Oregon's Sadiq, Thieneman declare for NFL draft

Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman have declared for the NFL draft.

Sadiq, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior, had a team-high 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns this past season, his first as a starter. He was expected to be a first-round draft pick.

“I can't begin to explain how much these last three years have meant to me,” Sadiq said in a post to Instagram on Tuesday. “The relationships built, the adversities overcome, and all the memories made will forever be a part of my life.”

For his career at Oregon, Sadiq had 80 catches for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Thieneman announced on Wednesday that he was also forgoing his senior season. He finished the season with 96 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, as well as five pass breakups and two interceptions.

Oregon went 13-2 this season and defeated James Madison and Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff before falling to Indiana in the national semifinals.

Sadiq and Thieneman are the first two Oregon players to declare for the draft. Among the players who has announced they will return to the Ducks include center Iapani Laloulu, a finalists for the Remington Trophy this year, and defensive ends Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei. Tight end Jamari Johnson has also said he will remain at Oregon.

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