Howie Roseman made yet another trade in the 2018 NFL Draft but this time it was to move up and select tight end Dallas Goedert out of South Dakota State with the 49th overall selection.
To acquire Goedert, the Eagles sent the 52nd overall selection and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 169 overall) to Indianapolis to move up three spots. The Eagles owned the No. 52 pick as a result of their trade with the Baltimore Ravens at the end of the first round on Thursday night. Philadelphia made sure to leapfrog the Dallas Cowboys, who held the 50th overall draft choice. Multiple reports surfaced Friday morning that future Hall of Famer Jason Witten is going to retire from the NFL and move to the Monday Night Football broadcast booth creating an urgent need at the tight end position.
Goedert was dominant at the FCS level earning All-America honors in each of the past two seasons while also being a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is the FCS version of the Heisman Trophy.
A team captain and three-year starter, Goedert finished his college career third in school history with 198 receptions, fourth with 2,988 yards, and fifth with 21 touchdown receptions.
The 6-5, 260-pound Goedert is 23 years old and drew a comparison to new teammate Zach Ertz by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.
A native of Britton, South Dakota, Goedert became the third player in program history with consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. He caught 92 passes in 2016 to set a school single-season mark.
Goedert joins a tight end room paced by Ertz, a Pro Bowl selection last season. The Eagles signed veteran Richard Rodgers in free agency. Billy Brown spent his rookie season on the practice squad in 2017. Joshua Perkins and Adam Zaruba were added this offseason on futures deals. The Eagles have to replace the production by future franchise Hall of Fame selection Brent Celek and Trey Burton, who are both no longer on the team.
Here is a look at the Eagles' remaining draft picks entering the third and final day of the 2018 NFL Draft.