Now that the college football season is all but squared away, we list and detail the best prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2017 NFL Draft.
In just four days’ time, on January 16th, every underclassmen that intends to attend the NFL Draft will file their papers with the league. By January 20th, the official list will be released; the prospects set in stone. We will know every name that the Philadelphia Eagles might call, come April 28th.
But the road has been long and arduous. Since the season started in the end of August–and even before then–area scouts have been scuttling across the nation, passing along whispers, receiving their directives from the NovaCare Complex, recording everything meticulously as they went. Scouting is inherently desperate: you have to find the small-school, late round gem–and keep your enthusiasm as quiet as possible; you need to find the Achilles heel in everyone’s favorite first-rounder, letting some other team make a franchise-altering mistake (hi, Washington). The scouting process is wildly subjective and meticulous; personal and impersonal alike. It’s D’Amato’s game of inches.
That being said, from all of this backbreaking work, rankings eventually must matriculate: the Big Board represents each individual team’s hierarchy of prospects. It’s a tool that will be changed roughly, oh, 7 million times between today and Draft Day, and even on that fateful day, it will be adhered to in only varying degrees. Looking at you, Sonny Weaver Jr.
Man, two movie references, and we’re not even to the second slide. Good times.
This is my projection of what the Eagles’ board looks like at this juncture: most undergrads declared; season over; Shrine Game, Senior Bowl, Combine, and Pro Days still pending. If you want to know what to expect from the Draft–and tell your friends what they should expect–for the next three months, this list is for you.
A disclaimer, before we move forward: injury concerns and character concerns are two things that are almost impossible to judge, sitting behind a screen. Players like RB Joe Mixon and WR Dede Westbrook will have plenty of questions to answer from teams regarding their speckled past. They’ll be ranked based off of talent alone, and teams will be responsible for meeting with the players, discussing their past errors, and adjusting their stock accordingly.
On a similar note, a team has to make their own calls regarding injuries that may drastically impact the board you see here. Ryan Ramczyk from Wisconsin, my #1 0T, isn’t falling much due to his hip surgery; Jake Butt, TE from Michigan, has torn the same ACL twice now, and he tumbled out of my Top 100. Teams will weight different injuries differently. Simple as that.
Without further ado, let’s reveal the Top 100 prospects for the 2017 NFL Draft.
Prospects 1-10 are blue-chip talents like EDGE Myles Garrett from Texas A&M and LB Reuben Foster from Alabama. Will any of these elite prospects fall into Philadelphia’s lap?
The Eagles will spend plenty of time on each and every one of these players, praying that one of them drops to their pick at 15.
I projected RB Dalvin Cook from FSU to Philly in my Eagles’ mock draft earlier this month, given the devaluation of the running back position in recent years. Don’t get it twisted: Dalvin Cook and RB Leonard Fournette from LSU are both Top-5 prospects. Fournette is a one-cut power back who, if he gets his shoulders square, absolutely devastates defenders at the second level. Cook hearkens back to RB LeSean McCoy with elite vision, quickness through cuts, and evasiveness in space. Both would revolutionize the Eagles’ offense, but Cook is the better player and the better fit.
Joe Mixon, the RB from Oklahoma, has talent abound, but is currently embroiled in an unseemly, violent situation. I expect most teams to pass, and pass hard. It will be very interesting to see which front office blinks.
While the Eagles must get help in their RB stables, cornerback and wide receiver have greater needs. Cornerbacks saturate the front of the draft–I have 10 in the first 43. The best corner overall, CB1, is a hotly contested topic among draft analysts. The honor for me goes to Quincy Wilson, a towering defensive back (6’1) from Florida who plays with controlled physicality and incredibly quick feet. He has the ability to follow the Odell Beckhams and Dez Bryants of the league around the field and shut them down at the line of scrimmage; his style of play fits DC Jim Schwartz’s preferences as well.
