It Takes (TE)2 to Tango

As we hit the next ‘flavor of the week’ in the prolonged NFL Draft Season, there’s been much hype surrounding Kenyon Sadiq and the Ravens’ need for a solid Tight End behind Mark Andrews on the depth chart.

But is Sadiq the best answer? Better yet, is drafting Sadiq the best approach to roster and draft capital management?

I’d argue that the Ravens have several options on the table here, and that Sadiq may not be a slam dunk pick at 14 for Baltimore when looking for TE2 on this roster, with an eye on future-proofing the position.

Let’s take a gander at some options.

Kenyon Sadiq (Round 1, Pick 14)

We’ll start with the main character in this debate: Sadiq.

The rookie-to-be out of Oregon has but a single season of notable production to show for himself, but it was quite the season, as he put up 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns.

I’ll spare the full draft analysis and breakdown of his athleticism, simply to say Sadiq is very good prospect, worthy of Round 1 consideration for any TE-needy team.

The question then becomes, is that the best allocation of your top-15 draft pick for a team in dire need of Offensive Line help, pass rush help, Wide Receiver help, even secondary help?

While we don’t have a true idea of what a Declan Doyle-led offense will look like, we can try to use his time in Chicago as a benchmark (despite being a figurehead OC, while Ben Johnson called plays). In 2025 the Bears lined up in 12-formation roughly 34% of the time- about league average.

Would a Wide Receiver drafted here get more looks/targets, and thus carry more immediate value? Would a pass rusher like Rueben Bain Jr (wishful thinking), or Keldric Faulk (maybe a reach) be more valuable? What about Spencer Fano or Olaivavega Ioane to ensure Lamar Jackson can actually get the ball out?

Other Draft Options

For a team that has a knack for addressing Tight End later in the draft, the Ravens surely have some tempting options available to them. Lest we forget the history of this franchise developing mid-round Tight Ends…

Dennis Pitta was drafted in Round 4, 114^th overall.

Mark Andrews was drafted in the 3^rd Round, 86th overall.

Isaiah Likely was drafted in the 4^th Round, 139^th overall.

Let’s not talk about earlier guys like Maxx Williams or Hayden Hurst. Gross draft negligence, and suddenly realizing nothing good comes of Maxx’s with two X’s in Baltimore…

Back on track.

Eli Stowers is still growing into the position, but promising enough to be projected in Round 2. Imagine what he could do with Lamar versus the pint-sized Pavia he had at Vandy. And for all the hype on Sadiq’s measurables and athleticism, Stowers went toe-to-toe on all of it:

Height: Stowers by ½”

Weight: Sadiq by 2lbs

40 time: Sadiq by 0.12s

Vertical: Stowers by 2”

Broad: Stowers by 1”

Drop to Rounds 3 to 5, and the Ravens could be looking at guys like Oscar Delp out of Georgia, Justin Joly out of NC State, or Max Klare out of Ohio State. Good luck finding a consensus on their rankings. For me it goes Delp, Klare, Joly, with Klare having the most upside of the trio.

DeCosta said there’s a “strong chance” the Ravens will look to take more than one tight end in this draft.

— Luke Jones (@BaltimoreLuke) April 15, 2026

Trade Option

As proposed by Bleacher Report, the Ravens could consider making a trade with Chicago to bring Cole Kmet into the fold, with a suggested Round 4 pick going back to Chicago.

The Ravens could trade for Bears TE Cole Kmet for a conditional 2027 4th-round pick, per @BleacherReport.

• Baltimore lost Likely & Kolar
• Kmet is 27 with 2,900+ career yards
• Familiar with OC Declan Doyle

Would keep the 2-TE system alive with Andrews. pic.twitter.com/EN3jq2U0ZD

— Ravens Nation ð™‡ð™„ð™‘𙀠(@LiveRavenNation) April 13, 2026

Kmet is still just 27 years old, and a consistent 50/500/5 guy. Take into consideration who his QBs have been over the years: Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles, Justin Fields, and Caleb Williams (who didn’t show up to the big stage till last season).

Unfortunately for the 6^th year starter, the Bears drafted Colston Loveland and he took a back seat, but still thrived in his role.

In a trade like this, the Ravens would have two years of Kmet, who offers a proven player with starting upside in the event Andrews goes down, for $9M APY. Should Kmet show up big this season, extending a 27-year-old player by tacking on a few years isn’t the worst scenario either, and if he fizzles, he’s cut fodder next year to save cap space.

Free Agency Options

I love that the Ravens have kept free agent moves on the back burner to this point. No need to rush things, as there should be a couple of stop-gap options.

David Njoku has already visited Baltimore this month, and I can see a scenario where the Ravens sign the 30-year-old to a 1-year deal to bolster the TE Room temporarily.

Then there’s uh…. Jonnu Smith? And umm…. 49-year-old Zach Ertz? Or possibly… a Darren Waller reunion (until he inevitably gets hurt again)?

Okay, so maybe Free Agency isn’t the ticket here.

VERDICT: K’MON OVER, KMET

Listen, this isn’t a knock on Sadiq, I just believe there’s better usage of the Ravens pick at 14, when this team rarely picks this high and has shown the ability to develop in later round Tight Ends. And maybe this is a later-pick-AND-Kmet scenario if you believe Durham Smythe is a fullback in disguise.

But for immediate impact?

Kmet for a Round 4 pick makes the most sense to me. Proven talent, future-proofing beyond Andrews potential, but also coming with an out next offseason if it doesn’t pan out. This also allows allocation of your first three picks to primary needs in the trenches and at wideout.

A savvy move like this for EDC could prove to be a steal of a deal, once again.

The post It Takes (TE)2 to Tango appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/04/15/street-talk/cole-kmet/