NFL Draft Results: Eagles trade down twice and pick Shelton Gibson

With the No. 166 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select West Virginia wide receiver Shelton Gibson.

The Eagles made two trades down before making this pick. First they moved down nine spots from No. 155 to No. 164 in order to pick up another sixth at No. 214. Then the Eagles moved down from No. 164 to No. 166 with the Dolphins in order to move up ten spots from No. 194 to No. 184. (Scroll down for a recap of the Eagles’ current picks.)

Back to Gibson. He’s not a surprising pick for Philadelphia. The Eagles brought him in for a pre-draft visit. He was also one of eight wide receivers the team told Carson Wentz to study leading up to this year’s draft.

Gibson, 22, measures in at 5-11, 191 pounds. In three years with the Mountaineers, Gibson put up 84 receptions for 1,898 yards and 17 touchdowns. He posted an eye-popping 22.6 yards per reception. Gibson also has experience as a kick returner.

Gibson ranks 17th on BGN’s list of the top 25 receiver prospects from this year’s draft class.

Shelton Gibson has scored 17 touchdowns in the last two seasons and averages over 22 yards per catch. He is an incredibly gifted athlete with speed to absolutely torch a defense. He is a very raw player, but it is hard to ignore or appreciate what he can do with his athleticism. He may be a project, but he could have one of the bigger payoffs in this class.

For more on Gibson, check out this scouting report from NFL.com.

Strengths Flat. Out. Fast. Has run-by speed on the go routes and can create immediate separation over the top against cornerbacks who overestimate their acceleration. Saw 36 percent of his catches go for 25-plus yards over last two seasons. Ball skills and hand-eye coordination are substantially better down the field than on the short routes. Finds the deep throw quickly and makes necessary adjustments to ball flight to put himself in the best position to make the catch. Fear of his speed creates open, unchallenged throws underneath against spacious cushions. Athletic and not just a tight-hipped, straight line runner. Explosive leaper who can climb the ladder and extend way up over his head to snare the errant passes and bring them home. Has immediate gunner potential and can return kickoffs.

Weaknesses: Displays focus issues with his hands when working underneath. Had a case of alligator arms over the middle against Texas after taking a punishing hit a quarter earlier. Will need to learn to run more of the route tree and sharpen his skills as a route runner in general. Made a living on nine routes, posts, slants and curls. Gets to top gear quickly creating issues with excessive steps in his gear down into his breaks. Needs to do a better job of aggressively working back to the ball and scrambling with his quarterback into a catch-friendly area of the field.

Sources Tell Us: "He will end up being one of the three fastest players at the combine. He's got ridiculous speed. He runs by people like they are standing still like DeSean Jackson used to do at Cal." - AFC South scout

NFL Comparison: Corey Coleman

Bottom Line: Gibson has good size and is an all-day field stretcher with blazing speed to climb over the top of cornerbacks quickly and the ball skills to finish the catch. While his hands can be a little inconsistent underneath and his routes are underdeveloped, his size-speed combination will offer a team a homerun hitter who forces defenses to keep a safety shaded his way. Gibson could be a low-volume, high-impact starter fairly early in his career.

Remaining Eagles draft picks

1st - No. 14 - Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

2nd - No. 43 - Sidney Jones, CB, Washington

3rd - No. 99 - Rasul Douglas, CB, West Virginia

4th - No. 118 - Mack Hollins, WR, North Carolina

4th - No. 132 - Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State

5th - No. 166 - Shelton Gibson, WR, West Virginia

5th - No. 184 -

6th - No. 214 -

Eagles top remaining needs

Cornerback

Offensive tackle

Defensive tackle

2017 NFL Draft schedule

• Day 1: Round 1 – 10 minutes
• Day 2: Round 2 – 7 Minutes, Round 3 – 5 Minutes Per Pick
• Day 3: Rounds 4-6 – 5 Minutes Per Pick, Round 7 - 4 Minutes Per Pick

(Compensatory picks = 4 minutes)