The Eagles have a great spot in this year’s draft to select a premier corner–as we get closer to the draft, their rankings, and those of the teams before them, will grow clearer. I expect Wilson to be squarely in the discussion for a Top-15 pick.
WR Corey Davis out of Western Michigan is a prime target for Philadelphia, but he isn’t the only wideout they’ll have their eye on. Read on to hear about the potential playmakers the Eagles could grab on the boundary in Round 1.
If the Philadelphia Eagles elect a pass-catching weapon for QB Carson Wentz in Round 1, they’ll have a tough choice to make: Corey Davis from Western Michigan, or Mike Williams from Clemson (pictured).
This list represents the most likely pool of players from which the Eagles must make their selection on Day 1. Best part? Everyone here, save for maybe Zach Cunningham from Vanderbilt, would fill an area of need for Philadelphia.
That’s right: the Eagles sorely lack an impact edge rusher opposite DE Brandon Graham. Tired of hearing about DT Fletcher Cox’s double teams and how many times Graham almost, just barely, but not quite got to the quarterback? After DEs Vinny Curry and Connor Barwin failed to pan out in Jim Schwartz’s scheme, a new face at the position could bring this defensive line the dominance it claimed–and we expected it–to have.
All things considered, other positions need more immediate help. But if the Eagles fall in love with a DE like Solomon Thomas from Standford or Carl Lawson from Auburn, they may not hesitate to pull the trigger.
A lot of fans, however, will clamor for an impact wide receiver at this spot–rightfully so, given the dearth of talent at the position and the skill available. Western Michigan’s Corey Davis, the 9th overall prospect from the previous slide, barely edges Mike Williams from Clemson, positioned here at 11th.
earlier this week: his ability to physically dominate corners
and catch balls away from his body would immediately give Carson Wentz a trustworthy, game-changing target.
While Corey Davis doesn’t impose his will as physically as Williams, his route running, agility, and body control round him out as a true WR1. I don’t like comparisons, but just to give you a framework: Mike Williams reminds some experts of Plaxico Burress; Corey Davis, of Terrell Owens. Pick your poison.
Three corners at 14, 15, and 16–I’m telling you, the spread of defensive backs in this class gives the Eagles room to really find their favorite and snag him. Gareon Conley from Ohio State and Sidney Jones from Washington play similar games, with incredible quickness, oily hips, and ball skills–but their smaller frames prevent them from outmuscling bigger WRs at the line of scrimmage, a valued trait in today’s NFL. Desmond King from Iowa is a real interesting prospect that I think could play either corner or safety. A team may value his versatility, but given the Eagles’ security at the safety position, and the two-way abilities of players like S Malcolm Jenkins and S Jaylen Watkins, I’d expect them to steer clear.
Some believe that Christian McCaffrey, RB from Stanford, projects as a slot WR at the next level. Honestly, McCaffrey’s a plain weapon–put him wherever you like, because he’ll beat whatever match-up you throw at him. Don’t let anyone tell you he’s just a role player. He runs with intelligence, explosion, and evasiveness. A good offensive mind can, and will, unlock his 3-down potential at the next level.
A lot of the talent behind the Philadelphia Eagles’ pick, in slots 21-30, could improve their draft stock before the day rolls around. If the Eagles fall for one of these prospects, they could reach for them at 15.
4 more corners–for those of you playing at home, that’s 8 in the top 30. If the Eagles forego picking a CB1 in the first round of the draft, they’ll hope for one of these prospect to slide into the second.
Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey interests me as a prospect. The most athletic corner in this class, he just struggles to play with his back to the ball–simple as that. A move to safety might behoove him, a la Byron Jones in Dallas, but I think more than a few defensive back coaches will look at him and say “I can fix that”, a la Sam from Holes (3 movie references now). This underclassman hasn’t even declared yet, though many expect he will. A storyline to follow, for sure.
