Getty Albert Okuegbunam tries to catch a touchdown for Missouri.
Tight end Dallas Goedert fell awkwardly, fracturing his right forearm after catching a pass in the third quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
With Goedert injured, Albert Okwuegbunam, the fourth tight end on the Eagles depth chart, could get more opportunities. Heading into Week 9, Okwuegbunam was projected by Sports Illustrated to get his first action of the year with tight end Grant Calcaterra getting injured in Week 8.
“While not thrilled with how the potential opportunity has arrived, Okwuegbunam believes he’s ready for his moment,” John McMullen wrote in a story published November 1.
Okwuegbunam, 25, did get 6 offensive snaps in the Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Cowboys, with another 5 snaps on special teams, but he was not targeted by quarterback Jalen Hurts. That could change in Week 11, when Philadelphia returns from their bye week to face the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.
Albert Okwuegbunam Was a Gamble for the Eagles
McMullen called Okwuegbunam an “intriguing pickup” for the Eagles when they acquired him from the Denver Broncos in August.
“On the surface, it seemed like a nice roll of the dice by [general manager Howie] Roseman for a player who topped out with 33 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns in his second NFL season after arriving in the Mile High City as a fourth-round pick of Missouri in 2020,” McMullen wrote.
Okwuegbunam has size and speed. Even though he’s 6-foot-6 and 258 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds at the 2020 NFL Combine. Still, scouts “question[ed] his overall toughness,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote, calling him “a classic boom-or-bust prospect.”
The Broncos drafted him in the fourth round.
According to Bob Grotz of the Delaware County Daily Times, Okwuegbunam is “ready for the role,” asserting in a November 2 story that “he does not lack confidence, and that stems partly from his relationship with veteran tight end Dallas Goedert.”
Goedert’s Shoes Won’t Be Easy Ones to Fill
Though Goedert hasn’t yet been selected for the Pro Bowl or named an All-Pro, Eagles fans know how important he’s been to this team over the years. Drafted as the 17th pick of the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL draft, the 6-foot-5 tight end from South Dakota State quickly made his presence known.
Alongside Zach Ertz, Goedert was able to carve out a role and go for 607 yards and five touchdowns in only his sophomore season. Eventually, Goedert’s performance would make Ertz expendable, as the All-Pro was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021.
Since his rookie year, Goedert hasn’t gotten less than 500 yards in a season and has caught over 70% of the passes thrown his way.
Certainly, Hurts, who has been frustrated with his own lingering knee injury, has plenty of help in the passing game, but who will absorb these vacant targets?
Accomplished pass catchers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and newly acquired Julio Jones will undoubtedly pick up some of the slack, but who is left at tight end? Snap counts through the first nine games would suggest Calcaterra, who missed Week 9 in concussion protocol, and Jack Stoll will get the bulk of the work in Goedert’s absence.