Every day leading up to the 2020 NFL draft, we’ll be taking a look at this draft class by position. We’ll highlight a few players who will fit the Eagles and separate them into three categories based on where they’re likely to get drafted.
Up first: Tight ends.
At No. 21
Nah, this isn’t going to happen for two reasons. One, the Eagles already have Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, so they don’t need to use a high pick on a tight end. And, two, this is a pretty weak class of tight ends. There likely won’t be one drafted at all in the first round.
In the middle
Hunter Bryant, Washington, 6-2, 248
We left out the very top guys in this class. Let other teams more desperate for tight ends take a look at them. We’ll start with Bryant, who might make it to the third or fourth round. He played at Washington, where he wasn’t really asked to block a whole lot, so he basically comes to the NFL as a big slot receiver who will need to work on his blocking ability. Consider him a “move” tight end with H-back capabilities. But he is pretty athletic and has the potential to be a pass-catching tight end at the next level.
Colby Parkinson, Stanford, 6-7, 252
The Eagles hit seven years ago with a tight end from Stanford, so why not try to go back? Well, Parkinson clearly isn’t Ertz. But he comes from a pro system and caught 87 passes for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns in his three-year career. He had seven touchdowns in 2018. Despite his size, he’s not an in-line blocker either and would need to work on that part of his game.
Thaddeus Moss, LSU, 6-2, 250
You know Moss as the sone of Randy but he’s going to be a mid-round selection in this year’s draft. In 2019, he caught 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns. And unlike the first two guys, has been utilized as an inline blocking tight end. Moss didn’t do anything at the combine because he needed surgery for a Jones fracture. It’s unclear what that will do to his draft stock.
Late round sleeper(s)
Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida, 6-3, 247
In four seasons at USF, Wilcox caught exactly 100 passes for 1,326 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wilcox is more of a blocking tight end but still found a way to be a productive pass-catcher in college. But he’s not very athletic or explosive and will probably be a late-round pick or an UDFA because of it.
Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati, 6-2, 242
After two solid seasons in 2018 and 2019, Deguara seems to have some upside. He put together an impressive showing at the combine and that athleticism is probably worth taking a chance on with an H-back role in mind. He ran a 4.72 time in the 40, had a vert of 35 1/2 and a broad of 115.
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