Florida’s Teez Tabor
defines
high risk/high reward for a cornerback. Think CB Leodis McKelvin, just, you know, good. He closes on the ball better than anyone in this class, and thus naturally fits as a zone corner, but often plays far too physically in man, the Eagles’ preferred coverage style. He’ll draw a lot of flags at the next level, but he’ll pick off a lot of passes, too.
If Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore put another year of film on tape, he’d likely be my #1 corner. With only three 2015 games and the 2016 season to put forth, Lattimore shows all of the skills, but I have to question his consistency/individual production. He played with a very good Ohio State defense for one year, and then declared. Is the redshirt sophomore really worth his salt?
And finally, Clemson’s Cordrea Tankersley. Another product of our Eagles’ mock, Tankersley is a pure cover corner who can change direction, mirror, and close with the best of them. However, he sometimes struggles in zone coverage, and absolutely vanishes in the run game. I really believe in him as a prospect–I think he could achieve a Marcus Peters-like game.
John Ross, the WR from Washington, is a straight speed demon that might interest a Philadelphia offense that desperately needs to get vertical. These kinds of prospects can worry you–they don’t always have the best hands–but Ross catches well and also runs crisp routes, something speedsters often lack. Those fans clamoring for a DeSean Jackson redux in Philly should also support Ross as a first-round pick–they stress defenses and produce in similar ways.
Early Day 2 players have had big impacts in recent years: Michael Thomas, Landon Collins, and Eric Kendricks come to mind. Can the Philadelphia Eagles find a gem in the second round?
As discussed, CBs show up everywhere in the top of this draft–but so do edge defenders. With 11 in my top 37, premier talent will tumble into the second round, and the Eagles may capitalize on the opportunity.
Defensive ends Charles Harris from Missouri and Taco Charlton from Michigan both excelled with their hand in the dirt in college, while Ryan Anderson rushed as an OLB opposite Top-15 prospect Tim Williams in Alabama. As such, Harris and Taco will more likely interest the 4-3 Eagles early on Day 2. Taco is an incredibly raw prospect who will need to take well to coaching, while Harris plays overzealous at times, struggling to diagnose plays at an NFL speed. Both, however, can tee off and pressure the passer with the best of them.
NFL teams will monitor both OLB Joe Mathis from Washington and T Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin closely. Mathis had a foot surgery in November that cut his senior season short and may impede his ability to perform at the Combine. If his stock drops due to injury concern, the Eagles could make a future-oriented pick and snag the gifted edge rusher.
Same story for Ramczyk: considered the best offensive tackle in a thin class, Ramczyk’s tape will stand alone as he undergoes hip surgery, preventing him from participating in any pre-draft workouts. Should teams become concerned with his health going forward, he may slide. The Eagles desperately need a contingency plan should Jason Peters retire, Lane Johnson receive a two-year suspension, or *gulp* both. Ramczyk could rehab without a timeline and slide in to guard while waiting for a tackle position to open up. With the oldest offensive line in the NFL, the Eagles need as much big, ugly youth as possible.
As Day 2 continues, the Philadelphia Eagles will look to address the gaps they couldn’t on Day 1. But there’s a reason these players aren’t Day 1 prospects.
Several of these names you’ll hear thrown around the Eagles, but as the numbers get bigger, so do the holes in the prospects’ games. In every class, there’s a cliff–a sudden, noticeable drop in talent. For me, that cliff hits right around 40. As such, this board hosts a few prospects I think the Eagles would do well to avoid.
JuJu Smith-Schuster might terrify Philadelphia fans because of their history with USC wide receivers, but JJSS doesn’t play a lick like WR Nelson Agholor. He operates with physicality, explodes off the line of scrimmage, and teems with confidence. But I don’t trust his hands–he catches a lot with his body–and makes at least one boneheaded error a game. You can only swagger like Steve Smith if you play as well as Steve Smith does, young blood. I wouldn’t want him in my locker room.
