NFL Combine Preview: The Eagles' Tight End Dilemma and Why Trading Up for Kenyon Saddiq Makes Sense

The NFL Combine is a week away, and with it comes the unofficial start of draft season. For the Eagles, sitting at pick 23, the combine represents something more than just guys running in shorts — it's where the framework for the 2026 roster begins to take shape. And one name keeps surfacing in every conversation: tight end Kenyon Saddiq.

Saddiq is the consensus top tight end in this draft class, and it's not particularly close. While the class is considered deep at the position — names like Eli Stowers from Vanderbilt, Max Clare from Ohio State, Jack Endries from Texas, Michael Trigg from Baylor, and Justin Jolly from NC State are all day-two or day-three options — Saddiq is the only one who belongs in the first round.

The Eagles desperately need to address the tight end position. Dallas Goedert's future with the team is uncertain at best, and the rest of the tight end room — Grant Calcaterra, Kylen Granson, E.J. Jenkins — isn't exactly inspiring confidence for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. If the Eagles are moving toward a more Shanahan-McVay style offense under Sean Mannion, they need at least one dynamic tight end who can create mismatches.

The problem? Saddiq probably isn't making it to pick 23. The entire league has seen what Brock Bowers did as a rookie, what Trey McBride and Ty Warren accomplished last season. The tight end position has been elevated across the NFL, and when there's only one clear first-round talent at the position, somebody is going to jump up to get him.

This is where the combine becomes critical. If Saddiq tests as well as expected — and everything suggests he will — his stock could climb into the mid-teens. The Eagles would need to package picks to move up, potentially using one of their extra mid-round selections as sweetener. It's the kind of aggressive move Howie Roseman has shown willingness to make when he identifies a difference-maker.

Now, the counterargument is valid: do the Eagles have too many needs to spend a first-round pick on a tight end? They need edge help, potentially a cornerback, offensive line depth, and maybe a third wide receiver. Those are all legitimate concerns. But the Eagles have never been a draft-for-need team in round one. Howie takes the best player available who fits the long-term vision.

Keith Jackson was the last tight end the Eagles drafted in the first round. That was over three decades ago. But Goedert was a second-rounder who immediately contributed, proving that early investment at the position pays off. Saddiq would be an even bigger impact player — a potential day-one starter who transforms the passing game.

The other interesting wrinkle in this draft: it's considered weak at quarterback. Fernando Mendoza, Drew Allar, Carson Beck — none of them are generating first-overall buzz. That means quality non-QB players are going to slide up boards. Edge rushers, offensive linemen, and yes, tight ends will be drafted higher than they would in a QB-heavy class. The value calculation changes.

Keep an eye on Saddiq's combine performance. If he puts up elite numbers, the Eagles' path to getting him becomes harder — and more expensive. But in a league where the tight end position has never been more valuable, mortgaging a few mid-round picks to secure a franchise-changing weapon might be exactly what Howie Roseman needs to do.

The combine starts the conversation. The Eagles' phone lines will be open. They always are.