Once upon a time in his football life, Johnny Mundt was viewed as a developmental pass-catching tight end. He wasn't drafted after his career at the University of Oregon, so he signed with the Los Angeles Rams with visions of having the football in his hands.
Now, mind you, Mundt's numbers at Oregon weren't extraordinary. His best season was his last one, with 23 receptions and four touchdowns in only eight games, but there was the idea that he would be a pass catcher in the NFL.
"The Rams kind of brought me in as a pass-catching tight end," said Mundt, signed by the Eagles in free agency. "I wasn't super big or anything. I was, you know, whatever. But they taught me the skill sets of getting hands-on guys and taking away the steam of their rushes and it has just transpired into the role I have here today."
The role, as developed during the course of a career now in its 11th season, is to win at the line of scrimmage. Mundt has 74 career catches – his most, 19, in the 2022 and 2024 seasons with Minnesota – but he has made it in this league because he's a great blocking tight end. He won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams and played for the Jaguars before signing with the Eagles this offseason.
You do what you have to do.
"A lot of point of attack blocking, making plays in the fast game, obviously. Just being a multi-dimensional tight end and just helping out any way I can," Mundt said about what he can bring to the Eagles' offense.
"Being attached to the line of scrimmage, being point of attack on a lot of these blocks, you can do a lot of play action ... and again, the marriage of the run of the pass has been core to this offense ever since its start."