CB Adoree’ Jackson, Smith-Schuster’s teammate in SoCal, should have stayed on the track. A transcendental athlete, Jackson has yet to declare for the draft, and I hope he returns to school for a year to grow as a player. A good coach can mold him into an NFL corner, but given his lack of technical skills, another year of growth would help tremendously.
D’Onta Foreman, the RB from Texas, could get a look from the Eagles as a Day 2 RB. However, Foreman’s style of running wouldn’t fit too well in Philly. With an athletic O-Line, the Eagles like to pull their lineman and get their running backs in space. Foreman excels as a one-cut, rumble-between-the-tackles sort of guy, wherein the smaller interior line for Philadelphia has less of an advantage. I’d expect them to go a different direction.
Keep an eye on Bucky Hodges. The Virginia Tech tight end stands at 6’6 and regularly embarrasses corners on the outside. A project as a boundary player, Hodges doesn’t lack agility and speed, so the Eagles could grab him as a bargain late and attempt to develop him into an outside weapon. Regardless of his WR prospects, he’s absolutely devastating up the seam.
There’s more to the offseason than the draft. The Philadelphia Eagles have a laundry list of to-dos, including resigning NT Bennie Logan. If they’re unable to, the 2017 class might have some solutions.
I’m as big of a DT Beau Allen fan as the next guy, but if the Eagles lose Bennie Logan to free agency this year, they’ll have a gaping hole in the middle of that defensive line. Ironically, the middle of the draft holds two guys I think could fit the bill: Vita Vea from Washington and Davon Godchaux from LSU.
Vea plays like a Bennie Logan clone. He eats space in the middle and excels against the run, throwing interior lineman around at will, moving with deceptive quickness for a man his size. I’ve heard that he may return to school for another year–if he does, expect to hear him as a Round 1 prospect next year.
Godchaux fits the Eagles’ 1-gap scheme better than Vea, as he plays his best when moving downhill and penetrating. He needs to learn how to explode better and faster out his stance, but so did Beau Allen coming out of college, and DC Jim Schwartz along with DL coach Chris Wilson seem to have addressed that problem well. If Godchaux can make improvements there, while refining his hand usage, he can be a devastating force in the interior D-Line.
Ideally, the Eagles would like to grab a CB and a WR in Rounds 1 and 2, however the order shakes out. If things get wonky, CB Chidobe Awuzie from Colorado and WR Amara Darboh from Michigan can both develop into starters at their respective positions. Day 2/3 projections, Awuzie does everything well on the boundary, but nothing exceptionally; Darboh stretches the field vertically and makes highlight plays, but lacks discipline and polish. If the Eagles can hit on one of these players, they could hold incredible Day 2 value down the road.
Side note: the Eagles have their quarterback of the future, but if Patrick Mahomes becomes the best QB of this class five years down the road, I wouldn’t bat an eye.
The Philadelphia Eagles may draft multiple offensive pieces within their first three picks–I’d certainly call it a wise move. Check out the Day 2 weapons in this board.
When looking at what Philadelphia would like to do on offense, I turn to Kansas City, wherein Eagles HC Doug Pederson used to run the offense. With the ultimate game-manager in QB Alex Smith, the Chiefs rely heavily on a multi-faceted rushing attack, and utilize a possession-oriented pass game led by WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Travis Kelce. Their explosive plays come mostly from their gadget rookie, Tyreek Hill, and jailbreak runs.
As we know, the Eagles have the short-passing game on lock (#AirYards), with WR Jordan Matthews and TE Zach Ertz leading the charge. But the explosive plays that stretch the defense are painfully absent, and the Eagles’ offensive focus will likely fall there: creating those 20+ yard plays.
As such, WRs Dede Westbrook and Curtis Samuel should get a long look. A Heisman candidate in Oklahoma’s offense, Westbrook hauled in 80 balls this year for 1524 yards–that means he
averaged
19.05 yards a catch. Stats can deceive, but the kid almost averaged an explosive play per reception. His sudden, twitchy style of play leaves defenders grasping at air, and his underrated ability to make contested catches makes him a threat over the middle. Think Josh Huff, only better.
