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The Eagles met with a good number of the players who came to play at last week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Al. They usually talk to more than we ever figure out, but thanks to folks who head down to Alabama in January to watch college football players practice for a week, we know at least a handful of these folks.
Yesterday we looked at eight offensive players they talked to.
Today, we examine nine defensive players:
LB Carroll Phillips, Illinois
6'3, 237
CBS OLB No. 12
Walter Football: “Phillips is a sleeper prospect who some NFL teams love and others are lukewarm on. The teams that love Phillips say he is super athletic and twitchy. They feel that his speed and athleticism is very similar to Leonard Floyd. Like Floyd at Georgia, Phillips can struggle some on run downs; however, they feel that he is a gifted, natural pass-rushing talent. The teams that aren't in love with Phillips don't see him as a high pick, as one could expect.”
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DE Keionta Davis, Tennessee-Chattanooga
6-foot-3, 274 pounds
CBS DE No. 16
Draft Blaster: “Non-stop motor that can work inside with power and around the edge with speed. Has proven to be effective when facing top end, NFL-caliber talent. Uses a variety of moves, and can confuse blockers. Tireless on the field, should intrigue a team early on day 3 with his productivity and versatility.”
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DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
6-foot-7, 280 pounds
CBS DE No. 10
CBS Sports: “Fires off the ball, routinely blowing past offensive tackles with his initial burst to the outside. Complements his speed rush with an effective counter back to the inside off of a strong jab step. Strong hands to rip through the reach of tackles, slapping them away. Good flexibility and core strength to fight through contact on his way to the backfield, including through double-teams.”
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DE Derek Rivers, Youngstown State
6-foot-4, 250 pounds
CBS DE No. 11
Bengals.com: “He’s big enough and strong enough that he can play a 4-3 end … More and more you’re seeing in the league 4-3 defensive ends in college and could even be productive but don’t have the size and they’re moved to 3-4 linebacker and it’s hard to learn how to drop into coverage and come out of their breaks. But when you have a guy like Derek who can do both, he’s attractive to every team.”
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DE Dawuane Smoot, Illinois
6-foot-3, 255 pounds
CBS DE No. 17
CBS Sports: “He pairs an explosive first step with arc speed to threaten the corner and keep offensive tackles on their toes. Smoot bends well and is able to convert his initial quickness to power, driving blockers backward toward the pocket. He also shows much improved block recognition from his sophomore season, quickly reading and identifying the quickest route to the backfield.”
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DE Jordan Willis, Kansas State
6-foot-4, 255 pounds
CBS DE No. 9
PFF: “He’s beat up on opposing right tackles, rushing off the left side on 96.8 percent of his rushes, but the production is difficult to ignore. Willis uses strong hands and a variety of moves to rank fifth overall as a pass-rusher at 89.5 while posting the top grade against the run at an identical 89.5. Willis didn’t come completely out of nowhere as he had a strong 2015 season, but he’s taken his game to a new level and even in a deep class, Willis will garner more notice.”
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DT Ryan Glasgow, Michigan
6-foot-3, 299 pounds
CBS DT No. 13
PFF: “Glasgow’s consistently defeated one-on one blocks, and opponents haven’t been able to move him off the line of scrimmage on double teams. In addition to his dominant run play, he’s averaging a pressure once every seven pass rushes, an impressive ratio for a nose tackle.”
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DT Dalvin Tomlinson, Alabama
6-foot-3, 312 pounds
CBS DT No. 8
FOX Sports: “He was able to use his strength to bully opposing offensive linemen, and that trait should carry over to the next level. In the NFL, Tomlinson looks like a nose tackle candidate who has the versatility to play a 3-4 end position. He will not offer a lot of pass rushing skills, but he will provide enough value to stay on the field most downs.”
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ILB Ben Boulware, Clemson
6-foot, 235 pounds
CBS LB No. 12
Draft Blaster: “A smart, productive inside linebacker with good enough range and agility, and strong recognition skills. A special teams standout, which will buy him time to develop in the right system. A good fit as a middle linebacker in a cover 2 type defensive scheme.”