Kenyon Sadiq seeing Shedeur Sanders get pranked caused ‘fear’ when Jets made NFL draft call

Nypost · Apr 25, 2026 · 559 words · By Brian Costello

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What to know about NFL Draft Coverage

Jets first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq thought it might be a prank when he got the phone call from the Jets on Thursday night that they were drafting him.

Claims checked 17

Techniques found 1

Topics 1

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Jets first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq thought it might be a prank when he got the phone call from the Jets on Thursday night that they were drafting him.

Why it matters

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Common ground

tRY IT NOW“That was just my biggest fear, with Shedeur [Sanders] and all that stuff that happened with him,” Sadiq said.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this NFL Draft Coverage story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The Jets took Sadiq, a tight end from Oregon, with the No. 16 overall pick?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/25/sports/kenyon-sadiq-seeing-shedeur-sanders-get-pra…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 30% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

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Claim 1: “The Jets took Sadiq, a tight end from Oregon, with the No. 16 overall pick.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the Jets selected Kenyon Sadiq, a tight end from Oregon, with the 16th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NFL draft was the 91st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The event is being held in Pittsburgh on April 23–25. The time between fir…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NFL_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kenyon Sadiq ( SAH-deek; born March 4, 2005) is an American professional football tight end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyon_Sadiq

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Jets, originally known as the Titans of New York from the team's conception in 1960 until 1962, joined the NFL as part of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, two years after defeating the Baltimore …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_York_Jets_first-ro…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “The Jets social media team posted a video of the call from the Jets war room to Sadiq.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that the Jets social media team posted a video documenting the call to Sadiq from the Jets war room.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Confere…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Jets

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “Jets GM Darren Mougey has said that he was waiting until after the draft to engage with Breece Hall’s agent on contract extension talks.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results are from fan forums discussing the Jets, but none of the provided evidence sources contain the specific quote or statement from Jets GM Darren Mougey regarding Breece Hall's contract extension timing.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dive into in-depth discussions about Aaron Rodgers and all things NY Jets on JetNation Forum. Join fellow fans to explore the latest news, game highlights, and more.
https://forums.jetnation.com/forum/5-ny-jets-forum/

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web search NEUTRAL — Join the conversation at JetNation - the top NY Jets Fan Forum. Discuss Aaron Rodgers and all the latest news about the team while you connect with other Jets fans.
https://forums.jetnation.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 2, 2026 · Figured I'd make my 30 visit thread an annual tradition. I will update this thread as I see reports on Top 30 visits roll in - feel free to share them. You can share pro day and combine …
https://forums.jetnation.com/topic/192156-2026-jets-top-30-v…

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Claim 4: “He was rated as the No. 14 guard by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “The Jets opened Day 3 of the draft by taking Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the Jets opening Day 3 of the draft by selecting Darrell Jackson Jr.

schedule

Claim 6: “The Jets moved around the board on Saturday.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Jackson is a huge man, but he had limited production for the Seminoles.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 8: “The prank was pulled off by Jax Ulbrich, the son of former Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who is now with the Falcons.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results attribute the prank to Jax Ulbrich, the son of Jeff Ulbrich, and note his connection to the Falcons.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NFL draft was the 90th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft was held at Lambeau Field and its adjacent Titletown District in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NFL_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NFL season was the 106th season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season began on September 4, 2025, with reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia defeating Dallas in the NF…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NFL_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ender's Game is a 2013 American military science fiction film written and directed by Gavin Hood, based on the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card. The film stars Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender's_Game_(film)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “They traded up to take QB Cade Klubnik in the fourth round and then moved up again in the sixth round to take Miami G Anez Cooper.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 10: “Jets first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq thought it might be a prank when he got the phone call from the Jets on Thursday night that they were drafting him.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results discuss the prank call to Kenyon Sadiq, suggesting he thought it was a prank, but the evidence provided is highly specific to this narrative and does not show corroboration from two or more independent news sources reporting this exact detail.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “The Jets used the franchise tag on their star running back.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the Jets placed the franchise tag on Breece Hall.

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web search NEUTRAL — The New York Jets dusted off their franchise tag, placing it on star RB Breece Hall ahead of the deadline. Breece’s tag is the nonexclusive version worth over 14 million dollars, meaning the running b…
https://7sport.net/en/news/jets-place-franchise-tag-on-runni…

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web search NEUTRAL — Hall's franchise tag represents a substantial financial commitment from the Jets, who clearly view the 25-year-old running back as a cornerstone piece of their offensive future.
https://www.tournaments.com/news/da3a6032-dcae-4b8e-b263-2d1…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Jets placed their franchise tag on running back Breece Hall ahead of Tuesday's deadline.The Jets have the right of first refusal and would receive two first-round draft picks as compensation if th…
https://www.espn.ph/nfl/story/_/id/48090048/sources-jets-pla…

info

Claim 12: “The NFL fined Ulbrich $100,000 and the Falcons $250,000 for the incident.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the web search results confirm the prank involving Ulbrich and Sanders, none of the provided evidence sources specify the exact fines ($100,000 and $250,000) levied by the NFL. This specific financial penalty detail is not corroborated.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jeffery Wade Ulbrich (; born February 17, 1977) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football Leagu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Ulbrich

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 13: “They made the trade with the Seahawks, sending a sixth-rounder (199) and seventh-rounder (242) to Seattle for pick 188.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 14: “The final pick of the draft for the Jets was Kansas State safety VJ Payne, who they selected in the seventh round.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 15: “They have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal or he will play this year on the tag.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific deadline of July 15 or the consequence of playing on the tag if a long-term deal is not reached.

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Claim 16: “Sanders was pranked during the draft last year as he fell to the fifth round.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that Shedeur Sanders was pranked during the draft when he fell to the fifth round.

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web search NEUTRAL — Shedeur Sanders was having a difficult enough time during the 2025 NFL Draft as he to slid down the board before finally getting selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round on Saturday.
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/2025-nfl-draft-shedeur-sand…

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web search NEUTRAL — Last year, then-Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean received a prank call during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. DeJean was later drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles.
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/nfl-investi…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The 21-year-old son of the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator prank-called NFL hopeful Shedeur Sanders to say he had been drafted during his stunning fall from a top prospect to a fifth-round sele…
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nfl/shedeur-sanders-pranked-j…

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Claim 17: “Cooper was a three-year starter at Miami and gives the Jets some depth on the interior of the offensive line.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.