The Philadelphia Eagles concluded their 2022 NFL Draft by selecting tight end Grant Calcaterra from Southern Methodist with the 198th overall pick in the sixth round. He is the fifth pick by the franchise over the three-day draft this week.
The selection was the second made on Saturday. The Eagles traded out of the fifth round for two sixth-round picks but then flipped the earlier pick (#188) to Detroit for pick #181. The team’s seventh-round choice (#237) went to the Lions for the opportunity to draft linebacker Kyron Johnson from Kansas.
Eagles 6th Pick Breakdown
Calcaterra has so far experienced an unorthodox football career. He committed to Oklahoma as a junior out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in southern California. After two years in Norman, he had 41 catches for 637 yards and nine touchdowns and was first-team All-Big 12 in 2018. However, concussions cost him much of the 2019 season and he retired from the sport. He started taking EMT classes and was looking to transition to firefighting (yeah, we know what you’re thinking).
After sitting out the 2020 season, he first announced transferring to Auburn before finding a spot at SMU. He made second-team All-AAC for the Mustangs last year, catching 38 passes for 468 yards and four scores.
If he can stay healthy, Calcaterra brings good size and speed to the offense. He measured 6’4 and 241 pounds, running a 4.62 in the 40. Pre-draft scouting has noted his ability to run different routes against varied defensive looks. He has the size to be a target, especially in the red zone, but needs to work on coming down with contested balls.
In a draft where the Eagles made two big splashes on defense, this is an opportunity to shore up a question mark on the offensive side. Head coach Nick Sirianni, like his predecessor, will run 12 personnel in plays (1 back, 2 tight ends). Calcaterra could be a strong complement to Dallas Goedert, who emerged last year as the team’s top TE. He’ll compete with veterans Jack Stoll, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and Tyree Jackson for TE2 reps.