Curtis Samuel played running back for Ohio State, but projects as a WR at the next level. He could play a similar role to that of Tyreek Hill in KC, taking balls out of the backfield, on sweeps, and through the air. With joystick evasiveness and developed vision, he would be Darren Sproles’ heir apparent in the running, passing, and return game.
Folks need to stop sleeping on Elijah Hood out of UNC, who I expect teams to target as the crown jewel in a slew of mid-round backs. Powerful and deceptively speedy, Hood also threatens in the passing game and blocks well–you can leave him on the field for all three downs. His workhorse abilities would help the Eagles extend Darren Sproles’ shelf life and capitalize on RB Wendell Smallwood’s explosiveness. Not to mention, Hood rarely loses yardage, keeping the Eagles out of those crippling 3rd-and-longs they faced all year.
Some lesser-known names are going to rise to the top as the draft season continues, and a few of these more obscure prospects should interest the Philadelphia Eagles.
I’m going to come right out and say it: I think Garett Bolles could be–could be–the best tackle in the 2017 NFL Draft. The wide-open class has a lot of wiggle room. Twitter nearly destroyed me for suggesting that Roderick Johnson from FSU could also enter the conversation last week, but Bolles came onto the scene pretty late and has caught the eye of experts only recently. He’ll turn 25 around draft day, as he was a JUCO transfer, but his athleticism on the edge could make him the apple of a few teams’ eye. The more I watch him, the higher he rises.
You may have heard Cooper Kupp’s name as an intriguing small-school prospect, but many people will shy from really giving him his due. The Eastern Washington wide receiver is a QB’s best friend–he understands spacing and zone coverage better than most college wideouts, scrambles with mobile QBs, makes contested catches, and played through a doggone AC joint this year. Talk about grit. Think Jamison Crowder-like impact.
Jeremy McNichols from Boise State, similarly to D’Onta Foreman, may not fit in the Eagles’ scheme perfectly, but beggars cannot become choosers in the third round of the NFL Draft. An absolute bruiser of a runner who translates surprisingly well in the passing game, McNichols could form an excellent 1-2 punch with Wendell Smallwood–think RBs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard in Cincinnati. In a loaded running back class, don’t forget about the former Bronco.
Public Service Announcement: I don’t care how many defensive tackles your team has, if Jaleel Jones from Iowa drops into the 3rd, take him. I expect him to continue flying up my board. Straight monster.
Great opportunities wait for the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire depth at thin positions in the bottom of the third round and the top of the fourth.
Everyone on this board fills the depth chart for Philadelphia–save, perhaps, for David Njoku, TE from Miami. Haason Reddick projects better as a 3-4 OLB in an NFL defense, but has the twitch and athleticism necessary to put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer as a wide-9 DE that doesn’t have to take OTs head-on in the run game. The Eagles could try him as a situational pass-rusher and as an OLB Mychal Kendricks replacement, should the underachieving defender part ways with the team in the upcoming years. Camden N.J. to Temple, too–home-grown.
Give me both Adam Bisnowaty from Pitt and Taylor Moton from Western Michigan as starting guards with the ability to kick out as serviceable tackles. The Eagles particularly value that versatility, given their usage of OL Allen Barbre, Matt Tobin, and Isaac Seumalo over the years. With Barbre, OT Jason Peters, and C Jason Kelce all 30+ by the end of 2017, only OT Lane Johnson and OG Brandon Brooks have future starting spots locked on this line. Everywhere else needs competition and depth.
Damontae Kazee from San Diego State and Cameron Sutton of Tennessee both have the skills requisite to develop into starting outside corners in the NFL. Kazee’s size (5’11, 174) and age (24) may scare off some teams, but his awareness and versatility as a corner truly astound me. He plays a good deal of coverages well and knows how to break on the ball. Sutton possesses Round 1 skills, but the inconsistency scares me. Regardless, some of the quickest feet in the class, tackling physicality, and run game presence make him a solid prospect. Great competitor too–never seen him take a play off.
