Kenyon Sadiq Tells Jets Coach He Thought NFL Draft Call Was ‘Prank'

The New York Jets made major strides toward improving their roster by securing three first-round picks in Thursday night’s NFL Draft, which addressed both sides of the ball.

They started the night by adding Texas Tech’s David Bailey to the defense with their No. 2 selection, a pick heralded by many as the right one to take the best available player at the spot. They followed it up by drafting tight end Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon at No. 16, and then finished the first round by getting wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana.

Bailey was one of the prospects who received an invitation and showed up for the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, getting to shake hands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on stage when he announced his name second.

However, Cooper and Sadiq were not present, receiving calls from the Jets front office, including general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn, welcoming them to the team.

Read more:Malik Nabers Questions Giants for Arvell Reese Pick in NFL Draft

The phone call involving Mougey, Glenn, and Sadiq began with some initial awkwardness and hesitation on Sadiq’s part, because he was unsure of the call’s validity.

“You doing good? We’re gonna pick you right here and make you a New York Jet,” Mougey informs Sadiq.

“Ok, I appreciate it,” he replied, with Mougey asking if he was “excited” and telling him he’d come “be a weapon” for their roster.

Mougey then handed the phone over to head coach Glenn, and that’s when Sadiq finally admitted his suspicion about the call. Coach Glenn said they were excited to have him on the roster.

“We’re excited too, man. Listen, we’re gonna bring you up here, you gonna be a huge weapon for us,” Glenn told him.

“Yeah, yeah. I think this was gonna be a prank call for a second, but I appreciate it,” Sadiq told him.

“No, we’re not pranking you, brother. You’re gonna be a Jet,” Glenn said as their draft room burst out laughing.

Sadiq had plenty of reason to be suspicious, especially after last year’s draft featured an actual prank call to Shedeur Sanders. The then-Colorado draft prospect received a call from Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s son, Jax, telling him he was New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and that the Saints had drafted him.

According to ESPN, that prank situation resulted in hefty fines for both the Falcons organization and Jeff Ulbrich, with Jax issuing a public apology on Instagram for the stunt.

However, Sadiq’s draft call was the real deal, and the Jets envision their new tight end as one of the weapons they need to boost their offense. Based on how he performed in college last season, it seems that could be the case.

The Oregon tight end achieved 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season with the Ducks, and now joins a Jets offense that also brought back Geno Smith as quarterback. There was speculation the Jets might try to select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson somewhere in the draft, but the Los Angeles Rams prevented that from happening when they took him No. 13.

The Jets ranked last in the NFL when it came to their average passing yards per game, with a lot of that falling on Justin Fields. He’s now joined the Kansas City Chiefs, with the Jets hoping that they’ll see plenty of passes from Smith to their talented rookies Sadiq and Cooper next season.

More news:Carnell Tate Pick by Titans Met With Harsh Criticism From Fans

For more about the New York Jets and the NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 9:18 AM.