The James Pearce Jr. trade the Atlanta Falcons made with the Los Angeles Rams is aging worse by the day. Not only did Terry Fontenot practically gift one of the NFC's best teams with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 Draft, it looks unlikely that Pearce will play in the NFL again after his offseason arrest.
That's one part of the problem, but not having a first-round pick in Ian Cunningham's first offseason as general manager makes things even worse. The Rams are guaranteed to land an impact player, and were comfortable trading for Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs because of this pick.
The Rams have been linked to several different players with Atlanta's pick. Franchise quarterbacks, instant impact defenders, and even players on the offensive line. But after the combine and the opening wave of free agency, another direction is starting to gain some steam in another elite weapon for reigning MVP Matthew Stafford.
However, don't get it twisted. This weapon is not a wide receiver, it's a tight end. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq could be an option for the Rams at 13, especially since he isn't expected to drop out of the top 20. If they draft him, he'd be the perfect weapon to make Sean McVay's offense even scarier.
The Los Angeles Rams could use the Falcons' first-round pick to draft Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq
The 21-year-old caught 51 passes for 560 yards and a staggering eight touchdowns in 2025, as Sadiq cemented himself as an elite red zone threat by finishing third in the FBS in receiving scores. And he was also named the Big Ten Tight End of the Year despite playing in a very crowded offense.
While his 2025 production was impressive, it was his showing in Indianapolis that really turned heads. At 6-foot-3 1/8 and 241 pounds, Sadiq recorded a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 43.5" vertical jump, and an 11.2" broad jump. That's one of the best combine performances I've ever seen from a tight end.
All of those numbers are better than current Falcons' tight end Kyle Pitts, who was heralded as a generational prospect coming out of Florida. The broad jump and 40 times are pretty close, but Pitts' 33.5" vertical is much worse than Sadiq's number. But the combine isn't the only decider of his fate.
Coincidentally, if the Rams draft Sadiq, it would make the Pearce trade come full circle. With the 2025 second-round pick Los Angeles received from the Falcons, they used it to select ex-Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson, who started ahed of him with the Ducks, and they'd have to compete again in LA.
For McVay, who is ever the innovator, you already know that Sadiq will be in serious consideration with the 13th pick, even though they don't need a tight end. They already have Ferguson and Tyler Higbee, so making such a luxury pick should make Falcons fans sick.