Philadelphia Eagles 2016 Draft Prospect Visits

Ronnie Stanley meets with Eagles in Philadelphia on a pre-draft visit

For more information on which draft prospects are visiting with the Eagles, [check out our 2016 NFL Draft Prospect Visits Tracker].

By Brandon Lee Gowton@BrandonGowton Apr 14, 2016, 3:51pm EDT

The Eagles hosted Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley on a pre-draft visit, according to Stanley himself via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. Stanley is one of 30 prospects scheduled to visit the team's facility in Philadelphia leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft. Stanley is the first and only offensive lineman that's publicly known to be visiting the Eagles (so far).

The 22-year-old Stanley is listed at 6-6, 312 pounds. Stanley started 13 games at right tackle in 2014 before moving over to left tackle in 2015 and starting 13 games there.

Stanley is considered to be one of the top tackle prospects in this year's draft. He's arguably the No. 2 player at his position behind Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss. Not everyone is so high on Stanley, however. Some reports indicate he could fall out of the top 10 picks. There's no question that the Eagles need to draft some offensive linemen this year. Jason Peters is aging and Stanley could be his potential replacement in the future. It's just that Stanley might not be the elite prospect the Birds are looking for if they stick at No. 8.

Here's what BGN draft writer Ben Natan wrote about Stanley in his scouting report.

Stanley is outstandingly fun to watch move. His ability to kick and slide on the perimeter is a work of art. He feet move quickly and eloquently, never looking sloppy with any wasted movement or misplaced steps. In pass protection, Stanley perfectly mirrors edge defenders, showing a great understanding of his opponent in space as well his own body. In the running game, those same quick feet and awareness make him an incredibly effective run blocker. Be it in pass protection or run blocking, Stanley does an excellent job positioning his body to wall off defenders. He embodies finesse and technique.

Unfortunately, his game lacks a "bang."

Every play, it feels like Stanley is trying to negotiate with a defender. He does an excellent job getting to a spot, but he tries to purely win on positioning and quickness. Rarely, if ever, does he want to knock a defender on his ass, rather he just wants to quietly escort him out of the play. This is a style I have seen before with Jake Matthews, Luke Joekel, Matt Kalil and other similar athletes, and it is a style that worries me. While I do think Stanley is a better athlete than those aforementioned and possesses better natural strength, I see him try to win consistently on quickness. When he gets to the NFL, he will be exposed to a special sort of violence in NFL trenches, a sort of violence that Stanley does not know how to possess yet.