The draft is the lifeblood of every NFL organization (except the Skins of course). The Senior Bowl is the lifeblood of the draft. It is where the top 90 or so senior prospects go to get scrutinized by NFL coaches and scouts. The beauty of the event is that NFL coaches run the game so we get to see how the prospects respond to a pro environment. Some guys handle the pressure. Others don't. The Senior Bowl pushed Donovan McNabb into a sure Top 5 pick back in 1999. It helped Philip Rivers a lot in 2004. It has exposed other guys and dropped them. So who will the Eagles be watching? Who should fans be watching?
Few things to talk about here. The Eagles will study every player in Mobile carefully. You never know who will catch your eye unexpectedly. That's the beauty of watching the players practice and play. You come in with a certain perception, but that might change as you study the players in action.I'm basing this list of players on a combination of factors. Need is one. We don't need TE or WR. I listed a couple of WRs, but they are both gifted return specialists. Ideally we'd like the #5 WR to be someone that could return punts/kicks and be a creative weapon on offense. The players listed fit that bill.
Fit is important. The Eagles don't like pure OGs. They tend to draft OTs and convert them. You might disagree with the philosophy. That's all well and good. I just think spending time discussing the merits of John Moffitt, for instance, is largely wasted because he's a pure OG. The OL I listed all played LT, but probably project to OG in the NFL. Those are the guys the Eagles love.
I listed a couple of DEs. Both are 6'3 or taller. If we go for a DE in the draft I think we'll look for guys with some height. That is what Jim Washburn liked at Tennessee. For better or worse, I'm assuming that's what he'll push for here.
CB is a real question mark. Without knowing who the new DC is it isn't real easy to pin down what kind of CBs we'll be going for. I focused on guys that are playmakers more than guys who excel in man coverage. Just a guess on my part.
I only listed a couple of LBs. Again, I'm sorta lost without the new DC in place. I went with a pair of players that have started at MLB and OLB. Both are high character guys. They are leaders and highly productive. Both also have instincts (anti-Ernies, we'll call them).
At safety I focused on guys who project more to SS. Quintin Mikell is a free agent. Even if we keep him, it will only be for a couple of years. Kurt Coleman had a solid season, but he wasn't so good that you give him the SS job with no serious competition.
MISC NOTES
* Ryan Kerrigan is the first prospect I thought of when Washburn was hired. That could be a match made in football heaven. Kerrigan has a great motor. He is also tall at almost 6'4. He is very productive. Rookie version of Kyle Vanden Bosch?
* I'm interested in Danny Watkins from Baylor. He played LT for the past two years, but is only 6'3 so he projects inside. Age is an issue. He will turn 27 in November. That's ancient for a rookie. However, he might bring the kind of maturity you want in a rookie that you push into the lineup at RG.
* I want a physical SS. Jaiquawn Jarret just might be the guy for us. Look for the DBs that are big hitters. We've missed that since Dawk was abducted by aliens (or whatever it was that happened to him).
* RB is another mystery position, but I think Murray would be an excellent fit. He is great on screen passes. Good KOR. Has some size (6'0, 214).
SOUTH
LB Nate Irving
WR Jeremy Kerley
OL DeMarcus Love
CB Johnny Patrick
OL Danny Watkins
NORTH
DE Pierre Allen
CB Kendric Burney
CB Jalil Brown
CB Rashad Carmichael
S Quinton Carter
S Eric Hagg
WR Dwayne Harris
S Jaiquawn Jarret
LB Greg Jones
DE Ryan Kerrigan
RB DeMarco Murray
OL Jason Pinkston
S Da’Norris Searcy