5 Takeaways: Why Daniel Jeremiah Has Chargers Taking Kenyon Sadiq in Latest 2026 Mock Draft

Jeremiah had the Chargers taking the Oregon tight end with the No. 22 pick in a recent mock draft

Feb 19, 2026 at 01:44 PM

Daniel Jeremiah's busy season is in full swing.

The lead draft analyst for NFL Network held a two-hour conference call Thursday as he looked ahead to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, which begins next week in Indianapolis.

Here are five takeaways from Jeremiah's call:

1. Kenyon Sadiq in Round 1?

Jeremiah released his most-recent 2026 mock draft on Tuesday and had the Chargers taking a unique position with the 22nd overall pick.

Jeremiah tabbed the Bolts to select Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq in Round 1 to help boost Mike McDaniel's offense in Southern California.

"Just a real creative piece you can use," Jeremiah said of Sadiq. "With Oronde Gadsden and him out there, you'd have two pretty dynamic weapons to go along with Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston and Tre' Harris.

"You'd have a lot of toys for a very creative new offensive coordinator there," Jeremiah added.

Sadiq, who is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, had 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns for Oregon during the 2025 season.

Sadiq, who is Jeremiah's No. 21 overall player, played in 42 career games with the Ducks.

And how does Sadiq compare to Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren, the pair of tight ends drafted in the first round a yera ago?

Jeremiah offered his take?

"I think Sadiq is a talented player, but he's not in the same grade for me as those guys from last year ... he's just not going to be as big," said Jeremiah, who noted Sadiq's testing numbers should wow teams.

"He's going to run like crazy, he's going to jump out of the gym, super dynamic, super explosive," Jeremiah continued. "Someone who can take quick screens from the tight end position and do something with it with the explosiveness and the ability to run away from everybody. We see him on a lot of runaway routes, wheels.

"I don't think he's as polished as Loveland or Warren in terms of running a full complement of routes that you would want from a tight end position," Jeremiah added.

The Chargers currently have Gadsden and Will Dissly under contract at tight end for the 2026 season as Tyler Conklin and Tucker Fisk are slated to be free agents.

And Jeremiah said you shouldn't be surprised if the Chargers simply take the best player on their board in the back half of the first round.

"[Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz] is going to take the best player. He's not going to worry about what you have in certain spots," Jeremiah said. "He's going to sign some of their own guys in free agency and see what they can do with some of the cap space they have and solve some needs that way, but you go back to the Baltimore organization when they took Jonathan Ogden when they didn't have a need at tackle.

"They took Todd Heap when they didn't have a need at tight end and they Jamal Lewis when they didn't have a need at running back. They're not going to pass on a great player that would happen to fall in their lap," Jeremiah continued.

He later added: "I think they can sit tight and see how it falls."

2. Trenches on Day 2?

As for other areas on offense the Bolts could address in the draft, Jeremiah made a bold statement when looking at the trenches.

"I don't see them leaving the first three rounds without an offensive lineman," Jeremiah said.

As it stands now, the Chargers have roughly $80 million in salary cap space. Jeremiah expects the Chargers to help aid the offensive line in both free agency and the draft, just not in the first round.

"I imagine the interior of the offensive line is something that can be addressed in free agency and the interior of the offensive line, just in terms of value, matches up more with Day 2 for me than it would with that first pick," Jeremiah said.

"You look at where they are in that second and third round, they are picking 55 and 86. If they wanted to, they can find two starters with those two picks," Jeremiah added. "I don't see them leaving the first three rounds without an offensive lineman. No matter what they do in free agency, they can position themselves — if they need to trade back or trade up — they'll be able to address that."

Up front, seven of the Chargers scheduled free agents come from the offensive line.

The most notable name is Zion Johnson, who is slated to hit free agency for the first time in his career. Other 2026 free agents include Jamaree Salyer and Trey Pipkins III, the Chargers starting tackles in the final portion of the season. Bobby Hart, Austin Deculus and Trevor Penning are also free agents.