NFL Draft: Jets' first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq thought he was receiving a prank call
Jets first-round draft pick Kenyon Sadiq, a tight end from the University of Oregon, answers questions from reporters at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on Saturday in Florham Park, N.J. Credit: Noah K. Murray
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Kenyon Sadiq was concerned he was being pranked when his phone rang midway through the NFL Draft’s first round Thursday night.
The Jets were calling to tell the Oregon tight end they were going to draft him with the No. 16 pick, but Sadiq couldn’t help but think about what happened last year to Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
“That was just like my biggest fear,” Sadiq said Saturday morning. “If you look at Shedeur and all that stuff that happened with him, it’s just a moment full of so many emotions. It would kind of be not a fun way to get a prank call and stuff like that. But the call and everything was amazing.”
The Jets posted video of the call after taking Sadiq. He told Aaron Glenn, “I was thinking this was a prank call for a second.” Glenn laughed and said, “No, we’re not pranking you, brother. You’re going to be a Jet.”
Sadiq said he realized as the phone was being passed around to different Jets officials that it was legit.
“It really kind of hit me, ‘This isn’t a prank call, this is the real deal,’ and I was super excited,” Sadiq said.
Sanders was projected to be a first-round pick last year. Cleveland ended up drafting him on Day 3 in the fifth round. Sanders received a prank call on Day 2 from someone saying he was with the Saints.
The call turned out to be from Jax Ulbrich, the son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, the former Jets coordinator and interim head coach. The NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and Ulbrich $100,000.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
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