NFL Mock Draft 2018: ESPN Todd McShay 3.0 Edition

Now that the 2018 NFL Combine is over, it’s time for a new wave of mock drafts.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay revealed the 3.0 version of his 2018 NFL mock draft on Wednesday. Here’s who he has the Eagles taking with the last pick in the first round at No. 32 overall. You know, the pick reserved for the Super Bowl champions.

D.J. Chark, WR, LSU - The Super Bowl champions have the luxury of drafting for value, for a roster without many holes. Chark is a raw route-runner but has the tools to develop. His stock is on the rise after a great Senior Bowl week and combine workout, punctuated with a 4.34 40 and 40-inch vertical jump. He could fill Torrey Smith’s role as an explosive vertical WR in the future.

Pro Football Focus also recently suggested Chark for the Eagles.

The solution: The Eagles have no cap space to play with, and are actually significantly over the cap right now as things stand. Any improvement here will come from the draft and LSU WR D.J. Chark could be the kind of speedy threat to do that. Chark had 14 receptions on deep passes in 2017, the third-most in the draft class and his target rate on those deep balls was one of the highest in the nation as well. He can run past defenders in a heartbeat and provide the kind of threat that Smith does, only without the drops.

Chark did indeed have a good showing at the Combine. Just take a look at his spider graph:

Chark measured in at nearly 6-3, 200 pounds so this is a guy with some size and speed. Not to mention explosive jumping ability to pair with a big catch radius.

Chark’s production in college was limited. The 21-year-old pass catcher only logged 66 receptions for 1,351 yards (20.5 average) and six touchdowns during three years at LSU. He also contributed with 25 rushing attempts for 268 yards (10.6 average) and four scores. Chark had two touchdowns and 190 yards on 18 punt return attempts (10.6) average) in 2017.

Is Chark worth the No. 32 overall selection, though? NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein believes he’s more of a Day 2 prospect.

Draft Projection: Round 2

Sources Tell Us: “He has his moments where you see it, but he just hasn’t been consistent and he hasn’t really gotten a lot better. He’s tall and can run but I’m still torn on whether he is going to make the improvements he needs to be an NFL factor.” -- NFC team personnel director

NFL Comparison: Chris Conley

Bottom Line: Tall and fast, Chark is a linear route-runner who may need a limited route tree, but who has the potential to back safeties off the line of scrimmage. Chark will be coveted by play-action passing attacks looking to win with chunk plays down the field, but he’ll need to improve his ball skills to take advantage of all that speed. Chark could struggle early on against press coverage, but he has the ability to become a solid WR2.

Chark might be a more realistic option for Philadelphia if they trade down from No. 32, which is very possible.

The Eagles could definitely afford to add some more help at wide receiver with Torrey Smith expected to be cut. 2017 Day 3 picks Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson are returning in 2018. We’ll see if they can step up next season. The Eagles’ confidence in them will impact their decision at receiver.

Here’s a look at Chark’s highlights.

Previous McShay picks for the Eagles: Taven Bryan in Version 2.0 | Rashaan Evans in Version 1.0.

I didn’t do a Mock Draft Monday post this week since SB Nation’s Dan Kadar didn’t put up a mock draft due to the Combine still going on. Kadar did release a new mock today, however.

With 50 days remaining until the 2018 NFL Draft, Kadar has the Eagles taking offensive tackle Connor Williams.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Connor Williams, OT, Texas

This is another value choice on an offensive lineman. Williams can play guard or tackle in the NFL, but didn’t do enough at the combine to rise up in the draft.

Williams is Mike Mayock’s No. 2 overall rated OT prospect. McShay has him as the top offensive tackle off the board at No. 20 in his ESPN mock.

Williams has short arms for his position, which isn’t ideal, but he’s a good athlete.

The Eagles could groom Williams as a potential long-term replacement for Jason Peters. If the Eagles end up liking Halapoulivaati Vaitai better on the outside, Willliams could potentially kick inside to guard to replace Stefen Wisniewski, who turns 29 this month and is signed through 2019, in the future.

What do you think of these picks for the Eagles?