Daniel Jeremiah ranks top 12 non-quarterback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft

Now that the Philadelphia Eagles are picking at No. 12 instead of No. 6 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, it’s a good time to familiarize ourselves with the first-round options newly available to them. We touched on that concept a bit in our latest mock draft roundup but I also thought it useful to use Daniel Jeremiah’s updated Top 50 prospect rankings as a guide. Always interesting to check out the former Eagles scout’s analysis. Keep in mind we eliminated quarterbacks from the list with the assumption the Eagles aren’t realistically going to be in the market for one.

1 - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida (No. 2 overall)

2 - Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU (No. 3 overall)

3 - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama (No. 5 overall)

4 - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama (No. 6 overall)

5 - Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern (No. 9 overall)

6 - Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama (No. 10 overall)

7 - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State (No. 11 overall)

8 - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon (No. 12 overall)

9 - Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami (No. 13 overall)

10 - Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan (No. 14 overall)

11 - Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC (No. 15 overall)

12 - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina (No. 16 overall)

THOUGHTS

• Next three: Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley, Notre Dame ... LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, ... TCU S Trevon Moehrig
• Some mocks still have Pitts falling to No. 12. I don’t see it happening.
• Albert Breer indicated the Eagles traded down in part due to the expectation that the Cincinnati Bengals could take Chase at No. 5.
• Waddle to the Eagles at No. 6 had been getting some buzz. Now Waddle at No. 12 is the most popular pick in our roundup.
• Smith is another possibility for the Eagles’ pick. So, in DJ’s view, the Eagles might be able to get a top-three non-QB prospect at No. 12.
• Interesting to see that Jeremiah has Slater ahead of Sewell. Not impossible the best player on the board at No. 12 could be a tackle.
• There’s a lot of talk about the Eagles taking a cornerback at No. 12. In my conversation with Sports Info Solutions earlier this month, they questioned the use of spending a primary resource on a Cover 2 corner.
• There hardly seems to be a strong consensus on the edge rusher rankings. Jaelen Phillips is 22th overall in DJ’s rankings but he just had a great pro day and some really like him. Rousseau, only 20 years old, is intriguing but a little unknown after a position change and not playing last year. Paye’s athleticism is noteworthy but his profile concerns me considering his age (turns 23 as a rookie) and limited production. I don’t want to see Paye at No. 12 but it’s a conceivable pick with how Howie Roseman values the trenches.
• Make sure you also check out the top 50 rankings put together by BGN’s own Ben Natan last week!