Is Andy Reid a Seventh Round Draft Wizard?

The recent hype surrounding Bryce Brown's solid preseason performance, coupled with the emergence of King Dunlap as the Eagles' starting left tackle, have cast a light on Andy Reid's knack for finding value among the dregs of the NFL Draft. In a round typically reserved for taking gambles on little-known or project players, Andy Reid's many hunches over the years look to have paid off. In fact, almost all of his seventh-round selections over the past five years have managed to contribute in one way or another. Let's take a quick look:

2011

Stanley Havili, FB: Spent the first year on the Eagles' practice squad, but now looks to be the week one starting fullback. A solid preseason showing in both the running game and on special teams has only helped his cause.

Greg Lloyd, LB: Another practice squad member last year, he was part of a training camp trade with the Colts that landed the Eagles CB Kevin Thomas and a seventh round pick in 2013. You might say he just paid for himself.

More after the jump...

2010

Jamar Chaney, LB: Started 18 games in two seasons, amassing 100 tackles, 3 INTs, one sack and one forced fumble. He is currently battling for playing time, but has shown the versatility needed to play all three linebacker positions and is virtually a lock to make the team.

Kurt Coleman, S: Started 15 games in two seasons, amassing 87 tackles, 5 INTs (including an impressive three in one game) and one forced fumble. He looks to begin the 2012 season as a starter again after second-round pick Jaiquawn Jarrett's miserable preseason performance and Oshiomogho Atogwe's release.

Jeff Owens, DT: A sad story involved him rupturing his left patellar tendon on the first snap of his career. A once promising NFL prospect, he now coaches at the high school level.

2009

Moise Fokou, LB: Started 22 games at strong-side linebacker over three seasons, racking up 85 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. Much like Greg Lloyd, he fell victim to the numbers game at linebacker this preseason and was traded to Indianapolis.

Paul Fanaika, OG: The only true dud on this list, he was a practice squad member for a few months before getting signed away by the Redskins, where he remained inactive until his release. After a brief stint with the Browns, he is now in the backup mix with the Seahawks.

2008

King Dunlap, OT: Once regarded as one of the top offensive tackles in the 2008 NFL Draft, Dunlap's disastrous senior year at Auburn resulted in one big fall from grace, allowing the Eagles to scoop him up in the final round. After a rookie year spent on injured reserve, and up-and-down performance over seven starts and a brief stint on the 2011 free agent market, Dunlap was given a third chance and worked his tail off to earn a starting role over the highly-touted newcomer Demetress Bell.

So, there you have it: three starters (Coleman, Dunlap and Havili) and two current contributors (Brown and Chaney). That's a total of 62 starts (and counting) for the complete group listed above. Not bad for the "dregs" of the draft. It will certainly be interesting to see who Andy Reid adds to this list during the last round in 2013. However, in the meantime, we can look forward to what first-time active players Bryce Brown and Stanley Havili have to offer.