NFL Draft

First-round cornerback prospect among 3 latest Eagles pre-draft visits

11 of Philadelphia’s top 30 visits have been revealed thus far.

By Brandon Lee Gowton@BrandonGowton Apr 7, 2022, 8:00am EDT

More than a third of the Philadelphia Eagles’ official top 30 visits have been revealed with the 2022 NFL Draft only three weeks away.

The latest buzz is that the Birds are set to host Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (per Ian Rapoport), Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green (per Ari Meirov), and Penn State defensive end Jesse Luketa (per Jordan Schultz) at the NovaCare Complex.

Let’s sort through this news on a player-by-player basis.

ANDREW BOOTH JR.

Booth has commonly been linked to the Eagles in mock drafts. Philly has an obvious roster hole at cornerback with no proven commodity set to start across from Darius Slay in 2022.

Booth, who turns 22 in September, could entice the Eagles with some play-making ability. He logged five interceptions, nine passes defensed, and one defensive touchdown in his final 21 games at Clemson.

At the NFL owners meetings, Nick Sirianni talked about how Philly values their young talent at corner. The read here is that he’s not merely posturing. With Jonathan Gannon having a track record of getting more out of less at that position, there’s no real need for the Birds to force a pick on a CB.

That being said, the Eagles could very well take one if he’s clearly the most talented player on the board. Booth might be more likely to be in play at No. 18 than No. 15.

Scouting report via NFL.com:

A press/zone combo corner with good size and length, Booth plays with an urgent, competitive nature. He has the strength, balance and foot agility to press and slow the release. He has limited starting experience, though. He will need more development to prevent route specialists from manipulating his feet and hips. Booth has the ball-tracking and play strength to find and maintain top-dog positioning through catch tries. He’s more effective in off coverage underneath than tight man. He needs to play more football, but his ball-hawking instincts, burst to close and toughness in run support will be very appealing for zone teams looking for an upgrade at cornerback.

NFL Comparison: Jackrabbit Jenkins

Spider graph via Mockdraftable:

Highlights:

KENYON GREEN

Green is another player who’s been mocked to the Eagles in the first round, though at a lower frequency than a number of other prospects.

Green, who only recently turned 21, offers intriguing positional versatility. He started at every offensive line spot except center in 2021. He mostly played left guard in 2020 and right guard as a freshman in 2019.

The Eagles don’t have an immediate need at guard; they’re clearly set to start Isaac Seumalo and Landon Dickerson this season. But Seumalo will be a free agent after 2022. And they have the option of trading him after June 1 this year to clear $5.65 million in cap space. Philly might not feel comfortable about signing Seumalo to an extension since he turns 29 in October and he’s coming off multiple injured seasons.

Still, it doesn’t feel like the Eagles are best served by taking an interior offensive lineman with one of their first-round picks. They already have some in-house options at that position and Jeff Stoutland tends to be able to maximize his blocking talent regardless of what he’s given. The Eagles don’t need to spend a premium resource on a guard.

Scouting report via NFL.com:

Guard prospect with NFL-ready frame who plays with an impressive level of consistency as a run blocker. Green moves defenders from Point A to Boint B against their will, using hand technique and road-grading leg drive. He possesses adequate foot quickness to operate in a variety of run schemes, but needs to eliminate his tendency to grab when his opponent is slipping away from the block. He has pop and anchor in pass protection, but lacks recognition and mirror technique needed to be at his best against athletic interior rushers. While Green has some areas to improve, his run blocking can be dominant, which gives him a chance to become a good starter very quickly.

NFL Comparison: Richie Incognito

Spider graph via Mockdraftable:

Highlights:

JESSE LUKETA

First, it should be noted that Luketa does indeed count as a top 30 visit for the Eagles and not a local visit.

Unlike Booth and Green, Luketa is not a first-round prospect. He projects as a Day 3 selection.

Despite being described as an edge rusher, Luketa isn’t a traditional 4-3 defensive end. He profiles as one of those SAM linebackers that the Eagles seem to value under Gannon.

Luketa only notched half of a sack in 38 total games at Penn State. He did have 11.5 tackles for loss over the past two years.

Perhaps the Eagles envision Luketa competing with 2021 seventh-round pick Patrick Johnson for the backup SAM spot behind Haason Reddick.

Scouting report via NFL.com:

Team-first leader who plays every snap like his hair is on fire. Luketa is self-made and known for putting in the work necessary to go from Ottawa tough guy to productive, two-year starter in the Big Ten. He won’t blink in the face of physical challenges, using his leverage and power to hold his ground or come out on top. He lacks instincts and pursuit speed and is best suited as a 4-3 Sam linebacker but his lone season as a 4-3 end could have 3-4 teams exploring his potential as a developmental outside linebacker. No matter the scheme, Luketa’s toughness and talent should make him a good backup or low-end starter with the ability to shine on special teams as early as his rookie season.

Spider graph via Mockdraftable: