Eagles Draft Recap

The Eagles, to put it simply, had a spectacular draft. After moving up three spots in the first round to secure their man, DT Fletcher Cox, the Eagles went into Day 2 of the draft Friday night looking to add a linebacker with one of their 2nd round picks. They did so with pick #46, selecting Mychal Kendricks, a speedy linebacker from Cal. He was the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, and he ran the fastest 40 yard dash of all linebackers at the Scouting Combine, putting up an incredible 4.47. The only knock on Kendricks is his size, as he comes in at a shade over 5’11. The Eagles then traded back from their second 2nd round pick, picking up a 4th rounder to replace the one they lost in the Fletcher Cox trade as a result. With that second 2nd round pick, they selected Vinny Curry, a DE from Marshall.

He was extremely productive in his career at Marshall and grew up as an Eagles fan to boot. Reid and Washburn were excited to add another talented defensive lineman to the rotation, and with these three picks the Eagles grabbed some solid additions to their front 7. In the 3rd round, the Eagles made an interesting selection, choosing Arizona QB Nick Foles. Foles is a big QB who thrives when he has a clean pocket, and there’s no doubt that Reid and OC Marty Mornhinweg think they can groom him to be a capable backup to Michael Vick and a potential starter, like they did with Kevin Kolb. Fans weren’t happy with the pick, but it makes sense because they believe that Mike Kafka’s development has not been what it needs to be. This choice rounded out Day 3 for the Eagles.

On Day 3, the Eagles continued to stockpile talent with good value. In the 4th round, they selected Georgia CB Brandon Boykin, who played in the slot at Georgia, was a 2nd team All-SEC defender, and was also a potent punt and kick returner as well. Boykin was an absolute steal in the 4th round, as many experts were mocking him in the 2nd round. In the 5th round, they selected Purdue OT Dennis Kelly. Some saw it as a reach, but Kelly is a massive offensive lineman who is very raw. The Eagles believe Howard Mudd can coach him up and make him servicable, much like Mudd did with King Dunlap, a very similar player. The Eagles had two 6th round selections, and both were very good. With the first one, they grabbed Iowa WR Marvin McNutt. The 6-3, 215 pound wideout will be a very good red zone target for the Eagles, and he was seen as a 3rd or early 4th round prospect by many analysts, so the Eagles got excellent value. With their other 6th rounder, they grabbed G/OT Brandon Washington of Miami. He was also seen as a 4th round prospect and will provide offensive line depth for the Eagles which is sorely needed after Jason Peters’ season-ending injury. With their final final draft pick, the Eagles took Kansas State RB Bryce Brown, who was a highly-touted high school prospect before bouncing around colleges and never getting an extended opportunity. He’s very quick, and could provide some upside. The Eagles also grabbed a couple of notable undrafted free agents, including Oregon CB Cliff Harris and Washington RB Chris Polk. Harris was once seen as a 1st or 2nd round prospect before being suspended for the entire season from Oregon’s football program after a couple of marijuana-related incidents. Harris is a speedy CB who is an excellent punt returner and could potentially provide depth in the slot. Polk was seen as a 3rd round prospect by some and it was very surprising that he wasn’t drafted. Polk averaged 10.7 YPR on almost 40 catches at Washington, so he looks to fit into the Eagles’ offensive scheme.

I’m usually not one to say it, but the Eagles had a spectacular draft. They addressed many of the question marks that surrounded their team (DT, LB, CB) and also added talented depth at other spots (OT, OG, RB, WR). However, there are still questions about the 3rd linebacker spot and the safety position. The Eagles said that Jamar Chaney and rookie Mychal Kendricks will compete at the SLB position next year, so it looks like the WLB will be a competition between Casey Matthews, Brian Rolle, and Keenan Clayton next season, none of whom had very good years last year. At safety, Nate Allen looks to start at one safety spot while Kurt Coleman and Jaiquan Jarrett compete at the other. I would expect the Eagles to bring in a veteran to compete for a job however, since none of these players are very proven. That veteran could be Yeremiah Bell, who was let go by the Miami Dolphins this season. Bell played safety under DC Todd Bowles in Miami, who is now the Eagles’ DB coach. Bell would be a good fit in Philadelphia to cap off what has been a very good offseason by the Eagles.