After watching the Philadelphia Eagles' offense go maddeningly silent over and over again during the 2025 season, fans have kept a close eye on the 2026 NFL Combine to see which player would really stand out as a top-tier option at pick No. 23 overall.

While there are plenty of interesting options who could be there for the Eagles, depending on how things shake out, in the opinion of ESPN's Mina Kimes, there is one player who rises above the rest, as he could be the “missing piece” to the team's new under-center packages: Kenyon Sadiq.

“I think the combination of the clearly insane athleticism with how well-rounded he is as a tight end. Dan, all season long we talked about how many of the best offenses in football were putting multiple tight ends on the field, getting teams' defenses to play base, and then throwing it; Seattle being an excellent example, the Super Bowl winners. Kenyan Sadiq is the type of player that allows you to measure in that, in part because of the field-stretching ability you see reflected in the 40-time, of course. But also, he is a willing and capable blocker. That's something you're not going to see in the combine, right? But it's all over his tape,” Kimes explained.

Article Continues Below

“And when I think of a team like Philadelphia that tried building out its under-center play last year, to me, he was the missing piece. Adding this kind of a tight end, you can actually block and threaten in the run game, but then also you can use to create mismatches. I don't know if he'll still be there where they're picking, especially behind LA, the Chargers. But if he is, to me, that would be a dream situation for the player and the team.”

After running a record-breaking 4.39 40-yard dash time at the 2026 NFL Combine, it's safe to assume Sadiq's stock has never been higher coming out of Indianapolis. He will draw interest from every playoff-caliber team that has a pick in the teens, and may even go off the board in the single digits if a team like the Kansas City Chiefs really wants to take a huge swing. Still, Howie Roseman knows a thing or two about getting the type of player he's he'd like in the NFL Draft, and if he decides Sadiq could be a certified player for Philadelphia for years to come, he might just make a move and guarantee Jalen Hurts has a new weapon in both the run and passing game.