Eagles News: “More than a couple people” have connected Philadelphia to Jaylen Waddle

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Shad Khan Talks About Trevor Lawrence (Without Confirming the Pick, Of Course) - MMQB
Philadelphia Eagles. First round: 12th. Total picks: 11. Needs: CB, WR, OL. What you need to know: As usual, GM Howie Roseman’s been active in making trade calls, and word is that a move up might be for a corner. There’s a decent chance that neither Surtain nor Horn will make it here, and there’s a sizable dropoff after those two. And while we’re here, two other things I’d mention: One, with Roseman, you can’t rule out a linemen on either side of the ball, and both of Philly’s groups are getting a little long in the tooth. And two, more than a couple people I talked to connected the Eagles to Bama dynamo Jaylen Waddle.

NFL Mock Draft Roundup: DeVonta Smith is the most common Eagles pick heading into draft week - BGN
I know I harp on this a lot but the Eagles have really struggled to draft and develop receivers under Howie Roseman. I feel like their best chance to reverse that trend is by taking one early, not counting on Nick Sirianni to suddenly work magic with someone drafted later on. I wouldn’t force a pick at wide receiver at No. 12, to be clear. But I do feel like either Smith or Waddle will likely be the best player on the board. And I don’t love the idea of merely nabbing a receiver at No. 37. Teams will be looking to trade up ahead of Philly’s pick knowing they’re probably targeting a pass-catcher. Then again, the Eagles could always trade back into the end of the first round. Still, prefer getting a receiver at No. 12. The Eagles have done nothing (outside of overpaying Joe Flacco and re-signing Jordan Howard, who might not even make the roster) to address their offense. Give us some excitement to work with! Also maybe try using your most valuable resources on problems you struggle to fix?

Solak Show 004: Building the Eagles’ Big Board - BGN Radio
With less than one week from the NFL Draft, Benjamin Solak builds out his big board by providing an in depth analysis defining the Eagles’ interests for the No.12 and explains how it could possibly affect the No.37 pick.

CB at 12 - Iggles Blitz
I re-watched Jaycee Horn as well. He is more likely to be on the board at 12 so I wanted to see if I felt he was worth that pick. Horn is big, physical and athletically gifted. He used his size and athleticism to win a lot of battles. Horn is ultra-competitive. He talks trash all game long and seems to take plays personally. That mindset may make him a guy that Nick Sirianni loves. Horn can be too handsy at times. That won’t fly in the NFL. Still, the coaches may love the fact he’s trying to dominate the guys he is going against. The best corners in the NFL have that kind of a mindset. They don’t want to give up short throws and limit you…they want to dominate you. They want to shut you down. I think Horn has the higher ceiling between him and Surtain. Horn has some great flashes. He can be explosive. He does some unique things. If you can get him to clean up his game, he could be a star.

The Eagles picked a bad year to have a lot of late-round draft picks. They’re hoping to trade a lot of them away. - Inquirer
Another thing to consider is that seven of the Eagles’ 11 picks are in the last three rounds, including a league-high five in the sixth and seventh rounds. This is not a good year to find talent in the late rounds. With the NCAA giving players an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many decided to stay in school, which is going to make next year’s draft a gold mine. But it has shrunk this year’s talent pool considerably. Less than 700 players have signed standard representation agreements with agents this year. Typically, that number is in the 2,000 neighborhood.

2021 NFL draft: Jeff Legwold ranks the top 100 prospects - ESPN
3. DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama, 6-1, 175 (DNR). The Heisman winner, whose wiry frame has been questioned by some, declined to be measured or weighed at the Senior Bowl and Alabama’s pro day, so his official height and weight were not available to teams until Smith was weighed and measured during his medical check in Indianapolis earlier this month. He also suffered a finger injury in his final game. Smith is the only receiver in SEC history with multiple games of four or more touchdowns and holds the SEC record for career receiving touchdowns (46), topping the previous record by 15.

Bucky Brooks’ top five 2021 NFL Draft prospects by position 3.0 - NFL.com
The explosion of the aerial game at the lower levels of football has enabled rookie pass catchers to make an immediate impact in Year 1. The 2021 class is stacked with polished receivers who have route-running skills and big-play ability. Chase opted out the 2020 season, but his spectacular play during the Tigers’ championship run in 2019 provided scouts with a glimpse of his WR1 potential. As a natural receiver with exceptional hands and ball skills, he consistently wins against one-on-one coverage on the perimeter and has the capacity to anchor a passing game as a lead receiver. Waddle is the best catch-and-run specialist in the class. He has a knack for turning short passes into long gains with his electric running skills and cat-like stop-start quickness. Smith plays the game like a seasoned vet, with his patience and superb timing complementing his savvy route-running skills. The Heisman Trophy winner is not the biggest or fastest receiver in the class, but he is always open, and his jaw-dropping production against elite competition bodes well for his pro potential. Toney has the speed and explosiveness that make scouts drool over his playmaking potential. He could thrive in the wing back role that has re-emerged in some offensive systems. Bateman is an enticing mix of A.J. Brown and Michael Thomas on the perimeter; he’s a physical pass catcher with the capacity to play out wide or in the slot. He is a true No. 1 receiver, and his underrated game could pop at the next level.

What’s the safest position to draft? When in doubt, take an offensive lineman - The Athletic
The late-round sleeper is very rare. Only 50 (15.6 percent) of the 320 players studied were taken in the last four rounds of the draft. [...] The most likely positions to find and develop as a late pick were offensive linemen (16.3 percent) or defensive backs (27 percent). Only 2o of the 39 edge rushers came on Day 3. [...] Of the five tight ends, the most value was on Day 2. None were first-round picks, and all were selected in the second or third rounds.

Ed’s 6-round Giants mock draft: A predictable first couple of rounds for New York - Big Blue View
The Giants say they want touchdown makers and that they need a player at No. 11 who will be an immediate contributor. Waddle scored 20 touchdowns on 167 touches as a receiver, runner and kick/punt returner, one every 8.35 touches. He is a difference-maker from Day 1, and that’s hard to pass up. You might recall that I also picked Waddle for the Giants in the SB Nation writers mock draft. Parsons? I just don’t have the information I need on the off-the-field stuff. If I have another choice, which I do here, I’m going in a different direction. What would I have hoped to find at 15 had I taken the trade down with New England? Micah Parsons and Patrick Surtain were still on the board at 11. I would have to think about one of them if they slid to 15. I would also be happy to select Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari [Prospect profile] or USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker at that point. Honestly, it wouldn’t take much to convince me to select Ojulari at No. 11.

NFL Daily Kickoff, Monday - Kansas City trades for Orlando Brown - The SB Nation NFL Show
We have finally arrived at 2021 NFL Draft week and we enter it with news of a big trade! The Kansas City Chiefs have acquired protection for Patrick Mahomes, but Roger Goodell is going to be allowed to hug draftees so what is the bigger story here? Check out the latest episode of the NFL Daily Kickoff as we update you on all of the latest.

Database shows dramatic increase in bald eagle numbers - Payson Roundup
In a conservation success, bald eagle populations in the lower 48 U.S. states have increased fourfold since 2009, according to a new population estimate. The survey combined formal bird counts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the contributions of birdwatchers through a national database. The estimate found 316,000 bald eagles in the U.S. outside of Alaska.

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