2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Dallas Goedert

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

Dallas Goedert, 6-4/260 Tight End South Dakota State

Dallas Goedert Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Regularly made some spectacular highlight-reel catches

Highly productive

Consistent

High points the ball well

Leaping ability

Excellent body control

Red-zone weapon

Quick down the seam

Tracks the ball well

Adjusts well to the ball

Finds the soft spots in zone coverage

Tough for defensive backs to tackle

Fearless to make leaping grabs

Weaknesses:

Durability

Injury issues in college

Drops some passes

Doesn’t generate separation

Lacks speed

Lacks suddenness

Summary: The 2017 NFL Draft was a banner year at the tight end position with three being selected in the first round and two more going in the top half of the second round. The 2018 NFL Draft is not close to as strong at the tight end position, but one tight end who has gotten some media praise is South Dakota State’s Dallas Goedert. There have been some mock drafts that have Goedert going in the first round and rate him as the top tight end in the draft class. However after speaking to sources at a handful of teams, none of them had Goedert graded in the first round.

The highest grade among those five teams was a second-rounder. Two teams had him graded in the third round, and two teams had a high fourth-round grade on him. The senior amassed 72 receptions for 1,111 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017. He put up even better production as a junior with 92 receptions for 1,293 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“[Goedert is] not a great route-runner and wasn’t a separation guy,” said a NFC director of college scouting. “He is more possessional and doesn’t win with suddenness or quickness. He had lots of drops, but you counter that with some spectacular catches. They threw him a million balls, so some drops are going to happen. We just don’t see him as a special mismatch weapon.”

For the NFL, Goedert has the ability to contribute as a receiver. While he will struggle to get separation from NFL linebackers or safeties, he uses his size and high-point ability to make catches over defenders. Goedert will be an asset in the red zone with his skills to sky high and make tremendous catches with body control and uncanny one-handed skills. Goedert is adept at finding the soft spot in zone coverage, and his size makes him tough to tackle for defensive backs. Thus, Goedert could be a quality receiving tight end in the pros, although he probably won’t be elite given his lack of speed, of suddenness, and of an ability to separate.

As a blocker, Goedert has the potential to be a solid contributor in the NFL. He has a thick frame with the size to match up on front seven defenders. Given the big jump in competition, Goedert will need some development in his technique to be effective at sustaining his blocks against NFL defensive ends and linebackers.

A few of the team sources also mentioned that there were injury concerns with Goedert and that his combine medical exam was going to be important. If his medical profile isn’t too alarming, Goedert appears likely to be a second-day pick in a weak year at the tight end position. He looks like he stands a good chance of being a third-round pick.



Player Comparison: Jack Doyle. Doyle has been a nice contributor as a receiving tight end for the Colts and also can contribute as a blocker. Doyle (6-6, 260) and Goedert are similarly sized with the physical talent to contribute as receivers despite lacking elite speed or suddenness to get separation. Over his NFL career, Goedert could be a tight end who is similar to Doyle.

NFL Matches: Pittsburgh, Miami, Baltimore, Green Bay, New England, Jacksonville, Houston

Pittsburgh needs a tight end upgrade and is are in ‘win-now’ mode. Goedert could give the Steelers a receiving weapon to use in the red zone.

On Day 2 or in the mid-rounds, there are a lot of potential landing spots for Goedert. Miami needs a three-down starting tight end because Julius Thomas is just a role player. Baltimore also needs a tight end upgrade as Ben Watson is ancient for a NFL player and Maxx Williams hasn’t panned out yet.

The Packers need a starting tight end. Martellus Bennett didn’t last one year in Green Bay, and Richard Rodgers is entering free agency. Green Bay could use a receiving upgrade over Rodgers. Even if he’s re-signed, that wouldn’t eliminate Goedert as a potential mid-round pick for the Packers.

Bennett signed with New England, but he’s clearly a declining player. The Patriots could consider Goedert as a tight end to pair with Rob Gronkowski. Goedert would give them some depth protection if Gronkowski gets injured again.

The Jaguars could use a long-term starting tight end as Marcedes Lewis turns 34 after the 2018 NFL Draft. The Texans have three picks in the third round and need more receiving talent at tight end. C.J. Fiedorowicz might be forced into retirement because of concussions, and that could make tight end an even more urgent issue for Houston.

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

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