NFL Draft Results: Eagles select Landon Dickerson with pick No 37

With the 37th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select ... Landon Dickerson, center, Alabama!

How about that? No Crimson Tide players drafted by the Eagles since 2002 and now two already this year.

This is an interesting selection. Dickerson has been really good when healthy ... but he has an extensive injury history. He’s had three season-ending injuries in four years, including multiple ACL tears and ankle issues.

Dickerson projects to be an eventual successor to Jason Kelce, who might be in his final year with the Eagles. The 6’5”, 333-pound Dickerson can also play at guard. He’s reportedly expected to be ready for training camp in July but Dickerson doesn’t figure to start in 2021 unless there’s an injury to either Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, or Brandon Brooks.

This kind of feels like an unnecessarily risky pick. There was a lot of good talent on the board for the Eagles at No. 37. Jeff Stoutland has a track record of getting more out of less from his offensive line. Did Howie Roseman really need to spend a premium pick here?

If Dickerson stays healthy, he could turn out to be a really good pick. The 2020 Rimmington Trophy winner could’ve been a first-round pick if not for injury issues. But the reality is those concerns exist!

Here’s a scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Ascending interior lineman whose outstanding play at Alabama will have to be balanced against the litany of injuries he’s sustained. He has a broad, well-built frame with above-average core strength and has true guard/center flexibility, depending on what a team is looking for. Dickerson has average range and reactive athleticism at the second level, but he is capable of short pulls and has the body control technique to help open holes in a downhill attack. The anchor is firm, so halting bull rushers is a check in his column, but his lateral agility could be tested by athletic rushers in sub packages. Teams will love his demeanor on and off the field as well as his football intelligence, but he must prove that he can stay healthy. His size and talent should make him one of the earliest interior linemen off the board.

Grade the pick

Remaining Eagles draft picks

1 (10) - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

2 (37) - Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama

3 (70)

4 (123)

5 (150)

6 (189)

6 (224)

6 (225)

7 (234)

7 (240)

Remaining Eagles needs

Cornerback

Linebacker

Safety

Offensive tackle

Defensive end

Wide receiver