Philadelphia Eagles: Who is Isaac Seumalo?

On the second day of the NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t pick until the third round and the 79th overall pick.

Thanks to their trades the Philadelphia Eagles had to wait until around 10:30 to finally make a pick in the draft selecting center Isaac Seumalo out of Oregan State. Seumalo is the first offensive lineman that the Eagles have drafted since 2013 when they selected Lane Johnson fourth overall.

This draft pick is another signal that the Chip Kelly era is over in Philadelphia. Kelly didn’t value large linemen because of his fast-paced system. Seumalo stands at 6’3″ and 298 pounds so defensive linemen will have issues getting past him. Seumalo is a versatile lineman that has started at center, guard and tackle during his time in college which is always a plus with young linemen.

When Seumalo came to Oregan State he became the first true freshman to start at center since 1978 so he has gotten significant experience during his college career. That season Seumalo received freshman All-American honors from cbssports.com and College Football News he also was an honorable mention for All-Pac-12 honors.

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Seumalo started 10 games at center as a sophomore, also filling in for two starts at right tackle, earning Second Team All-Pac 12 honors. However, he suffered a foot injury in the 2013 bowl game and was forced to redshirt in 2014. He returned in 2015 with a new coaching staff at Oregan State and was shuffled around the line during his junior season. He started nine games at right guard and three at left tackle to earn All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention honors.

Scouting Report:

Semalo is a lineman that relies on technique over power which should translate well into the NFL because he is a technically sound lineman. He’s very coordinated and good on his feet so Semalo can be expected to quickly transition out of blocks when the Philadelphia Eagles are reaching the second level of the defense. Pro Football Focus gave Seumalo its second-highest grade for pass protection among guards in this year’s draft. Seumalo is solid in both facets of the game. He is not considered a dominant, “road grader” type of blocker, but he is disciplined and gets the job done.

Prior to his injury in 2013, he looked like a potential early round pick so the Philadelphia Eagles may have nabbed a true value pick here but with all young players only time will tell. Semalo may be at a physical disadvantage but NFL conditioning and OTA’s should go a long way to packing some extra strength onto his frame to go with an already sound technique.

What does the pick mean for the Philadelphia Eagles?

When asked about his feelings on Seumalo coach Doug Pederson said, “We love his versatility,” adding that the Eagles will start Seumalo out as a guard. He may not stay at guard for his entire career but it’s Seumalo’s quickest path to a starting role with the Philadelphia Eagles this year. Seumalo will have a chance to compete for the Eagles’ starting left guard job. Allen Barbre, last year’s starter, is still in the mix.

Next: Eagles Draft Quarterback Carson Wentz

For a team with a lack of picks like the Philadelphia Eagles finding players like Seumalo in later rounds of the draft is a must for a sucessful draft. With the investment that the Philadelphia Eagles made in quarterbacks this offseason, building a solid line to protect them is a must. Over the offseason, they re-signed Sam Bradford (we’ll see what happens there), signed Chase Daniel and they’ve drafted Carson Wentz with the second pick of the draft. In Seumalo, the Philadelphia Eagles may have found a player to help protect them for years to come.