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Albert Okwuegbunam was an intriguing pickup for the Philadelphia Eagles at the initial cut to 53 this summer.
GM Howie Roseman acquired the athletic 6-5, 258-pound tight end by giving up some late-round draft positioning down the road in 2025, moving a sixth-round choice to the Denver Broncos for a seventh-rounder.
On the surface, it seemed like a nice roll of the dice by Roseman for a player who topped out with 33 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns in his second NFL season after arriving in the Mile High City as a fourth-round pick of Missouri in 2020.
The Eagles added Okwuegbunam, a Nigerian surname meaning "evil cannot bring us down," to what was a status quo group for tight ends coach Jason Michael headlined by a star in Dallas Goedert and two specific roles players in support: the blocker (Jack Stoll) and the receiver (Grant Calcaterra).
Through the Eagles' 7-1 start, Okwuegbunam has not played, but that could all change Sunday at home against the Dallas Cowboys after Calcaterra suffered a concussion against Washington last Sunday.
A troubling history of head injuries in college at Oklahoma sent Calcaterra into retirement for a short period of time before a comeback at SMU landed the second-year pro in Philadelphia as a sixth-round pick in 2022.
As the TE3 behind Goedert and Stoll, Calcaterra has gotten a handful of offensive snaps each week until he was injured early against the Commanders, topping out at 15 reps vs. Miami on Oct. 22
In theory, that would be Okwuegbunam’s role against the Cowboys.
To date, Okwuegbunam has kept his head down while learning a new team and a new system, one he’s been impressed with.
“The winning mindset here is something different than I've ever experienced,” Okwuegbunam told SI.com’s Eagles Today on Wednesday. “You know, obviously, we don't have many losses. We only have one but just the attitude in the locker room after that one loss was unlike anything I've ever seen before.”
On a micro level, Okwuegbunam has enjoyed learning from one of the best tight end coaches in the NFL, Michael, as well as Goedert.
"It's been great,” Okwuegbunam said. “I've just been focused on doing everything I can do and that's coming out here and preparing every week like I'm gonna have a big role and practicing hard, making plays, all that stuff."
Michael, a former offensive coordinator in Tennessee, has impressed the fourth-year veteran with his handle on the entire offensive picture.
“I'm blessed to have him as tight end coach because he's just a great offensive mind,” Okwuegbunam said. “His understanding of the game is elite. So his ability to kind of teach and, and whether that's technique and X's and O's is really good.”
Goedert, meanwhile, is considered to be one of the best five-or-so tight ends in the game and Albert O. has taken notice of a player that is similar in size.
"Really just his body placement and just understanding the concept of the run and just making sure his body is always in between the defender and the ball,” said Okwuegbunam. “He does a really good job of that and that's definitely something I've seen him do well and picked up on."
While not thrilled with how the potential opportunity has arrived, Okwuegbunam believes he’s ready for his moment.
"One hundred percent. That's just part of controlling what I could control,” he said. I don't control that aspect of it (injury) but I do control my preparation and in the way I take care of all that stuff so that's what I've really been focused on.
“I will be ready.”
More must-reads:
- NFC South check-in: Most, least improved position group post-draft
- Giants sign former Pro Bowl wide receiver
- The 'NFL MVP runners-up' quiz
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