In Latest Mock Draft, Todd McShay Speculates Over Eagles Trading up for Marcus Mariota, Settles on Safety Instead

The Marcus Mariota-to-the-Eagles hype is a freight train that can only be stopped by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tipping their draft hand three months before they select first overall. Otherwise, we’re all in store for a long stretch of talking heads concocting scenarios that have the Heisman trophy winner reuniting with head coach Chip Kelly at the NFL level.

For the most part, national talking heads have been hesitant to entertain the possibility of the Eagles trading up in the draft to select Mariota, let alone try to formulate a potential package that would position Philadelphia to land the quarterback. Instead, the hypothetical is usually squashed with various graphics of draft day mega deals-gone wrong over the years. With Mariota’s stock seemingly slipping over the past few weeks, it would appear that some are warming to the idea of at least considering the possibility of the Oregon reunion happening.

ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay has all but taken over primary mock duties for Mel Kiper in recent years. Unfortunately, for those of us not willing to pony up the $3+ a month for an ESPN Insider account, the article is not accessible. In the wonderful world of the internet, however, we are able to circumvent the outdated restrictions of ESPN’s pay-to-see material by tapping into the social media community. Translation: if one person has ESPN Insider and reveals their content, it is available for anyone willing to look for it. NJ.com was kind enough to provide such material in this instance. Here’s what McShay had to say about the Eagles in regards to April’s draft.

"The question everyone will ask is whether Chip Kelly will be willing to trade up to draft his former QB at Oregon, Marcus Mariota, particularly if Mariota starts to slide down the board a little bit. I know from talking with Kelly previously that he thinks the world of Mariota, but I have no idea how much he’s willing to give up in order to go get him. If the Eagles stay put, Collins would be a good value pick here. He’s the No. 15 overall prospect on our board, has good range in coverage and is a playmaker when the ball is in the air. But where he excels most is in run support, which is a good fit in the NFC East, especially versus the Cowboys. Moreover, SS Nate Allen is a free agent. Other options include Washington CB Marcus Peters and OLB Vic Beasley."

Personally, I have always liked how the Eagles are not among the teams constantly being mentioned by various NFL insiders when it comes to rumors. As a fan, I don’t want my team tipping their hand on anything. I love seeing an Adam Schefter or Jay Glazer Tweet reporting speculation over team’s intentions as far as their personnel goes. As far as the Eagles go, I prefer they stay out of the rumor mill until they actually make a move.

McShay is not an NFL Insider, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to have in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of the new Eagles regime. I’m sure he’s talked with Kelly about Mariota and anyone with a television knows that the coach loves his former quarterback. That said, the only way we can project what a move to land Mariota would cost at this point is to look back and use the price of comparable moves in draft year’s past. That being said, many members of the national media have scoffed at the notion of such a move for the Eagles. To my knowledge, McShay is one of the first to realistically entertain the idea.

Shifting gears to the actual pick, I’m a fan. Once upon a time, Landon Collins was a consensus top-10 prospect who projected to be the first defensive back selected in the draft. Further breakdown of his tape and the realization of some of the holes in his game have the Alabama safety slipping much like his former teammate HaHa Clinton-Dix did last year. Very few doubt that Collins is a top-10 talent as far as his physical tools go. Considering what it takes to be a safety in today’s NFL, however, more and more draft analysts question whether a team would pull the trigger on a player with several areas of his game in need of improvement. With the Eagles drafting 20th overall, one would have to think the opportunity at a top-tier talent in need of some coaching up would be too good to pass up. McShay also mentions Marcus Peters. Peters would be my ideal pick at number 20. That being said, until Kelly softens his stance on it, I refuse to get my hopes up that the Eagles would draft a player with character concerns.