Philadelphia Eagles 2020 training camp profile: TE Noah Togiai

Maybe the Philadelphia Eagles will keep Noah Togiai on the practice squad.

With the talent the Philadelphia Eagles have at the tight end position, there is a very small chance undrafted free agent Noah Togiai will make the roster. All-Pro tight end Zach Ertz will get the bulk of the snaps followed by Dallas Goedert who would be the starter on a lot of other teams.

Let’s not forget, Josh Perkins is still there and he proved during his playing time in 2019 that he’s at least an above-average third string. Alex Ellis is also still on the roster and spent most of last year on the practice squad with some special teams snaps in limited regular-season action. At the start of the 2019 season, the Eagles only kept Ertz and Goedert at the position so spots are limited.

Togiai spent the last five years playing tight end at Oregon State which has been one of the worst Pac-12 programs in recent history. During Togiai’s tenure there, they won just 14 total games and five of those came in 2019 which was one of their better seasons. Togiai suffered some injuries and suffered from poor coaching. Maybe with a different program, he would’ve had a better collegiate career.

The only years that stick out on the 23-year-old’s stat sheet are 2017 and 2019. In 2017, he caught 34 passes in nine games for 461 yards (51.2 per game, 13.6 per reception) and two touchdowns. His senior season was similar and he caught 44 passes in 12 games for 406 yards (33.8 per game, 9.2 per reception) and three touchdowns. It’s nothing special but he can contribute here and there.

Here’s what Philadelphia Eagles fans should expect from Noah Togiai in 2020.

Togiai will likely spend 2019 on the practice squad since he is the least experienced of the tight ends. Alex Ellis showed some flashes during the preseason in 2019, but he’s already 27 years old so the Eagles might want to groom a younger tight end on the practice squad for the future. The chances of seeing him on the field in the regular season are slim, especially considering that COVID prevented him and the other rookies from getting work in during offseason workouts.

However, COVID does bring a whole new element into the upcoming season. If any of the tight ends get the virus midseason and have to be quarantined for two weeks, the Birds might want to stick with someone within the organization who has been practicing with the team and knows the offensive scheme. That’s likely the only way we will see Togiai suit up in the midnight green in the regular season though. It is more likely to happen in 2021 or beyond.

What can we expect from Noah Togiai during Philadelphia Eagles training camp?

Togiai will compete with Ellis and Perkins for the third tight end spot. Perkins is the front runner after last year. Togiai will still have a shot at earning a spot on the practice squad. With how many practice squad guys we saw step up in 2019, it’s clear that the Eagles value coaching those guys for the future so Togiai is likely a project for the next year or two.

Expect him to see a large number of snaps in the second halves of the two preseason games if they aren’t canceled. With the preseason shortened, we will likely not see Ertz and Goedert until week one so Togiai will get his chance to prove himself. One thing to know about him is that he is strictly a receiving threat. The blocking just isn’t there at all. As a receiving tight end, he can find holes in zone coverage underneath and at the intermediate level. He often gets forgotten in coverage due to the attention given to other weapons. The former basketball player can also be a red-zone target and make some tough catches at six-foot-four and 247 pounds.

Josh Perkins spent time on the Eagles practice squad in both 2018 and 2019 before seeing some more action towards the end of 2019. Perkins also went undrafted and saw limited action with the Atlanta Falcons for his first two years. Maybe the Eagles see the same thing in Togiai that they saw in Perkins and try to coach him for the next couple of years until he is fully ready to see snaps on Sundays. Even on the sidelines, he’s going to have an amazing opportunity to learn under two top-ten tight ends in Ertz and Goedert.