Dallas Goedert 2018 NFL Draft Profile

Dallas Goedert 2018 NFL Draft Profile

The 2017 NFL Draft had three tight ends going in the first round: David Njoku, O.J. Howard and Evan Engram. This year, a number of people believe the run at tight end won’t start until day two. And when it does, some people have Dallas Goedert being the first one off the board, when the run starts.

In his four seasons with the Jackrabbits, Goedert accumulated 198 receptions, 2,988 yards, and 21 touchdowns, while averaging just over 15 yards a catch. He’s had quite the career at South Dakota State, especially over these last two seasons, making FCS All-America first team the last two seasons, catching 92 passes in 2016 and another 72 in 2017 and gaining over 1,000 both years. This past season Goedert surpassed 100 yards in a game six times. Goedert was no question the team’s biggest and most utilized weapon over these last two seasons and very well could be at the next level.

Goedert accepted his 2018 invitation to play in the Senior Bowl game. However, he couldn’t play due to injury. We were robbed of seeing him play vs the cream of the crop in division one football.

Strengths

Has the prototype and premier size you look for in a pass-catching tight end;

Can line up on and off the line;

Impressive at extending the play after he makes the catch and has the ball;

Can be a red zone threat due to his substantial size;

Very good at exploiting mismatches in coverage. He has the ability to be a nightmare for linebackers and cornerbacks with the combination of his size and athletic skill set – defensive coordinators will not be particularly enthused about game planning for him on Sundays;

Impressive at achieving separation.

Weaknesses

Has a tendency to look up field before making the catch and not having the ball in his hands. Will drive some coaches crazy;

Wasn’t asked to pass block a whole lot and when he was, it wasn’t the best;

Didn’t play against the premier division one talent playing for an FCS school. Teams may be hesitant to draft him on day one. Playing in the Senior Bowl would’ve answered a lot of questions for a lot of general managers and scouts;

Needs work on not giving away his routes too early.

Pro Comparison: Travis Kelce

Projection: Second round, 33-45 range.

Bottom Line

Expect Goedert to be among the first tight ends taken off the board. Some teams could be bold enough to take him on day one at the bottom of the first round. He has a lot of talent and the buzz you’re hearing about him is well warranted. He was a playmaker at South Dakota State and he likely will be at the next level in the league. Don’t expect him to be a plug-in starter on day one. But two or three years from now we could be saying how big of a steal this small school standout was.