or does he really believe in what his roster already has? We'll find out next Thursday night.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Why the Panthers might not pick TE Kenyon Sadiq