Jets need a pass-catcher contingency plan in the 2026 NFL Draft

The New York Jets are in desperate need of weapons heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. They did a good job of addressing multiple needs and adding depth to areas that needed it, but have yet to add a single player to their wide receiver room.

It's possible Darren Mougey, who did his best to downplay the Jets' need for wide receivers at the league owners' meetings, is banking on the draft as his source of fresh targets for Geno Smith, but that's a dangerous game to play.

The Jets will likely be waiting until No. 16 to address pass catcher, hoping that one of Ohio State's Carnell Tate, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, or USC's Makai Lemon makes it to the pick, but there's a real possibility that none of them will be available.

If New York gets to their second first-round selection, and there's no wide receiver there for the taking, which direction could they go?

Kenyon Sadiq could be Jets' fallback plan in 2026 NFL Draft

While there are a couple of other wide receiver prospects outside of the big three, such as Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. or Washington's Denzel Boston, they may be a little rich for the 16th pick in the draft.

Someone who could be worth that high draft pick? Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is the top prospect at his respective position in the upcoming class.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Sadiq could be the Jets contingency plan if all of the top receivers are off the board by No. 16. Despite being a tight end, his frame and athleticism could make him a dangerous weapon in the Jets offense, and form a lethal tandem with second-year tight end Mason Taylor.

NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein believes the Jets could benefit from running two tight end sets with Sadiq and Taylor, and told as much to team reporter Eric Allen.

"Let's face it, Kenyon is an explosive player and you can't put anybody on him. A lot of linebackers will be mismatched on him down the field. He may be too big for safety. It's more likely you'd see a nickel corner on him. And those guys a lot of times run about 190 pounds. On Kenyon Sadiq, man that is a physical mismatch."

Lance Zierlein

Adding a player like Sadiq could change the way the Jets play offense for the better. We'll see how the board shakes out in a few weeks, but adding the freak athlete tight end may not be a bad consolation prize in case New York misses out on some of the top wide receivers.

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