NFL Mock Draft 2018: ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has the Eagles taking another weapon for Carson Wentz

After losing both of their backup tight ends this offseason, Trey Burton and Brent Celek, the Eagles are in desperate need of a tight end to complement starter Zach Ertz.

In his latest mock draft for ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr. has the Eagles addressing that night with the No. 32 overall pick, taking South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert in the first round.

Why Goedert? Kiper Jr. writes:

My best comp for Goedert after watching him closely in 2017? Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. So this pick would mean the Eagles get a ready-made replacement for Trey Burton (and Brent Celek). Philadelphia showed last season that there are plenty of snaps available for multiple tight ends. Goedert is an adequate blocker who will be a threat as a pass-catcher. This is a great situation for him.

The Eagles' need at tight end is near the top of their list to solve before the 2018 season begins. Speaking at the NFL Annual Meetings this week in Orlando, Fla., head coach Dog Pederson admitted the tight end spot is one that needs work.

"You're not OK. We're always going to look to bring in guys in to compete. That's always the case. We got the draft coming up. You never know what's going to happen. Who knows there might be another free agent out there that we might target," Pederson said. "And we got the guys - Billy Brown practice squad player, we got Adam [Zaruba] back. We got some young guys that we can can kind of get caught up and really get going this spring, second year for a couple of those players. It's a good tight end draft. There's some good players in the draft. We'll see where it ends up."

At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Goedert is considered one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the NFL Draft, and if the Eagles do take him, they will go from having a major need at tight end to having perhaps the best set of pass-catching tight ends in the NFL.

Here is a scouting report on Goedert, via NFL.com:

STRENGTHS: Runs with good bend up the field and into routes. Moveable chess piece. Capable three-level worker as pass catcher. Team looked to find creative ways to get football in his hands. Carries good strength in frame and plays through physical challenges in his routes. Gains adequate separation with short and intermediate routes. Maintains top play speed when working vertically. Able to work over top of linebackers. Former high school hooper with advanced ball skills and body control. Pass snatcher with huge paws and strong hands. His highlight reels are filled with acrobatic, one-hand catches. Uses frame to gain advantageous positioning and can make in-air adjustments. Has size and technique to work with as in-line blocker. Strikes with good pad level, knee bend and hand placement. Looked stronger at point of attack this season. Possesses balance to hang in against rugged ends if he plays tough.

WEAKNESSES: Moves with somewhat restricted stride length. Is not a route salesman. Gives route intention away with early directional leans into breaks. Rarely relies on leverage and head fakes to create his separation. Looked bigger on tape in 2017 and quickness appeared to suffer somewhat. Would benefit from varying route speeds. Too eager to try for one-handed spear attempts rather than two handed snares at times. Agility with ball in his hands is average by NFL standards. Effort level as blocker can be inconsistent. Needs to get better hip roll into initial contact. May need a fire lit under him in order to handle in-line blocking duties as a pro.

Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.

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