2025 NFL Draft buzz: Philadelphia Eagles insider projects team will take All-American tight end on Day 2 as Dallas Goedert’s successor
The Dallas Goedert era appears to be winding down in Philadelphia, with the tight end’s name surfacing in trade rumors as he enters the final year of his contract. A team insider now projects the Eagles will find Goedert’s successor in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Goedert, selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft to eventually replace Zach Ertz, is earning $15.5 million in the final year of his four-year, $57 million contract signed prior to the 2022 season.
While Goedert provides solid offensive production when healthy, durability concerns have defined much of his career. He missed seven games in 2024 with knee and hamstring injuries, three games in 2023 with a forearm fracture, and five games in 2022 due to a shoulder injury. He also sat out five games in 2020 with an ankle fracture and calf issue.
With Goedert’s contract expiring after the season and Philadelphia looking to reduce salary commitments, his name has frequently appeared in trade speculation heading into the draft. Even if he remains on the roster, this likely marks his final season with the Eagles.
Given these circumstances, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s E.J. Smith predicts the Eagles will select Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round with the 96th overall pick, describing him as a “capable successor.”
“Fannin should be up for the task, at least in the pass game,” writes Smith. “The 6-3, 241-pound prospect was extremely productive in college, where he played for Eagles quarterbacks coach and former Bowling Green head coach Scot Loeffler and caught 117 passes for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns.”
Smith continued: “And while his smaller frame won’t make him a like-for-like replacement for Goedert’s contributions as an in-line run blocker, Fannin showed flashes of capability contributing to the run game during his college career, even against elevated competition. Combine that with his reliability as a pass catcher and his juice once the ball is in his hands, and Fannin feels like a solid fit for an Eagles offense that could use a few productive players on rookie contracts the next few years.”
Fannin’s 117 receptions and 1,555 yards led all FBS tight ends. His outstanding performance earned him All-American honors and MAC Offensive Player of the Year recognition. During his three-year Bowling Green career, Fannin accumulated 180 catches, 2,396 yards, 17 receiving touchdowns and 22 total scores.
