Meet the Eagles' not-so-secret weapon: TE Dallas Goedert, the 'YAC King'
The Eagles' soaring offense is second in the NFL in yards, fifth in points and first in the hearts of Philly fans, who cannot wait for the Cowboys to arrive in town this week. Among the Eagles' rising stars is Dallas Goedert, one of the league's more productive tight ends.
Through five weeks, Goedert -- who is also a strong blocker -- has 24 receptions for 335 yards and a touchdown. Fifteen of his 24 receptions have been first downs, highlighting his impact on offense. His receiving yards total ranks third in the NFL among tight ends, trailing only Baltimore's Mark Andrews (349 yards) and Kansas City's Travis Kelce (347 yards). Goedert has only 29 targets compared to 42 for Kelce and 46 for Andrews.
The Eagles have leaned heavily on Goedert in the screen game. On Twitter, he has become known as the "YAC King" -- Yards After Catch King -- because of the damage he can do after catching a pass. Of his 335 receiving yards, 272 have come after a catch. He trails only the Chargers' Austin Ekeler (288 yards) in that category.
In the middle of last season, Philadelphia surprised many when it traded longtime Eagles tight end Zach Ertz to the Cardinals. The franchise elected to gamble on the emergence of Goedert and, while it is still early in his career as a TE1, the early signs are the move was correct.
Goedert's strong play has drawn praise beyond the organization. Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez recently called him "the best tight end in the league right now." That's high praise from a player whom many regard as the best tight end of all time.
While Gonzalez may be the first national figure to give Goedert major props, he likely will not be the last.
If TE1's production continues to soar, the Eagles could stay ahead of the surging NFC East rival Dallas, their opponent Sunday at The Linc.
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