The Minnesota Vikings made a splash this offseason signing quarterback Kyler Murray to compete with former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.
Many believe the move wasn’t just for the 2026 season but one for the team’s future.
McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, had a disastrous first year as a starter. Despite going 6-4 as the starter, McCarthy threw for just 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 72.6 passer rating.
His performance didn’t exactly inspire the Vikings enough to invest more in him in 2026, which is how Murray found himself in Minnesota.
With the Vikings seemingly giving Murray the keys to the offense, it makes sense they’d want to give him every opportunity they can to be successful, which is why ESPN’s Jordan Reid thinks they’ll add another offensive weapon to catch passes for Murray.
Reid predicted Minnesota will grab Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the 18th overall pick.
“Tight end isn’t the Vikings’ biggest need — those would be safety and defensive tackle — but Thieneman is off the board as a possible Harrison Smith replacement and there isn’t a defensive tackle worth taking at this point of the draft,” Reid wrote. “Sadiq is a speedy (4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash) receiving tight end whom Minnesota could use in multiple ways in its offense.”
Sadiq is an athletic specimen. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound tight end ran a 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash at the combine, and he’s notoriously hard to bring down on first contact.
The second-team All-American and Big Ten Tight End of the Year recorded 51 receptions, 560 yards, and eight touchdowns last season, leading all TEs in touchdowns and ranking fifth in catches and eighth in yards.
Sadiq would be a perfect backup for starting TE T.J. Hockenson and give Minnesota four legitimate weapons in the pass game along with star receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
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