An insider's take pits Oregon's Dillon Thieneman against Kenyon Sadiq. One boasts record-breaking speed, the other, consistent college dominance. Who holds the edge?
The Oregon Ducks sent nine players to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February.
Tight end Kenyon Sadiq had one of the best performances of any player at the combine, breaking a record for tight ends with a 4.39 40-yard dash time.
Sadiq is arguably the best player from Oregon in the 2026 NFL Draft. Safety Dillon Thieneman also has a chance to go in the first round on Thursday night.
With that being said, Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports made an interesting argument as to why Thieneman might be a better player than Sadiq based on what he saw from both players at the college level.
Marcello ranked the safety as the No. 12 best player in the 2026 class based on production in college.
"The three-time All-American was phenomenal at Oregon and Purdue, earning freshman of the year honors from multiple publications in 2023, and is the only defensive player ever to win five player of the week awards during a single season in the Big Ten," Marcello wrote.
Marcello thinks Sadiq is the No. 28 best player in the class based on production in college.
"He made the most of his three years at Oregon, breaking out last season with 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, which led all FBS tight ends in scores," Marcello wrote of Sadiq.
"He was named the Big Ten's tight end of the year and earned second-team All-American honors from three outlets while also garnering a finalist nod for the Mackey Award last season."
Marcello noted that teams in the draft don't usually pick players primarily based on what they did in college. Teams project what they think a certain player can do in their system in the league.
Sadiq has the talent to become one of the best tight ends in the league as he continues to develop. He's getting better as a run blocker, which is a skill that many league coaches are looking for.
Thieneman should be a solid safety at the next level like he was in college. However, the value of a safety just isn't that high in the NFL.