Eagles 2025 Draft Preview: The Tight Ends

Signs point to the Eagles ultimately moving on from Dallas Goedert and if that's the case a replacement is needed.

Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team tight end Mason Taylor of LSU (86) and American team defensive back Dan Jackson of Georgia (37) spar during Senior Bowl practice for the American team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles have plenty of bodies under contract at tight end yet the position may be the one with the greatest uncertainty entering the 2025 NFL Draft.

That’s because Dallas Goedert is set to enter the final year of his contract with no guaranteed money left on the deal and a salary-cap number over $11.7 million, behind only quarterback Jalen Hurts and All-Pros Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown, and Jordan Mailata.  

In situations like that with players the caliber of Goedert, one of two things typically happens: either the organization works out an extension where the player is guaranteed his 2025 money and some extra cash in future years while the cap number is lowered, or you move on.

Dallas Goedert meets with the media before the Eagles are scheduled to fly to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

From a pure football perspective, it seems silly to move on from Goedert, 30, especially after a strong postseason run, but his age, injury history, the idea of pending big-money contracts for younger stars around the corner, and a very strong draft class at the TE position has has most around the league leaning toward the sentiment that Goedert will not be back despite no current in-house heir.

The team has been listening to offers for Goedert, and the idea is to get a future fourth-round pick. From a cap perspective, a trade before June 1 where Philadelphia would lose over $9.5M of space wouldn’t make a lot of sense vs. after (a gain of just over $4M).

On paper, the top four the Eagles have at TE on the depth chart are all either on the final year of their deals or in one-year prove-it situations.

Backup Grant Calcaterra is considered to be more of a receiving option but has just 33 total catches through his first three seasons, while free-agent signings Kylen Granson and Harrison Bryant have profiles as TE3s so far in their NFL careers.

The Eagles also have developmental option E.J. Jenkins returning as well as futures players Nick Muse (more of a blocker), and Cameron Latu (more of a receiver).

DRAFT DAY BOTTOM LINE: If Goedert is here, the Eagles already got better at the position with Granson/Bryant serving as an upgrade at TE3 and giving new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo the ability to get more multiple with his formations.

Without Goedert, everything falls apart and TE would go from strength to major weakness without a centerpiece. 

EAGLES TE DEPTH CHART:

TE1 Dallas Goedert; TE2 Grant Calcaterra; TE3 Kylen Granson; TE4 Harrison Bryant; TE5 E.J. Jenkins; TE6 Nick Muse; TE7 Cameron Latu

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ON SI TOP 10 (we asked three former NFL scouts for their top 10 at the position and came up with a cumulative list):

-First Round

1. Tyler Warren, Penn State

2. Colston Loveland, Michigan

-First Round/Second Round

3. Mason Taylor, LSU

-Second Round

4. Elijah Arroyo, Miami 

-Day 2

5. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon

6. Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

-Day 2/Day 3

7. Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame

8. Gunnar Helm, Texas

-Day 3

9. Oronde Gadsen, Syracuse

10. Moliki Matavao, UCLA 

Small School Sleeper - Carter Runyon, Towson

Boom or Bust - Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

BUILDING THE PERFECT TE

Speed -  Shane Calhoun, Texas A&M - Calhoun isn’t one of the higher-level prospects in this class but he can move, running a 4.48 at 245 pounds. 

Route running - Elijah Arroyo, Miami - In a high-level class, Arroyo has the most separation ability.

Best hands - Colston Loveland, Michigan - Loveland has sticky hands and a huge catching radius.

YAC - Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green - A huge producer in the passing game, much of Fannin’s damage is done after the catch.

50/50 balls - Tyler Warren, Penn State - Warren isn’t shy around contact and keeps his focus through any physicality.

Best blocker - Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech - Most modern TEs are asked to lose slowly in the blocking aspect of the game. Hawes can actually take it to the defense, especially as a run blocker.

EAGLES PRE-DRAFT PROCESS NOTES:

What’s notable is that the Eagles haven’t done a lot of obvious homework at the position with no top-30 visits reported to date.

That strikes me as subterfuge considering the strength of the draft class.

Those around the league believe Philadelphia’s interest is very strong in legacy prospect Mason Taylor of LSU, and there’s an obvious connection with undersized Bowling Green pass-catcher Harold Fannin Jr., who had a spectacular college career under former BGSU head coach Scot Loeffler, who is now the quarterbacks coach with the Eagles. 

If nothing pans out at the top, keep an eye on small-school prospect Carter Runyon on Towson.

EAGLES POTENTIAL PICKS:

Day 1 - Mason Taylor, LSU

Day 2 - Taylor; Elijah Arroyo, Miami; Terrance Ferguson, Oregon

Day 3 - Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame; Gunnar Helm, Texas 

The Eagles are not in a position to get the top two players at the position: Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland. If any of the next three of Taylor, Arroyo, or Ferguson land in Philadelphia, that will be the foreshadowing of Goedert’s exit.

MORE NFL: Eagles 2025 Draft Preview: The Wide Receivers