2018 Rookie Profile: Dallas Goedert, TE South Dakota State

Travis May Posted On April 16, 2018

The use of players at the tight end position is one of the confusing aspects of college football. Even when there are extreme differences in offensive scheme, most other positions look fairly similar across the country. However, with tight ends that isn’t the case. There are slot tight ends, exclusive in-line blockers, H-backs, pro-style tight ends, and more. That makes analyzing and projecting their future professional success possibly more difficult than any other position.

Every once in a while a prospect makes it easy for us by possessing just about everything you want in a tight end. What does that player look like? They’re incredibly productive statistically, a fantastic athlete, can block, catch, run routes, and line up anywhere an offense would want them. This year, that tight end is Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State.

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The Stats

Let’s just kick things off here with a look at Goedert’s ridiculous college production.

Statistics from stats.washingpost.com.

Yes, he played FCS-level defenses, but he simply absolutely dominated. The average college tight end doesn’t even sniff this kind of production. For reference, Goedert more than doubled the receiving yards of all but eight Division-I tight ends in the country last season. In fact, he had 347 more yards than any other tight end in the country except for Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews (another top tight end this year). Maybe most Division-I tight ends play against slightly better defenses, but that’s a fairly sizeable gap in production.

There really hasn’t been a more impressive two-season stretch by just about any tight end in college football history. His 164 receptions and 2,404 yards over just the past two seasons are greater than any other tight end’s career totals in the 2018 draft class (by a lot). If there was ever a perfect production profile for tight ends, Dallas Goedert has it.

The Film

For those of us who actually enjoy breaking down how Goedert produced those gaudy stats, let’s talk about the film. First, here are just a few of the ridiculous highlights that he put together for South Dakota State:

The first thing that stands out about Dallas Goedert has to be his ridiculous hands. It doesn’t matter where his quarterback puts the ball. He just finds a way to get at least one hand up and reels the ball in all day long. Goedert truly has better ball skills than possibly any tight end in recent memory.

Another thing Goedert does really well on film is use his body to his advantage. Even when he can’t create huge separation against a faster defender, he always gives his quarterback a wide window to drop the ball into. When he wants the ball over the top he stacks on top of defenders. If he wants to catch and run over the middle or up the seam he sets up inside leverage with easy physicality. If he wants to finish on the sideline Goedert can dip his shoulder and force his way outside. It’s a joy to watch.

Goedert also lined up just about everywhere a tight end possibly can for South Dakota State. In just one game against North Dakota State, he lined up as an in-line tight end, big slot receiver, X wide receiver, H-back, and even tailback on a fake screen play. That versatility would make him a nightmare in the NFL.

If Goedert could improve anywhere, it would be his blocking. He showed some success blocking in the run and passing game, which is good. But, like many college tight ends, his hand technique and leverage work against more refined defenders would definitely be lacking. That’s really the only area of his game that isn’t most assuredly ready for the pros.

Athleticism

It’s a shame that Goedert’s athletic profile (via Mock Draftable) isn’t entirely complete. Sadly, he injured his hamstring during Senior Bowl practices, so he didn’t feel completely comfortable performing at the NFL Combine. However, he still clearly profiles as a potential beast.

At 6’5” and 256 pounds, Goedert clearly profiles as the prototypical NFL TE1. His 34-inch arms and 10-inch hands definitely help him snag the ball outside his frame and away from defenders. And his above-average strength definitely helps. But the numbers you see below are just from the NFL Combine. They’re missing his fantastic pro day performance.

This athletic freak of a tight end reportedly logged a vertical of 35 inches, broad jump of 10’1”, and killed the agility drills with times better than the average wide receiver. It’s clear Dallas possesses pro-level athleticism.

Dynasty Value

Like many tight ends, Dallas Goedert’s dynasty value will be heavily tied to his read NFL Draft stock. And if recent mock drafts hold true, he should be taken inside the top 50 picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. If that happens, he will likely be the consensus top tight end in dynasty rookie drafts.

According to April 2018 Rookie ADP, Goedert is already consistently being selected mid-to-late round two in rookie mock drafts as the TE1. That likely won’t be changing unless some other tight end is taken far ahead of him in the real NFL Draft.

Startup drafts are where he looks to be the best value though. His current April 2018 Dynasty ADP puts him somewhere around pick 140 as the 15th tight end off the board. That’s a much more palatable price than the top tight ends of last season. For example, O.J. Howard a was already going around pick 83 this time last year. If Goedert lands in the right place he could be an extreme value.

Conclusion

As this video explains, Dallas Goedert is clearly the obvious choice for the top tight end this year.

It’s #TouchdownTime on the best TE in this class! #NFLDraft2018 #FantasyFootball #NFL pic.twitter.com/5fjsiMzEd1

— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) March 11, 2018

No tight end prospect is perfect, but Goedert’s versatility, production, and athleticism make him pretty close. Expect him to hit the ground running in the NFL grabbing at least 25-30 balls as a rookie. And then in a few years expect to see him considered among the league’s top tight ends.

As always, find me on Twitter @FF_TravisM. Look for videos using the hashtag #TouchdownTime. And yes, I love to chat about these players. I want to learn from you! Thanks for reading, and keeping living that Dynasty Life!

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