FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — For a second, New York Jets first-round draft pick Kenyon Sadiq thought his “Welcome-to-the-NFL” moment was a hoax. His mind flashed to last year’s draft and Shedeur Sanders.
The viral moment occurred Thursday night when the speedy tight end from Oregon was selected 16th overall.
“I’m excited, coach,” Sadiq told coach Aaron Glenn during a phone call he received from the Jets’ draft room, captured on video by the team and shared on social media. “I was thinking this might be a prank call for a second.”
“No, we’re not pranking you, brother,” Glenn replied with a laugh. “You’re going to be a Jet. You’ve been a target for us for a while.”
On Saturday morning, Sadiq arrived at the Jets’ facility for the first time and was asked about the call during a news conference.
“That was just my biggest fear, with Shedeur and all that stuff that happened with him,” he said. “It’s such a moment full of so many emotions. It’d be kind of not fun to get a prank call and stuff like that. But, no, obviously the call and everything was amazing.”
Sadiq quickly figured out the call was authentic.
“I mean, it was really just when I started talking to each individual coach and management and those things,” he said. “Then it really kind of hit me, ‘This isn’t a prank call, this is the real deal,’ and I was super excited.”
Sanders became a huge story during last year’s draft. Projected by some as a first-round pick, he lasted to the fifth round before being selected by the Cleveland Browns. During his long wait, he was pranked.
As it turned out, Sanders was pranked by Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. The NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and Ulbrich himself $100,000 in response to the situation. Both men apologized.
The Jets drafted Sadiq with the second of three first-round picks. He played three seasons at Oregon, recording 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
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