Philadelphia Eagles: Zach Ertz will prove he’s elite in 2017
By Jeremy Klump
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz will show the entire NFL that he is an elite player in 2017.
One underrated and forgotten aspect of the 2016 Philadelphia Eagles was tight end Zach Ertz taking another step to becoming one of the best tight ends in the NFL. The 26-year old finished his fourth year in the league with a career high 78 receptions. He also added 816 yards and four touchdowns.
Ertz, a former second-round pick, only played in 14 games last year, starting 12 of them. Had it not been for an injury early in the year, Ertz had a chance to be the best tight end in football. In his 14 games, Ertz’s 78 receptions were good enough for fifth best for all tight ends last year. His 816 receiving yards were also good enough for fifth in the NFL.
However, since he entered the league, Ertz has struggled to get into the end zone. His four touchdowns tied a career high and were only good enough for 12th best last season. Ertz has also been fairly criticized for his inability to make something happen after the catch.
Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski has done a great job documenting Ertz’s failures on the field after he catches the ball. According to SportingCharts.com, Ertz averaged 3.5 yards after the catch last year, which is pretty terrible. For comparison, Travis Kelce, who is arguably the best tight end in the NFL, averaged 7.7 yards after the catch in 2016, or more than double Ertz. The former Stanford Cardinal struggles to break tackles and has given himself up many times with the ball in his hands.
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Another knock on Ertz is that he only turns it on at the back end of the season. In his first five games last year, he only had 15 receptions for 150 yards and zero scores. That means in his final nine games, Ertz went from averaging three catches for 30 yards (the first five), to seven receptions for 74 yards per game.
His end-of-year success has led to many people predicting he will have a breakout season the past two years, including heading into this season. However, saying he will have a breakout season makes no sense considering he was already one of the top tight ends last year. With that said, instead of predicting Ertz will have a breakout season, I am predicting that Ertz will be regarded as one of the best tight ends in the NFL this season. The term “elite” is most notably associated with a player at the top of their position, so I will say that Ertz will be regarded as elite in 2017.
Second-year quarterback Carson Wentz took some time to build a rapport with Ertz last year, though, it started to click towards the end of the season. Wentz used Ertz as his security blanket and went to him often. In Week 16, Ertz caught 13 passes for 139 yards and two scores. He has shown he can take games over, but he just needs to find consistency throughout the season.
Ertz needs to play a full season, or it will be tough to call him elite. If he can play a full 16-game season in 2017, the sky is the limit for him. Had he played a full season in 2016, he would’ve ended the year with 89 receptions, which would’ve been the best for all tight ends in the NFL. He would’ve also had 936 yards and five touchdowns.
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In 2017, Ertz will be the consistent player many have been waiting for him to be. When you are discussing who the best tight end in the NFL is at the end of the season, Ertz’s name will be in the discussion. Look for him to be at the top of the statistics with receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He will show the NFL that he is an elite tight end in 2017.