With the NFL Combine officially in the books, Carolina Panthers fans are slowly finding out who could be in play during the 2026 NFL Draft.

After reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2017, general manager Dan Morgan and the rest of the front office now possess the No. 19 pick in the upcoming draft. The Panthers are in desperate need of help within the trenches, including on offense and defense. However, with the current state of this year’s draft, there’s a good chance that Carolina could take the best player available in the first round.

One name that was under consideration at No. 19 was Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, as he would have been another weapon for quarterback Bryce Young. However, his incredible performance at this year’s combine could put the Panthers out of range for the highly-touted prospect.

Sadiq was clearly one of the better playmakers in the upcoming draft class, as he played a massive role on the Ducks’ offensive attack in 2025. The top tight end prospect finished his last college season with 560 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 51 receptions.

Standing at 6-foot-3, 241 lbs., Sadiq stole the show on Friday night in Indianapolis with his outstanding testing numbers. He started out the day by posting a 43.5-inch vertical, along with an 11-foot broad jump. In addition to Sadiq jumping through the rough, the young tight end prospect recorded a blazing 4.39 official 40-yard dash to close out his impressive showing.

While many people around the league believed that Sadiq would have a strong showing at the combine, the do-it-all weapon’s record-setting numbers have quickly put his name into top-10 conversations.

Luckily for the Panthers, there are still plenty of viable options for the organization at pick No. 19 that would better suit the team in 2026. This includes Clemson’s TJ Parker, who managed to boost his stock after an impressive showing at the combine. Parker finished with a 4.68 40-yard dash, which is a solid time for a prospect that is 6-foot-4, 263 lbs.

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