May 06, 2018

Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: Dallas Goedert

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Leading up to Philadelphia Eagles rookie camp, we'll be comparing each of the Birds' rookies to current NFL players. We'll start with tight end Dallas Goedert, the Eagles' second round pick, and their first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

By now, you've already seen Goedert's impressive highlight reel catches, which he made routinely at South Dakota State, in addition to displaying good route running ability and YAC skills. In case you haven't, take a minute to check him out:

He reminds me of Greg Olsen, but with better speed:

Here's how Goedert compares to Olsen, athletically:

Measurables	Dallas Goedert	Greg Olsen
Height	6'5	6'6
Weight	256	254
Arm length	34"	32 3/8"
Hand size	10"	9 5/8"
Vertical jump	35"	35 1/2"
Broad jump	121"	114"
3-cone drill	6.87	7.04
20 yard shuttle	4.06	4.48
Bench press	23	23

As you can see, Olsen is an inch taller, but Goedert has longer arms, bigger hands, and better overall athleticism.

When Olsen was a rookie in 2007, tight ends with potential to make an impact in the passing game weren't as common as they are today. As such, a player like Goedert lasted until the 49th pick, when he would have been more of a rare commodity 10-plus years ago.

This may sound lofty, but the expectation here is that Goedert will have a more productive career than Olsen when it's all said and done. For his career, Olsen averaged a stat line of 58-687-5 per season. I believe that Goedert has the hands, athleticism, YAC ability, and route running skills to become a Greg Olsen-like receiver, with a higher ceiling.