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With draft season very much on the horizon, it's only natural to see draft talk litter the mainstream media. On Sunday, BGN took a look at how Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN re-graded the Eagles 2013 NFL Draft class. Today, BGN takes a look at how the draft could have gone if it could be re-done. Don Banks of Sports Illustrated recently released a 2013 NFL Re-Draft. Banks had the Eagles selecting a different player, but at the same position:
4) Re-do pick: D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama
There was nothing shabby about the Eagles' original pick of Lane Johnson, but Fluker looked even better at right tackle for the Chargers. Though he struggled in a four-game starting stint at left tackle, Fluker proved to be athletic in his pass-blocking and powerful in run-blocking, logging more than 1,000 snaps for a playoff-qualifying San Diego team that was fortunate to see him fall all the way to No. 11.
I'm not so sure about this one. I doubt the Eagles are regretting their selection of Johnson, given the potential he flashed in his rookie season. Johnson's athleticism makes him the perfect fit in Kelly's offense. No offense to Fluker, but if the Eagles re-drafted today I imagine Johnson would still be the pick.
So where did Johnson end up if the Eagles didn't draft him at 4? Banks had Johnson falling to the No. 8 spot, where he had the Arizona Cardinals selecting him. Given the poor state of the Cardinals offensive line, this pick would have made a lot of sense for them.
Another interesting observation from Banks' article is that he didn't have former Oregon Ducks player OLB Dion Jordan being selected in the first round at all. Jordan went No. 3 overall to the Dolphins who had traded up to get him. Would the Eagles have drafted Jordan if he made it to their pick at 4? While it can't be said for sure, the interest level was certainly high.
