First Player Eagles Drafted After Winning Super Bowl Leading Team In Postseason

Extra work with quarterback Jalen Hurts is paying dividends for veteran.

Jan 26, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Dallas Goedert was the first player the Eagles drafted after they won the Super Bowl in 2017.

He had to wait to be taken in the second round, though, because Philly traded out of the No. 32 overall pick to take their tight end of the future, a player that could learn at the knee of veteran Zach Ertz until it would become his show, which it did three-plus seasons later when the Eagles traded Ertz to the Cardinals.

“I remember watching them win it,” he said on Friday as the Eagles continue preparing for their trip to New Orleans on Sunday for Super Bowl LIX. “It was cool. I was rooting for them. It was an awesome game and to be drafted here right after that, my initial thoughts were I’m gonna win a lot of these things.

“The way the team talked about it when I got here, making the playoffs, making a little bit of a run my rookie year, it seemed like it was an expectation to get there. To be able to make two in seven years is pretty special, but as a rookie, I thought I was gonna be there that year.”

It wasn’t until 2022 that he made it to the Big Game. Now, he will play in his second two seasons later when the Eagles meet the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl LVII.

Dallas Goedert meets with the media before the Eagles are scheduled to fly to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

“I definitely don’t take this lightly,” he said. “Even making the playoffs, I have a lot of friends I trained with, met throughout the league some of them haven’t made their first playoff appearance, some of them made one, some of them don’t have any wins.

“We’re lucky here that I’ve been able to make six out of seven playoffs, but that’s just the culture we have here. It takes a lot of work to get there. You don’t take them lightly and when you get the opportunity you want to make the most of them.”

Goedert missed seven games this season, but he has found his stride in the postseason. He leads the team in receptions (15) and yards receiving(188)  in their three postseason games. Goedert is also tied for the most postseason touchdowns with one along with A.J. Brown and Jahan Dotson.

"Every offseason we spend a lot of time together,” said quarterback Jalen Hurts. “Opportunities come and they look different and he's always been diligent and always been patient and I think specifically him coming out to Houston (in the offseason). We usually always get together in Cali. All those things pay off so that's exactly kind of our MO coming into this game - coming into all of these games - all the work and time we put in. It pays off when it's supposed to.”

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