Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson explain why the Eagles drafted Davion Taylor

The Eagles took a linebacker with their third round draft pick Friday night, selecting Davion Taylor out of Colorado. Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson, and Andy Weidl spoke to the media following the pick, and lauded Taylor’s speed, talked about their vision for him, and also touched on the Jalen Hurts selection again.

Roseman also said that they have a lot of capital on Saturday and feel like they’ll be able to make some moves after the draft, as well. He noted that the trade process is a little different this year, but he thinks it’ll pick up even more on the final day of the event.

Here’s what they had to say:

Roseman was excited, “This guy is one of the fastest most explosive players in the draft”.

He stated that they have a vision for how Taylor is going to be used, and they know there’s room for improvement and development, but that’s why he was available in the 3rd. They see a role for Taylor on defense and special teams, and believe the linebacker has the traits to develop into a starter who can play all over the field.

“Our vision is reflective of our coaches. It’s their scheme and we want to make sure we’re matching these players with their scheme.”

Roseman also called Taylor a “rocket ship” and is someone who can play in space, and has the ability to cover slot receivers and tight ends. The Eagles’ GM said they didn’t draft him in the third if they weren’t expecting to get production from him soon — definitely within his rookie contract.

Andy Weidl and staff were able to see him play in person and his speed stands out. He flies to the ball, can run and cover, and can be used around the field. They felt comfortable with the information the scouts had gathered during the draft process on Taylor.

Weidl was impressed with what they saw from the game they went to, and then also the Senior Bowl and at the NFL Combine.

Back to the Hurts pick

Roseman said that when he spoke to Carson Wentz earlier on Friday about the possibility of picking Jalen Hurts, and he explained the vision of the organization and what they saw from the quarterback position.

“There’s no threat to Carson, here.”

Pederson said that when a player like Hurts is available, with his upside and the value he can add to the quarterback room, they were excited to make that pick. He also referenced his time as a player and the importance that has always been on the quarterback position.

The head coach later said that no one is penciled in as the backup quarterback, and that they like Nate Sudfeld — and that’s why they brought him back — but Hurts brings a different skillset.

Roseman also was clear that they didn’t think they could have gotten Hurts in later rounds, especially based on what they were hearing from people around the league.