The 2018 NFL Draft Prospect series breaks down draft-eligible players, highlighting their college production as well as their NFL potential. It’s important for daily fantasy players to know about NFL rookies before they’ve played a down of professional football because they are among the most misvalued assets in all of DFS. People who know NFL rookies have a significant DFS edge. The draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, from April 26-28.
This piece is on South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert.
Updated as of Apr. 16
Redshirt Senior | 6’5″ and 256 Pounds | Born January 3, 1995 (Age: 23) | Projection: Rounds 1-2
Combine numbers: 40-yard: DNP | bench reps: 23 | 3-cone: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP | vertical: DNP | broad: DNP
Pro day numbers: 40-yard: DNP | bench reps: DNP | 3-cone: 6.87 sec | 20-yard shuttle: 4.06 sec | vertical: 35 in | broad: 121
A small-school superstar, Goedert was supposed to participate in the Senior Bowl, but he suffered a practice injury (hamstring) early in the week and had to miss the event. As a result, he also skipped all of the combine drills (except for the bench press), but he did well at his pro day, demonstrating excellent agility for his size. With his strong performance, he could find himself as the first tight end selected in the draft and a first-round pick.
After redshirting his first year in college and playing as a reserve in his freshman season, Goedert was a top-two pass catcher for the Jackrabbits in his three final seasons, serving as the middle-of-the-field supplement to wide receiver Jake Wieneke. After a 484-yard, three-touchdown sophomore campaign, Goedert especially dominated in 2016-17 with two straight FCS All-American seasons. As a junior he had a monster year, leading the team with 92 receptions, which he turned into 1,293 yards, 11 touchdowns, and a 33.7 percent market share of the receiving production. As a senior he once again led the Jackrabbits in receptions, accumulating 72 catches on his way to a team-high 1,111 yards as well as seven scores. A dynamic after-the-catch runner who last year finished first in the nation with 12 missed tackles forced and 3.17 yards per route (Pro Football Focus), Goedert played both inline and as a slot receiver and has the potential to develop into a dominant every-down all-around tight end with improved blocking.
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Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.
Photo Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
