1 Browns player who provides blueprint for Jets rookie Kenyon Sadiq

The New York Jets have revamped their tight end room over the last year, and now they must emulate the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns aren't typically referred to that way, as they haven't made the AFC Championship Game since 1989. But tight end Harold Fannin Jr. established himself as a rising star at the position after they drafted him in the third round last season, and the Jets need Kenyon Sadiq to follow suit.

New York took the latter player, No. 16 overall, out of Oregon this year, and he was the first tight end off the board. Nobody else picked another player at the position until the Philadelphia Eagles selected Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers No. 54.

Can Kenyon Sadiq be Harold Fannin for the New York Jets?

Fannin was picked behind Colston Loveland (No. 10), Tyler Warren (No. 14), Mason Taylor (No. 42), Terrance Ferguson (No. 46), and Elijah Arroyo (No. 50), but he still finished eighth at the position with 731 receiving yards over 16 games last season. The only other rookie who topped the 6-foot-4, 241-pounder was Warren with 817 yards.

Fannin's quick emergence shows what can happen when a talented rookie enters an offense that's not stacked with receiving talent. The 22-year-old led Cleveland in receiving yardage, followed by veteran wideout Jerry Jeudy with 602 yards.

Sadiq will have more competition for targets, as the Jets have star wide receiver Garrett Wilson as well as other unproven pass-catchers like wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, rookie Omar Cooper Jr. and Taylor, who tallied 369 yards last season. But given that Wilson is the only clear alpha in the mix, there's a pathway for the 6-foot-3, 241-pounder to post Fannin-like numbers in 2026.

Plus, Sadiq was picked two rounds higher than his Cleveland counterpart and was a better prospect, as he was the Big Ten Tight End of the Year last season. Fannin led the NCAA in receptions and receiving yards in 2024, but he played for Bowling Green, which is in the MAC. That conference is in the Group of 5, a tier below Power 4 conferences like the Big Ten, which Oregon plays in.

Kenyon Sadiq bounces back from injury

Barring injury, there's no reason for Sadiq to not have a similar rookie campaign as Fannin.

Sadiq missed OTAs in May due to hernia surgery, but is a full participant in training camp. He was "heavily featured and made a few plays" during Thursday's practice, per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt.

Sadiq showing out in camp proves nothing long-term, but being back on schedule this summer is a step toward succeeding as a rookie. Once he develops chemistry with starting quarterback Geno Smith, he'll be in the best possible spot

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