ESPN's NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. says former South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert was a steal for the Philadelphia Eagles and will be an instant impact rookie for the defending Super Bowl champs.
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In his article, Kiper lists 20 rookies who will immediately play an important role for their new team. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder who was selected in the second round was one of them.
"Former No. 2 Eagles tight end Trey Burton just got a four-year, $32 million deal in free agency, which means the spot behind Zach Ertz is wide open. Goedert can fill that in Year 1. He was my top-ranked tight end in this class. Philadelphia played with at least two tight ends on 350 snaps last season, so there's plenty of ways to get Ertz and Goedert on the field together. (And, as I noted in my grades, the Eagles led the league with 110 receptions by tight ends.) That will stretch opposing defenses because Goedert is such a good pass-catcher, and he's an underrated route runner. Goedert isn't a great blocker, but he should improve there, and free-agent signing Richard Rodgers could get some of those snaps lined up next to offensive tackles. Goedert could also be a weapon from the slot."
In an ESPN segment that is included at the top of the article, Kiper is asked about the biggest steal in the draft.
"I think Dallas Goedert is a good place to start. I think he was the No. 1 tight end in the draft. He is a Zach Ertz-type tight end. Great pass catcher, basketball background, athletic. He's got great length and tremendous catch radius. He will be a real factor because they have some losses."
Goedert combined for 164 catches for 2,404 yards and 18 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the Jackrabbits.
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