Much of the conversation about the Patriots' early draft selections has revolved around taking a pass rusher or an offensive lineman, as those are considered two of their weakest positions going into the offseason. But there is room for improvement elsewhere, which is why some analysts believe a tight end might be the right move in the first round.
Nate Tice and Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports are having the Patriots take a swing on one of the best of the incoming class by selecting Kenyon Sadiq out of Oregon at pick No. 31, mainly to add another pass catcher for Drake Maye in 2026.
That was certainly a weak point of the offense throughout their postseason run, especially in the Super Bowl, and Sadiq's blocking ability would also be a massive selling point.
"While Sadiq is a tight end, the Patriots need pass catchers, especially ones who can create explosives with the ball in their hands. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loves to use tight ends, and Maye has loved throwing the ball to Hunter Henry in his first two seasons.
Sadiq would give them a weapon who can turn those screens and underneath routes into big plays. He has the speed and receiving ability to stretch the defense, and also some real grit as a blocker that Mike Vrabel would love."
Making this mock draft even better is an NFL draft expert's comp for Sadiq, which might be the way to convince Patriots fans that selecting him is a no-brainer.
A new mock draft connects the Patriots to a tight end compared to Trey McBride
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had high praise for Sadiq in his draft evaluation, with his Combine performance being a strong indicator of just how good he can be in the NFL.
But it's his comparison to Cardinals' rising star tight end Trey McBride that is a selling point to the Patriots and their fans, as the two-time Pro Bowler has put together back-to-back 1,000+ receiving yard seasons, with 2025 being the best of his career so far.
If that's the kind of production the Patriots could get out of Sadiq, there's no reason for them to pass on the opportunity to add him to the roster.
"A versatile tight end with a shredded physique and alluring potential as a volume target, Sadiq's route tree will be full of branches. His athleticism and break quickness should allow him to uncover against man coverage on all three levels. He's talented after the catch, with the ability to make things easier for play-callers and quarterbacks looking to move the sticks.
He has the body control and hand strength to win contested catches but will occasionally allow balls to hit the ground on lower-difficulty plays. He's adequate as a blocker, giving good effort in-line and locating and landing on linebackers as a move blocker. Teams looking to diversify their passing game options with a talented pass-catching tight end could make Sadiq a priority."
Although Zierlein believes he will be a good starter within two years, meaning the Patriots won't necessarily get the best out of him right away, they have Hunter Henry on the roster to keep the group afloat, while also mentoring the younger player expected to be added this offseason.
That's the perfect situation for a player like Sadiq to walk into and eventually take over the tight end room himself.
He impressed during the 2025 season by recording 126 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, a progression each year he was on the field with the Ducks. Working with a veteran like Henry, plus learning from an offensive coordinator who loves to utilize tight ends like Josh McDaniels, is a dream scenario for a player like Sadiq, and it's likely they could get the best production out of him with Drake Maye throwing him the football.
Because of that, there's plenty for the Patriots to seriously consider if he is still on the board when they're on the clock.