Eagles draft picks 2013: Matt Barkley selected 98th overall

With the 1st pick in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Matt Barkley, QB, USC. The Eagles actually traded up to the top of the 4th round to get Barkley.

"We had Matt rated in the top 50 players in this draft, " said Chip Kelly. "So the fact that he was still there... we talked all along how we were going to take value and there was no better value for us to open up today with to take Matt. He's the all time leading passer in USC history, one of the all time great quarterbacks to play in that league, he's a 4 year starter in high school, 4 year starter in college. He has all the intangibles you look for."

So much for what we thought we knew about what Chip Kelly wants in his QB. Barkley is not a runner, he is a classic drop back pocket passer who relies on touch and accuracy. With the chance to select any of the athletic QBs in this draft, Chip decides to take the most typical pro style pocket passer in the draft.

Barkley comes out of a pro style offense where he had to make NFL reads and pre snap adjustments. He has a good, not great arm. Good, not great size. Really, were it not for those lack of ideal measurements, Barkley likely would have went much higher because he has everything else you look for. He's very accurate and consistently hits receivers in stride. He's accurate on the move and doesn't panic in the pocket. He will often test tight windows with sometimes leads to good things, but can lead to turnovers as well.

He's a leader who has been a starting QB his whole life, he's completely clean in terms of character.

The interesting thing is that this is 3rd straight pick that Chip Kelly coached against in college. He knows more about Matt Barkley and what he can do than anyone outside of USC. Plus, as NFLN reported, Howie Roseman has been a fan of Barkley since last year.

The Eagles sent their own 4th rounder and one of their 4 7th round picks to Jacksonville to make the trade up. Several teams felt that Andy Reid and the Chiefs were poised to take Barkley with the 2nd pick in the 4th round, so Howie Roseman clearly felt he had to jump over his old mentor to get his guy.

Mike's Take: Matt Barkley is a surprise to us and the media, but I think this is a guy you take in a draft like this. In the 4th round, taking a kid who is smart, a leader, and has plenty of experience is key. Chip has played this kid multiple times and they seem to already have a relationship. What I like about this move is that it allows for more competition at the starting QB position, it confirms Kelly is willing to adapt and finally, it allows you take a kid early next year if you are not fond of what Foles or Barkley shows you this year. Despite what the media is trying to speculate, like Tommy Lawlor, I think this is more of a boost for Foles than a negative. You like to have backups with similar games to starters. Remember, Vick has Dixon but now Foles and Barkley have each other. I would not be surprised if Barkley or Foles is the guy come September and Vick is looking for a gig.