Patriots Predicted To Draft Tight End Being Compared To All-Pro Trey McBride

Patriots Predicted To Draft Tight End Being Compared To All-Pro Trey McBride originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots may be looking to add some juice to their offense this offseason, and the draft could be an avenue to do so.

The Patriots need a player who can make plays after the catch, and University of Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq could be that player. Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice predicted the Patriots would draft former Ducks pass catcher with the 31st pick of the NFL Draft.

“While Sadiq is a tight end, the Patriots need pass catchers, especially ones who can create explosives with the ball in their hands,” Tice wrote in a Thursday mock draft. “Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loves to use tight ends, and (Drake) Maye has loved throwing the ball to Hunter Henry in his first two seasons. Sadiq would give them a weapon who can turn those screens and underneath routes into big plays. He has the speed and receiving ability to stretch the defense, and also some real grit as a blocker that Mike Vrabel would love.”

Sadiq had 560 yards and eight touchdowns on 51 receptions last season. In three seasons at Oregon, he had 892 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns. Last season, he led the team in touchdowns and was third on the team in receiving yards per game. He has the potential to be an impact player in the NFL, and NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compares him to Trey McBride.

"A versatile tight end with a shredded physique and alluring potential as a volume target, Sadiq’s route tree will be full of branches," Zierlein wrote of Sadiq on NFL.com. "His athleticism and break quickness should allow him to uncover against man coverage on all three levels. He’s talented after the catch, with the ability to make things easier for play-callers and quarterbacks looking to move the sticks. He has the body control and hand strength to win contested catches but will occasionally allow balls to hit the ground on lower-difficulty plays. He’s adequate as a blocker, giving good effort in-line and locating and landing on linebackers as a move blocker. Teams looking to diversify their passing game options with a talented pass-catching tight end could make Sadiq a priority."

McBride is a two-time Pro Bowler and was a First-Team All-Pro last season. He has 3,210 yards and 16 touchdowns in the last three seasons, and is one of the best tight ends in the league.

If Sadiq can be even close to that, he would be a very valuable addition to the Patriots. Given that Austin Hooper is a free agent and Hunter Henry only has one season left on his deal, tight end could be a priority for the Patriots.