Eagles Draft: TE Zack Kuntz Hits Radar

The 6-7, 255-pound product of Old Dominion reportedly had a virtual meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles

A Pandora’s box of sorts was opened recently when it was reported by The Draft Network that the Philadelphia Eagles held a virtual interview with Old Dominion tight Zack Kuntz.

The Eagles already have a full allotment of players at that position, with star Dallas Goedert leading a pack that includes Jack Stoll and last year’s sixth-round draft pick, Grant Calcaterra.

The Eagles also tendered an offer to exclusive rights free agent Tyree Jackson, but he has yet to sign hit, per a league source.

Is it possible the Eagles could look to bring in another?

To answer that question perhaps it’s best to go back to 2018.

Zach Ertz was 28 and still in his prime. He was coming off a Super Bowl in which he made a crucial fourth-and-one reception on a fourth-quarter, go-ahead drive against the New England Patriots, and made the go-ahead touchdown catch in the Eagles’ 41-33 win that delivered Philadelphia its first Super Bowl championship.

Veteran Brent Celek was still on the roster.

Trey Burton was headed to free agency.

Tight end didn’t seem like a priority, at least early in the draft, yet general manager Howie Roseman grabbed one anyway, taking Goedert in the second round and at pick No. 49 after trading out of the first round and pick No. 32 with the Baltimore Ravens.

Months later, Celek retired.

Ertz went on to have a career year with an NFL-record 116 catches to go along with 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns.

Goedert slowly blossomed, learning how to become a complete tight end by improving his blocking until it reached a point where Etz became expendable and was dealt to the Arizona Cardinals at the 2021 trade deadline.

The Eagles may turn in the tight end direction again.

Kuntz is an interesting prospect, though perhaps maybe not a familiar name in many households.

He began his college career at Penn State but found playing time hard to come by and transferred.

At 6-7, 255 pounds, Kuntz proved to be a reliable target in ODU’s offense. In just 18 games he caught 85 passes for 836 yards and seven touchdowns. His final season was cut short due to a still-undisclosed injury that required surgery and forced him to miss the Monarchs’ final four games.

The NFL Scouting Combine was big for him, and he did not disappoint.

He ran a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 40-inch vertical and a 10-foot-8 broad jump. Jelani Woods had similar numbers at his Combine and became a third-round pick (No. 73 overall) of the Indianapolis Colts last year.

Kuntz also has 34-inch arms and 10¼-inch hands.

Like most tight ends entering the league, his blocking needs to improve.

The Eagles may view him as a seventh-round pick, but his athleticism seems to suggest he won’t be around by then. If he is still there, though, maybe they take him.

Maybe they dare take him in the third round with their 92nd overall pick, though there are several tight ends considered better prospects than Kuntz.

If he were to somehow slip and not get drafted, maybe the Eagles will look to bring him in as an undrafted free agent and perhaps develop him on the practice squad.

Either way, it’s a position that may need to be monitored when the draft winds into days two and three.

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Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.

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