The Eagles could seriously look at snagging a defensive tackle here (assuming Logan walks). Chris Wormley from Michigan needs to develop some sort of pass-rushing talent to be considered more than a 2-down player; Jarron Jones from Notre Dame vanishes at times, but flashes potential; Eddie Vanderdoes from UCLA has to answer questions about the health of his knee but wreaks havoc in the run game when healthy; Elijah Quallis is absolutely gargantuan, almost an immovable force on the Washington defensive line as another run-stuffing, 2-down nose tackle.
Rounding out the Top 100, plenty of impact players sit below this list, and the Philadelphia Eagles will carefully monitor all of them as the draft season rolls on.
Rounding out my top 100 are plenty of players with upside moving into the draft season–and hiding just below the surface are plenty more. Alvin Kamara, RB from Tennessee, is a guy that continues to impress me with burst and twitch, cutting hard upfield and rarely losing yardage. He runs like he’s more powerful than he is, but I think time in the weight room could give him the added punch needed to become a RB 1a for the Eagles. His size does betray him often in pass protection, but more weight room time could mitigate those concerns as well.
DE Tanoh Kpassagnon out of Villanova plays with great hands and decent bend, and again could develop over time into the pass-rusher Philadelphia needs opposite Brandon Graham. Standing at 6’7, Tanoh looks the part, and moves with great quickness for his size. Personally, I’d love to see him square off against Halapoulivaati Vaitai in practice, just for the Scrabble of it.
The Eagles will take long looks at WRs Travis Rudolph out of Florida State, Zay Jones out of East Carolina, and Artavis Scott out of Clemson. I fully expect Philly to take multiple WRs in this draft: if they grab their outside guy in the earlier rounds, all three of these players have the ability to do great damage from the slot.
Rudolph is a tough, do-everything-well sort of player who presents a reliable target, especially on 3rd downs; Jones is a YAC maven and college football record holder, but needs to improve his play strength; Scott is a smaller, quicker receiver who does most of his damage on short routes and screens, but has deceptively good high-point abilities. These three playmakers all fit the Eagles’ offense scheme and add another level of danger to the young Philadelphia offense.
As the draft season continues, keep an eye on the players highlighted in this post. Some will rise; some will fall; and the Philadelphia Eagles will watch the entire time, searching for the pieces necessary to bring this team to the playoffs and beyond.
The full Top 100 Big Board looks like this:
Here it stands, exactly 15 weeks before the NFL Draft. If you want to see the full table and all of my rankings divided by position, you should check them out here.
I’ll be lucky if 15, even 10 of these players retain their spots when all is said and done. Combine performances will elevate the athletes, highlight the technicians, and expose the unfit; interviews will drastically impact the security teams feel in selecting a player with a spotty past; medical checks may expose deep-seated issues that submarine a prospect’s stock; Jon Gruden will beat grown men with pool noodles.
For now, this exercise helps us understand how the draft may play out: when the positions of need for Philadelphia might swell with talent, and when they might dry out; just how valuable that player is, 5 or 50 spots before the next prospect at his position; how closely a cluster of 3 prospects might be graded at one section, and how far apart the same span might be at a different location.
Next: This Season, Jordan Hicks Became A Star
Remember that the draft is a game of inches, a delicate art. Every franchise has those picks that they just missed (i.e., Brandon Graham over Earl Thomas) and the ones that just slipped away (Russel Wilson before Nick Foles). Every advantage that can be gleaned must be so gleaned, for jobs, franchises, and Super Bowl victories may hang in the balance.
For film analysis, Big Board updates, and general NFL Draft enjoyment, make sure you follow Ben on Twitter @BenjaminSolak.