The Philadelphia Eagles struck gold with a tight end from outside of a Power Five Conference program when they took South Dakota State’s Dallas Goedert in the second round (No. 49 overall) in the 2017 NFL draft.
Eight years and one Super Bowl win later, the Eagles have benefited from almost a decade of having one of the NFL’s best tight ends … who they now want to get rid of with a whopping $15.5 million salary due in 2025 in the final season of a 4-year, $57 million contract.
Now, with Goedert likely headed out of town via trade, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler predicts the defending Super Bowl champions will go back to the same well they got Goedert from and draft Bowling Green tight end and consensus All-American Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round (No. 96 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft.
Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson compared Fannin, 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds, to Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely in his pre-draft evaluation.
“(Fannin) plucks the ball from the air with supreme confidence and plays well through contact at the catch point,” Parson wrote. “Fannin Jr. has two drops on 171 targets throughout his career. He is a hassle to bring down once the football is in his possession. He is strong after the catch and can force missed tackles singled up in space with a defender.”
Dominant Performances Against Power Four Teams
One of the pitfalls of evaluating players from outside the Power Four Conferences is the lack of game film against elite competition.
That wasn’t a problem for Fannin in 2024 after he lit up No. 8 Penn State to the tune of 11 receptions for 137 yards and one touchdown in a 34-27 loss followed one week later by putting up 8 receptions for 145 yards and 1 touchdown in a 26-20 loss to No. 25 Texas A&M.
Fannin capped his career with the single- most dominant performance of his career with 17 receptions for 231 yards and 1 touchdown in a 38-31 loss to Arkansas State in the 68 Ventures Bowl.
“Enigmatic prospect featuring record-breaking single-season catch production despite a straight-legged playing style,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. ” … Fannin’s hands are automatic and he’s a competitive runner after the catch, but he needs to prove he can beat tight press-man coverage.”
Fannin Rewrote Record Books in Final College Season
In a testament to Fannin’s versatility, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. doesn’t have him ranked in his Top 10 tight end prospects for the 2025 draft … but has him No. 1 on his list of Fullbacks/H-Backs.
Along with being named an All-American, Fannin was also named MAC Offensive MVP in 2024 after finishing with 117 receptions for 1,555 yards and 11 total touchdowns — 10 receiving and one rushing. Fannin left school with one season of eligibility remaining and finished his career with 180 receptions for 2,396 yards and 22 total touchdowns.
In the process, Fannin rewrote college football record books, walking away with 7 FBS records, including most receiving yards by a tight end in a season, most receptions by a tight end in a season, most receiving yards in a bowl game by a tight end, most receptions in a bowl game by a tight end and most receptions in a game by a tight end.
