Who's fooling who? This rookie may fit Rams offense better than Kenyon Sadiq

"But, they could have selected Oregon tight end, Kenyon Sadiq."

That is one of the sharpest critiques NFL analysts voice when decrying the Los Angeles Rams selection of rookie quarterback Ty Simpson. But what if Los Angeles had merely reversed the order of selecting tight end Max Klare with Simpson? Would NFL analysts still be up in arms?

Thankfully, we will never know. That's because had Los Angeles not selected Simpson at 13, the Arizona Cardinals were ready to pick him at the 34th overall pick. But the point of this scenario is to call out the fact that nobody acknowledges the steal LA found in Round 2 by selecting tight end Max Klare, who could easily be a better fit for the offense than Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

Had Los Angeles not tapped the same Oregon Ducks offense for tight end Terrance Ferguson in 2025, we might be having a different conversation altogether. But Ferguson was drafted out of Oregon last season. And while he flashed some promise, he struggled to catch even half the passes thrown his way.

And he was a far more experienced collegiate tight end than Kenyon Sadiq, catching 134 passes for 1,537 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Max Klare edges Kenyon Sadiq in direct comparison

LA Rams rookie tight end Max Klare essentially played two seasons for the Purdue Boilermakers and one season with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Over that time, he hauled in 114 passes for 1,329 yards and six touchdowns. But he learned to be effective without a football in his hands and was valued in the offense for his versatility.

Over three seasons, Kenyon Sadiq caught 80 passes for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. But while Klare was the third option in Ohio State's offense behind wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, Sadiq was numero uno in the Ducks' offense.

What did analysts see in Kenyon Sadiq?

Much like his former teammate, Terrance Ferguson, Kenyon Sadiq was often described as a light tight end who could be effective with crisp route running in the NFL. But he was flagged for inconsistent catch focus, unexplained drops, and getting bullied at the line of scrimmage.

He was a combine freak, an athletic tight end who was faster than expected and whose body mass index rivals that of professional bodybuilders.

Sadiq was the best of the bunch, but was not a slam dunk by any means. His best performances in college came against inferior defenses. One Oregon fan volunteered that Sadiq was the 'King of garbage time catches.' While that seems harsh, it shows that even Ducks fans were not sold on Sadiq.

What did analysts see in Max Klare?

Max Klare has a similar challenge in his draft profiles. But he had more production in college and was used in far more roles. That is, he lined up just about anywhere and everywhere to help his offense. Klare's Purdue chapter is much like Sadiq's at Oregon. But Klare added one more season at Ohio State.

Klare improved his drops at Ohio State, learning to be one offensive playmaker in a robust offense. As a result, Klare was able to sharpen his alignments, blocking, route running, and a myriad of intangibles that many rookies simply fail to address in college.

The difference? Klare produced in a crowded offense.

It could be that both Sadiq and Klare flourish in the NFL, or that both crash and burn trying to realize their dreams of competing in the NFL. But the narrative has ignored the obvious for far too long. Los Angeles reinforced its offense, already the top-scorer in the NFL.

Nobody knows the future yet. But even without knowing what may be, why ignore what was? NFL pundits continue to pile on Los Angeles with faulty reasoning. Hopefully, Max Klare is better than advertised and becomes a standout in LA in his rookie season.

As always, thanks for reading.

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