Everyone knew Kenyon Sadiq was different.
If it wasn’t seen at Oregon, it became obvious in Indianapolis, where the tight end recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.39 seconds) for his position at the NFL Scouting Combine in at least 23 years.
The Jets adjusted their expectations for the explosive rookie after Sadiq was sidelined for OTAs (hernia surgery) and missed most of training camp (including every preseason game) following a setback in late July.
Then, offensive coordinator Frank Reich was reminded that the Jets didn’t draft just another tight end with the 16th overall pick.
“A few weeks ago, I [said] we’d have to phase him in since he hadn’t practiced — and I meant that — but then I saw him practice for one week, and … I thought, ‘Oh no, he’s ready to go,’ ” the offensive coordinator said Thursday. “We went [into Week 1] with the reins off and just said, ‘Let’s play football.’
“I’ve never coached a tight end quite like him. He’s humble, but a confident player. What I like is, he doesn’t have a big ego. He just wants to do his job, wants to be part of the unit, wants to see all the tight ends excel. I’m excited about that.”
In just 28 snaps, the 21-year-old raised the bar back to where it began.
Sadiq demanded immediate attention despite debuting to limited reps, scoring the team’s season-opening touchdown in a 23-10 win at Tennessee.
With his 3-yard end around touchdown run, Sadiq — who finished with three receptions for 21 yards, while tying for the second-most targets on the team — became the first tight end to score his first touchdown on a rushing play since Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome in 1978. The 6-foot-3, 241-pound tight end also demonstrated his incredible versatility, lining up in the slot, out wide and in the backfield.
“It was really just about me getting my foot in the door and showing them what I could do,” Sadiq said Thursday. “I didn’t have those reps during camp, so I was really focusing on the mental reps, seeing what everyone was doing, so that when it was time for me to come in and work, it wasn’t like i was making a big jump or anything.
“I really just wanted to find my role and where I fit in. I was super appreciative of Frank and all the guys trusting me to do my job.”
Reich is making the most of a crowded tight end room — also featuring Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert, Jelani Woods and Andrew Beck — that has convinced him to veer from his history of leaning on more traditional formations.
In the Week 1 win, the Jets used multiple tight ends on roughly 43 percent of their snaps — including three plays featuring three tight ends in their opening drive, matching the number of times the formation was used by the team all of last season.
“I think that room is a weapon for us,” head coach Aaron Glenn said this week. “That’s an improved group, and each week we’re giving them more and more on their plate so we can try to take advantage of who they are.”
On one play, Reich put all five tight ends on the field. The Jets analytics department told him it was the first time the team had used such a formation in at least two decades.
“I’ve never been in a place where you had five tight ends on the field at once,” Sadiq said. “This is different. It’s a lot of fun.”
