With the Scouting Combine over and pro days underway, we have a more complete picture of the 2026 NFL Draft class. Film, production, athletic testing, interviews, and medical evaluations come together to make a profile of a player, which makes it easier to map out the class. Over the next few weeks, I will be going through position by position and ranking the 2026 draft class, with more attention being paid to positional groups the Eagles may be more interested in.
At tight end, the Eagles opted to bring Dallas Goedert back for another year. He is coming off a record breaking year where he scored 11 times, most ever in a single season by an Eagles tight end. Despite his high level of play, the 31-year-old’s long term future with the Eagles is unclear. Goedert has played a full season once in his entire career and while he is excellent when he’s on the field, the Eagles should be planning to find his replacement.
Howie Roseman drafted Zach Ertz in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft after Brent Celek 684 yards receiving the previous year and was still an asset as a blocker. As a rookie, Ertz was the second tight end while Celek set a career high in yards per catch while going over 500 yards receiving and scoring six times. The following year, Ertz took over as the top tight end and remained there for many years.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Eagles drafted Dallas Goedert in the second round. Zach Ertz was coming off an 824 yard season where he was dominant in the playoffs and helped the Eagles won a Super Bowl. In Goedert’s rookie year, Ertz set an NFL record for catches by a tight end. Over the course of Goedert’s first two years, Ertz had over 2,000 receiving yards. It wasn’t until Ertz was traded during the 2021 season, Goedert’s fourth year in the league, that Goedert took over as the top tight end.
See where I’m going with this?
This year might be the perfect time for the Eagles to draft a tight end high, considering the way the class is laid out. Let a rookie play second fiddle to Goedert and take over as the top guy in 2027. Here are the top tight ends in the class .
1) Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
It was before the combine that Kenyon Sadiq established himself as the top tight end in this draft. His dominant final season at Oregon showed his ability to separate at every level of the field, make dynamic catches in traffic, and create yardage after the catch.
Then he blew up Lucas Field with a 4.39 40-yard dash and all around incredible athletic testing. It’s not surprising if you watch him play, but it quantifies just how impressive of an athlete he is.
The biggest concern with Sadiq is how traditional a tight end role he can play. He is under 240 pounds and is “smaller” for a tight end at 6’3” with short arms. His blocking at Oregon was fine, but not game changing. Teams won’t draft him for his blocking ability, but he needs to be competent as an in-line blocker or else he will be keeping himself off the field.
His upside as a receiver is really hard to overstate though, and teams will smartly bank on him getting a bit better as a blocker in order to maximize what he can really do: line up anywhere on the field and cause problems.
NFL Comparison: Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
2) Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Similar to Kenyon Sadiq, Eli Stowers was also universally locked into a high draft position on somewhere early Day 2 as the second tight end in the draft. Then he had a great combine and cemented a lot of what was already clear on tape.
Eli Stowers is a great athlete who can outrun any defender on the field and outmuscle any defensive backs. He was a weapon in the passing game over the last few years and figures to do the same in the NFL.
Also similar to Kenyon Sadiq is his limitations. Stowers is very much a receiver first and foremost with blocking only being something he can do, technically. Stowers’ effort as a pass blocker could stand to improve to give teams more flexibility with where he lines up on the field. But his ceiling is a high level pass catcher who can generate volume targets and offer a dynamic mismatch in the passing game.
NFL Comparison: Evan Engram, Denver Broncos
The Rest
- Max Klare, Ohio State
- Jack Endries, Texas
- Justin Joly, NC State
- Michael Trigg, Baylor
- Tanner Koziol, Houston
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