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Each week until the draft we’ll look at who the mock drafters think the Eagles will or should take. With the Eagles having played on Thursday we punted so we’ve got some catching up to do.
Dan Kadar
The Eagles have used a lot of high draft picks on wide receivers in the last five years, and still don’t have an obvious No. 1 at the position. Davis can be that type of wideout. He’s been ultra productive at Western Michigan, and has the kind of physical playing style that teams will love.
Here’s where things start getting messy for teams. If the Eagles were at their current position of 14, they could get a true No. 1-type of wideout like Davis or maybe Williams. If they’re off the board, targeting a top cornerback like Tabor makes sense.
Because we didn’t do a mock draft round up last week, we’ve got two from Kadar. And both make a lot of sense. Corey Davis could be the play making wide receiver Carson Wentz needs, while Teez Tabor could be the #1 corner the defense is missing. As Kadar notes in the blurb, Davis and Clemson WR Mike Williams are off the board, so corner is a good pick here, though John Ross was available.
While rookie quarterback Carson Wentz earned most of the hype, a big reason for Philadelphia's early success this season was a vastly improved defense. Both, however, have struggled in the Eagles' second-half slide. Linebacker, safety, cornerback, returner - put him wherever you would like - Peppers is a natural playmaker with the instincts and athleticism to carry over his success and versatility into the NFL.
Dane Brugler - Jabrill Peppers
Peppers is a polarizing prospect due to hybrid skill-set -- some see a player without a true position, some see a player with rare versatility and some see both. Regardless, he is an elite athlete with a high ceiling.
Did Rang, who’s mock draft came out later, cheat and look over the cubicle wall at Brugler’s?
Peppers could be the next hybrid linebacker/safety ala the Cardinals’ Deonne Buchanon, and that’s a great piece to have on your defense. He did play corner to start his college career, but that’s not his position in the NFL. For the Eagles, he’s not a great fit.
In Rang’s mock, Sidney Jones is the next player taken, and two picks later Desmond King goes off the board. Either of those would be a better pick for the Eagles, who don’t need a safety or linebacker but do need a corner. In Brugler’s, John Ross, Dalvin Cook and Corey Davis were the next three picks. All three are a much, much bigger need for the Eagles.
This is two cases of shoehorning a player to team because you want the guy to go high.
Eddie Brown - Takkarist McKinley
McKinley is a freakish athlete with great speed off the edge. He’s the perfect 3-4 linebacker in the NFL — think Denver’s DeMarcus Ware. Top needs: OL, OLB, CB
Eddie Brown has been getting some attention in the mock draft community and after reading this, maybe he shouldn’t. The Eagles don’t run a 3-4, and to list OLB as a need over WR doesn’t make any sense. We’ve got our eye on you Eddie.
Not a great week for mock drafters, giving the Eagles positions they don’t need. But don’t worry, next week or even later this week, these same people will have completely different players for the Eagles.