Philadelphia Eagles-Only Seven Round Mock Draft
By Somers Price
4.) WR Chris Conley – Georgia
Nov 22, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Chris Conley (31) catches a touchdown pass against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Given how long they’ve decided to wait to draft a wide receiver in this scenario, Chip Kelly and the Eagles take a marker on another high-ceiling player. Much like Byron Jones, Conley made some serious noise at the NFL Combine by turning in one of the more impressive showings of his position group. Unlike Jones, Conley does not necessarily have the tape or resume to warrant a higher pick.
Production was not an issue for Conley at Georgia. He led the team in both receiving yards (657) and receiving touchdowns (8) in 2014. He was never part of a particularly prolific passing attack during his time in Athens, but managed to average over 17 ypc in three of his four seasons. From a big picture standpoint, Conley has desirable size for the wide receiver position. He stands roughly 6’2″, weighs 213 pounds, and has 33.25 inch arms. Detractors do have some concern that, despite adequate hand size (9 7/8″), Conley did have issues dropping the ball while in school and at the combine.
Conley will benefit from the fact that most everyone will remember what he did to at the combine. The following spider graph, courtesy of Mockdraftable.com, paints a pretty good picture of what a tantalizing athlete Conley is.
As you can see, Conley grades out extremely well in terms of general explosiveness. Though he may not possess the quick-twitch abilities that some of the draft’s other pass-catchers have, Conley’s speed and jumping ability are among the strongest in the class. With how much faith that the Eagles appear to be placing in Josh Huff’s ability to take a major leap heading into his second season, it would not surprise me to see the Eagles wait out the run on receivers and tab a high-ceiling target like Conley at this stage in the draft.