Philadelphia Eagles: UDFA tight end Jack Stoll could sneak onto the roster

Heading into this year’s NFL Draft, many thought the Philadelphia Eagles would be targeting a developmental tight end of sorts with one of their (many) Day 3 draft picks. Zach Ertz was reportedly set to be traded prior to this past weekend, and the team doesn’t really have any depth behind the likes of Dallas Goedert.

Well, the draft came and went, and the Eagles ultimately passed on adding a new tight end, instead opting to bolster up the defensive side of the ball with their final four picks.

It’s also worth mentioning that the team did not trade Ertz, with his future remaining rather unclear at the moment. It’s fully possible that the team intends to roll into Week 1 with Ertz still on the roster, while I’m sure Zach would prefer to be moved sooner rather than later.

Could UDFA Jack Stoll end up as the Philadelphia Eagles TE3?

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While the Philadelphia Eagles opted against drafting a tight end this offseason, they did add one as an undrafted free agent – Nebraska’s Jack Stoll. A blocking specialist who only logged 657 career receiving yards in college, here’s a bit of what “The Draft Network” had to say about him:

"Jack Stoll is a sturdy tight end prospect who is a fringe active roster candidate based on his college resume. Stoll has the physical profile of an NFL tight end from a build perspective and his ability to block and provide effort in a stereotypical in-line role will leave the door open for him to make an impact as a depth player at the next level. Stoll battled through injury in 2020, showing admirable toughness to keep himself on the field after missing one contest early in the Big Ten’s abbreviated season. Teams looking to space the field won’t find a lot of appeal here, but traditional in-line tight end snaps will offer some modest upside in the run game."

While Stoll doesn’t offer a whole lot in terms of upside, his overall competition this offseason won’t be the highest. The Philadelphia Eagles current tight end room is looking something like this:

• Zach Ertz
• Dallas Goedert
• Hakeem Butler (former WR
• Jason Croom
• Tyree Jackson (former QB)
• Caleb Wilson

No offense, but the likes of Butler, Croom, Jackson, and Wilson probably wouldn’t be the toughest to beat out in training camp. Throw in the possibility of Ertz still being traded, and a pathway to the Eagles 53-man roster for Stoll is that much more clear.

It’s also worth highlighting that Stoll has a bit of experience playing on special teams from his time at Nebraska, something that might give him a leg up over some of the other mentioned tight ends. If there’s one thing that NFL coaches love out of their back-end roster members, it’s the ability to play on special teams.